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East Coast Carts

Battery Safety and Maintenance Guide

East Coast Carts

It is important to ensure your batteries are installed safely and maintained correctly to avoid shortening the life of your batteries. See our Safety, Preventative Maintenance, Cleaning and Watering tips below.

SAFETY

  • Always wear protective clothing, gloves and goggles when handling batteries.
  • Do not smoke near batteries.
  • Keep sparks, flames and metal objects away from batteries.
  • Use a wrench with a rubber handle when making battery connections.
  • The electrolyte is a solution of acid and water, so avoid skin contact.
  • If acid contacts your skin or eyes, flush with water immediately.
  • Check that all cable connections to the terminal are properly tightened, connections that are too tight or too loose could result in post breakage, meltdown or fire.
  • To avoid short circuits do not lay objects on top of battery.
  • Charge batteries in a well-ventilated area.
  • Never add acid to a battery.

PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE INSPECTION

  • Examine the external appearance of the battery, the tops of the battery and terminal connections should be clean, free of dirt and corrosion, and dry. Refer to cleaning section below.
  • If fluids are on top of the battery this may mean that the battery is being over-watered. Refer to watering section below.
  • Check battery cables and connections, replace all damaged cables and tighten any loose connections, 95 105 lbs torque.

CLEANING

  • Check that all vent caps are secured properly on the battery.
  • Clean the top of the battery, terminals and connections with a cloth or brush and a solution of baking soda and water. Do not allow cleaning solution to get inside the battery.
  • Rinse with water and dry with a clean cloth.
  • Apply a thin coat of petroleum jelly or terminal protector that can be purchased through your local battery dealer.
  • Keep the area around batteries clean and dry.

WATERING

Wet cell batteries need to have their water level checked routinely. The frequency depends upon battery usage and operating temperatures. Check new batteries every couple of weeks to determine the watering frequency for your application. It is normal for batteries to need more watering as they age.

  • Fully charge the batteries prior to adding water. Only add water to discharged or partially charged batteries if the plates are exposed. In this case, add just enough water to cover the plates and then charge the batteries and continue with the watering procedure.
  • Remove the vent caps and place them upside down so the dirt does not get on the underside of the cap, for the plus series batteries simply flip open the cap. Check the electrolyte level.
  • If the electrolyte level is well above the plates, then it is not necessary to add more water.
  • If the electrolyte level is barely covering the plates, add distilled or de-ionised water to a level 3mm below the vent well (this is the plastic shield inside the vent hole) for standard batteries and to the maximum (MAX) level indicator for Plus Series batteries.

For more information on batteries and maintenance visit: yhipower.com.au

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