How to Use a Car Battery Charger Safely and Efficiently

As a car owner, you should know how to use a battery charger since a dead battery is a common problem among drivers, especially during cold months. Portable chargers can get you back on the road again as quickly as possible. However, it is important that you know how to use such devices properly to ensure your safety and obtain optimum results. Here's a quick guide to using a portable charger for your car's battery.

Tips on Using a Battery Charger for Your Car

1. Safety first

Because you're dealing with high voltage of electricity, it's very important to keep safe to avoid accidents and injuries. As such, before connecting the charger to the battery, be sure to take off rings and other pieces of jewellery and metallic objects in your person. If you have a pair of rubber gloves in your car, you should put it on. Also, roll up any loose sleeves. Check your owner's manual to see how much voltage your car battery utilises. Ensure that it is the same as your battery charger.

2. Clean the terminals

To ensure fast and efficient charging, take some time to clean the battery's terminals. Corroded terminals may impede with the flow of current from the car battery charger to the cables and then to the car battery. For best results, use a soft bristled wire brush.

3. Connect the cables

According to the experts, the order in which you connect the car battery cables when charging a flat or low battery isn't as important as when jump starting your car. However, it is still advisable to use the same order for better results. Before connecting the cables, ensure that the charger is switched off and/or unplugged from the main power source. Then connect the positive cable first, followed by the negative cable. Double-check the connections to ensure they are good.

4. Set the charge rate

Always remember that the higher the charge rate, the higher the internal battery temperature will become. And the hotter the temperature is, the more prone your battery to damage will be. As such, you should set the charge rate of your portable car battery charger to a midrange level. 50 amps are considered the maximum charging rate for most batteries so use this rate only if you're in a hurry.

5. Switch on the charger

Once everything is set, switch on the charger. Ensure that you're in a well-ventilated area. Also, keep your face away from the battery.

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