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Battery Charging
975-0251-01-01 3–15
Equalizing is not required on gel cell batteries. You will note that if the DIP
switches are set in one of the two gel cell positions, the equalizing charge voltage
is the same as the bulk charge voltage, therefore equalizing is equivalent to an 8-
hour acceptance stage and is not harmful.
Equalize charging is current limited to 16 A DC. Remove all DC loads from the
output of the inverter/charger.
Charging Over-Discharged Batteries
Charging into a battery bank with a terminal voltage of less than 8 volts (16 in a
24-volt system) presents a special problem for the Freedom 10.
If this situation arises, the unit will attempt to charge for 1 minute. If the inverter
senses excessive ripple voltage, it will shut down to protect itself.
To successfully charger an over-discharged battery, you must remove as
much DC load as possible. Then, set DIP switches 7 and 8 to the
ON position to
limit the amount of charge current and the resulting ripple voltage. After the
battery voltage has reached 10 volts (20 volts in a 24-volt system), these switches
can be set to their previous positions.
Please note that if a continuous DC load in excess of 100 amps (50 amps in a
24-volt system) is placed on the battery bank, eventually the battery voltage
will drop below 8 volts (16 volts in a 24-volt system) and the battery charger
will shut off. This load must be significantly reduced and the power to the
charger cycled to resume charging.
Blinking of the BATTERY LED on the remote control while charging is a
warning that an over-discharge is imminent and that the DC load should be
reduced.
CAUTION: Damage to batteries
• Do not equalize gel cell batteries with the remote programmed for wet cells.
• Always monitor the equalize charge. Provide proper ventilation for battery fumes.
Do not allow any sparks during equalizing. If one or more cells begin to overflow,
terminate the equalize cycle.
• Check and top up the battery electrolyte both before and after the equalizing
charge. Do not expose the battery plates to air. Leave the battery caps on while
equalizing.
• Remove all loads from the DC system before equalizing. Some DC loads may not
tolerate the high charge voltage.
• Do not leave the equalize DIP switch in the
ON position. It must be cycled OFF and
left in the
OFF position. If left ON, the unit will engage the equalizing cycle every time
the battery charger is engaged.