Equalizing A Flooded Battery - tbs electronics Omnicharge OC48-40 Bedienerhandbuch

4.3

Equalizing a flooded battery

If you are using a lead acid battery, an occasional equalization charge cycle may
be recommended by the manufacturer. This might also be true when the battery
has been very deeply discharged or often charged inadequately. During equalization, the
battery will be charged up to approx. 15.5V (31V for 24V and 62V for 48V models) at a
reduced output current level. Before starting an equalization charge cycle, the following
caution statements must be read carefully :
!
CAUTION
Equalization should only be performed on a lead acid battery type that supports this
process. Therefore the Omnicharge only allows equalization when the battery type rotary
selector is set to Flooded, AGM or Lead Calcium. Other battery types like GEL or Lithium will
be damaged by this process. Please be aware that not all AGM and Lead Calcium battery
manufacturers allow an equalization process. Always follow the battery manufacturer's
instructions when equalizing batteries.
During equalization, the battery generates explosive gasses. Follow all the battery safety
precautions enclosed with your Omnicharge. Ventilate the area around the battery
sufficiently and ensure that there are no sources of flames or sparks in the vicinity.
Disconnect all loads connected to the battery during equalization. The voltage applied to
the battery during this process may be above safe levels for some loads.
The Omnicharge cannot automatically determine when to stop the equalization of a
battery. The user must monitor the battery's specific gravity throughout this process to
determine the end of the equalization cycle. The internal 1 hours time-out timer of your
charger is only intended as a safety feature, but may not be sufficiently short to prevent
battery damage. Therefore, equalizing a battery is always a process that must continuously
be supervised by the user.
As explained earlier, the Omnicharge will only allow equalization when the battery type
rotary selector is set to a battery type that may allow an equalization cycle. Besides this, the
charger also needs to have a full charge cycle completed and must operate in the Float
stage. When these two conditions are met, the equalization charge mode can be activated
by pressing the recessed pushbutton on the bottom side of the unit (see image in chapter
2.4.2) for 3 seconds, until all charge status indicators start flashing.
The Omnicharge battery charger will allow a maximum equalization time of 1 hour before it
automatically jumps back to the Float stage. If the specific gravity of each cell does not
match the battery manufacturer's specifications yet, you can initiate a new 1 hour
equalization cycle by pressing the pushbutton for 3 seconds again. Always keep on checking
the specific gravity of each cell repeatedly during the equalization process. When these
values are correct, you can manually exit the equalization process by pressing the recessed
pushbutton once. The battery charger will then return to the Float stage.
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