Car battery chargers are used to recharge a car battery when the battery can no longer start the car's engine. This article gives tips on safe charging.

You should always be certain that you are using a car battery charger correctly, and that you are following the manufacturer's instructions. Misuse of the charger could cause injury or damage to the battery. Car batteries can give off a gas called hydrogen when they are being charged with a battery charger and also when the alternator runs and charges the battery. This hydrogen gas can cause the battery to explode if ignited by a spark or flame. If the car's battery becomes overcharged or if it is charged too quickly, heat can build up in the battery causing damage to occur. High temperatures inside the battery can mean that the battery won't last as long as it should before needing replacement, and since they are quite expensive items overheating is to be avoided. Charging too fast on too high an Amp setting may also produce an excess of explosive gas which could ignite with serious consequences.

These are some tips on how to charge your car battery safely:

• When working on car batteries, be sure to wear appropriate safety wear such as safety goggles and protective gloves to protect yourself from burns caused by the acid inside the battery.
• Have some water (make sure it's clean) available to hand for washing your skin or your eyes if they get splashed with the battery acid. If you get splashed with the acid, make sure that you rinse the affected area for a minimum of fifteen minutes before getting medical attention.
• Always carefully read and follow the instructions for your charger. Don't use a charger which doesn't have any instructions unless you are absolutely certain that you know how to use it.
• When using a mains electricity-powered type of charger, ensure that you hook up the charger's cables to the battery as the first step. You can then safely plug in the charger to the electricity outlet. Doing it this way helps to avoid forming sparks which could ignite the battery gas.
• Avoid getting anything which makes sparks or has flames near to the battery. Avoid smoking near to the battery for the same reason.
• Don't charge the battery anywhere near fuel vapour.
• Keep metal objects (including jewellery) away from battery positive and negative terminals, shorts can cause sparks.
• Make sure that the charger is well away from the car battery, and exclude people and animals from the area.
• Work in an area with good ventilation.
• If the weather is very cold, batteries can freeze. Beware of frozen batteries, they may leak acid.
• Avoid overcharging the car battery, the majority of chargers won't do this, but some types can overcharge.
• Where possible, charge on a low Amp setting. This is the safest way of charging.

Following these tips will keep you safe and stop your car battery from being damaged.