From the 2022 edition of the NFPA 72, the Ah Reserve Capacity of batteries as a standby power source has been increased from 20% to 25%. ACT/Chrome Intelligent Battery Discharge Tester with built-in Temperature Compensation can be used to accurately verify actual available capacity.
Key Features
- Compact design and simple operation
- Simulates a 20 hour (C20) discharge test in seconds
- Designed for 12V standby SLA batteries between 1.2Ah and 200Ah
- Built-in temperature compensation
- Automatically displays the DC Voltage and available Ampere hour (Ah) capacity based on the battery’s temperature and state of charge
- Quickly verify voltage and capacity of new straight-out-of-the-box batteries
- Identify low or abnormal capacity of used batteries
- Reverse polarity protection
- Powered by the battery under test
- Free from complicated settings and functions
Fast Identification
The ACT CHROME 12V SLA Battery Tester uses advanced pulsed load technology to deliver accurate DC Voltage and Ah capacity results based on the battery’s temperature and state of charge. A quick look up table on the side of the unit identifies when batteries should be recharged or replaced due to age or operating conditions (65% of rated capacity). A temperature sensitive strip allows the ambient temperature to also be recorded.
The ACT CHROME 12V SLA Battery Tester offers a simple and accurate solution for testing 12V SLA batteries commonly used in fire, security and many other electrical systems.
Supplied: ACT CHROME 12V SLA Intelligent Battery Tester, ACT 3532 Terminal Connectors, ACT 410N Soft Carry Case, Sample ACT BTL Labels, Operating Instructions and Certificate of Calibration
Quick Tip – Temperature effects capacity
- Most High-Quality battery manufacturers rate their batteries Capacity at 20°C
- Below 20°C, the battery can have a significantly lower available capacity
- Over 20°C, the battery can have a significantly higher available capacity
- This can easily be as much as ±50% of the rated capacity at 20°C
- Bear in mind the differences in temperature when testing – for example in an enclosure or next to a hot transformer (higher than rated reading) or located externally / cold environment (lower than rated reading)
- ACT CHROME has built-in temperature compensation for testing batteries according to NFPA72
Quick Tip – State of charge effects capacity
- Most battery manufacturers rate their batteries at rest
- Charging voltages and currents have a direct impact on available capacity
- Bear in mind when testing batteries recently removed from charge
- Many new batteries are not fully charged when produced
Quick Tip – Connection effects results
- Always connect to clean battery terminals
- A tight grip around the battery tab terminals is essential for accurate readings
- Do not connect to high resistance bolts as this will produce low Ah results
- Where bolt connections are present, use the ACT 3532 Battery Terminal Connectors supplied with your ACT CHROME
Want more Battery Testing Tips? Click here for further advice.
