8
Battery Requirements
BATTERY REQUIREMENTS
Hazardous electric current.
Can cause severe
burns and start a fire if the battery terminals are short
circuited. Install the battery in the battery case. To prevent
accidental shorting across battery terminals, close and latch
the battery case securely. Do not leave the battery
uncovered.
Do not allow children to play around the battery
backup system installation.
The performance of your backup sump pump depends on
the battery used with it for power. We recommend using our
BAT40 or BAT75. You can also use a group 24M or 27M Deep
Cycle battery. They will provide acceptable performance and
will stand up well to long periods of little or no use.
This system is designed to work with either a sealed lead-
acid AGM battery or a flooded lead-acid battery. Use of a
true Gell Cell (often confused for AGM) or a standard
automotive battery with this charger is not recommended.
An automotive battery may require charging after only 1-2
hours of continuous use, and the repeated charging cycles
may cause early plate failure in the battery.
Use only lead-acid batteries. This unit is not designed to use
with Li-Ion, NiMh, NiCAD, Liquid Polymer, etc.
Use only the recommended battery or one of the same type
and size so it will fit in the battery box (maximum size: 13”
long x 7
” wide x 10” tall (330.2mm x 177.8mm x 254mm)
including terminals) and supply enough voltage for full
performance.
BATTERY MAINTENANCE
Severe burn hazard.
An acid-filled standard
lead-acid battery contains sulfuric acid. Avoid contact with
skin, eyes or clothing.
NOTICE:
To protect the battery case from chipping and
gouging, do not let the battery sit on a concrete floor. Install
the battery on a shelf or protective pad (plywood, 2x4s, etc.).
Always install the battery in a dry location that is protected
from flooding.
Pre-Qualification Test
–
1 and 2
Charger is charging at a very low level to try to bring a dead
battery back to life. If the battery is taking too long, try
resetting the charger once or twice (push the ‘SYSTEM TEST’
and ‘SILENCE ALARM’ buttons together to reset the charger).
Special Features:
The charger is equipped with reverse battery, short circuit,
and “runaway charge” protection.
Possible Problems and Remedies
1. Wrong Battery Voltage
Reconnect charger
to a 12 volt battery.
2. Reversed Battery Connections
Check all connections. The negative (black) on the
battery must connect to the negative (black) on the
charger, and the positive (red) on the battery must
connect to the positive (red) on the charger. Reversing
the battery connections will cause the ‘SYSTEM ALERT’
and ‘SILENCED AUDIBLE ALARM’ LEDs to flash.
3. Thermal Runaway Condition
“Thermal Runaway” is the technical term for the
condition of the battery when some (or all) of the cells
have deteriorated to the point that they won’t take a
charge. In this case, replace the battery.
4. Charge Time
Monitor
–
1 and 2
Battery took too long to complete its charge. The
“Charge Time Monitor” will shut down the charger after
84 hours of continuous charging.
Possible causes are:
A)
Pump ran for a long period of time during charging,
or
B)
Battery is too large for the charger (including several
batteries connected in a parallel circuit).
Excessive Battery Drain
Pump may have run for a very long time, discharging the
battery. In this case:
1.
If 115VAC power is OFF, the charger shuts down until
the power comes back on, but the pump will run as long
