WIRING AND BATTERY
12
eng
Battery Precautions
!
WARNING
An operating or charging battery produces gas that can ignite and
explode, spraying out sulfuric acid, which can cause severe burns.
Ventilate the area around the battery and wear protective equipment
when handling or servicing batteries.
When charging batteries, an explosive gas mixture forms in each cell.
Part of this gas escapes through holes in the vent plugs and may
form an explosive atmosphere around the battery if ventilation is poor.
This explosive gas may remain in or around the battery for several
hours after it has been charged. Sparks or flames can ignite this gas
and cause an internal explosion, which may shatter the battery.
The following precautions should be observed to prevent an
explosion:
1. Do not smoke near batteries being charged or which have been
charged very recently.
2. Do not break live circuits at terminals of batteries, because a
spark usually occurs at the point where a live circuit is broken.
Always be careful when connecting or disconnecting cable
clamps on chargers. Poor connections are a common cause of
electrical arcs which cause explosions.
3. Do not reverse polarity of battery terminal to cable connections.
Standard Practices and Procedures
• Do not use the main engine battery to power the trolling motor.
• Disconnect the trolling motor from the battery when charging and
after each use.
• Route the trolling motor wires on the opposite side of the boat
from other miscellaneous boat wiring.
• Connect boat accessories directly to the main engine battery.
Battery Recommendations
• Use a 12 volt, deep cycle marine battery.
