Harbor Freight Tools 03418 Battery Charger User Manual


 
Page 6SKU 03418 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353.
Operation
About Charging Batteries
Batteries draw as much power as they need from the charger. The charger does not force
current into the battery. When a battery is close to dead or very low charged, it will want to draw
more current. When a dead or low battery is charged, the charger’s ammeter will register at the
high end. As the battery charges, the reading will move down toward the low end, resting on
zero, when the battery is fully charged. See FIGURE 1 below.
Note: The ammeter shows the amount of current being drawn from the charger. It does not
show what the charger is capable of delivering. When the battery is fully charged and registering
zero on the ammeter, a small trickle charge will continue to move from the charger to the
battery. If you do not disconnect the charger from the battery, eventually the heat build up from
the trickle charge will cause the battery acid to boil and overcharge the battery causing damage
to the battery. You must constantly monitor battery charging progress.
Power Requirements
This charger must have a 120 volt, 60 Hertz AC (alternating current) power source fused at an
amperage greater than or equal to the input rating of this charger. Do not plug this charger in
until directed to do so in the following pages of this manual.
This charger has a 3-prong plug. The power outlet/receptacle must be grounded. If you use
an adapter (3-prong to 2-prong) to connect the plug from the charger to the outlet, the adapter
must be a properly grounded adapter and must only be used temporarily, until a qualified
electrician can install a properly grounded receptacle.
Extension cord use is determined by the input amp rating (2.2 amps) of the charger.
Minimum size (AWG rating) of a 25 foot cord is 18 gauge.
Minimum size (AWG rating) of a 50 foot cord is 18 gauge.
Minimum size (AWG rating) of a 100 foot cord is 14 gauge.
Minimum size (AWG rating) of a 150 foot cord is 12 gauge.
Never alter extension cords.
FIGURE 1