How to Check Car Battery Water Levels : Part 4 of 4: Taking Adequate Safety Precautions

 

1. Protect your eyes by wearing safety goggles. The electrolyte in the battery is sulfuric acid, so it is extremely important that none of this liquid gets into your eyes, as it could cause significant damage or even blindness.

• Contact lenses afford you no protection and may complicate an accident. Ordinary glasses do not protect adequately due to the lack of side shields.
• Therefore, it's essential to wear safety goggles, which can be purchased at most hardware stores.

2. Protect your hands by wearing disposable gloves. Choose a glove-type that can stand up to sulfuric acid for at least a few minutes. These can be found at hardware stores. 

• Latex and vinyl gloves will not stand up to acid long. If you use latex or vinyl gloves, change the glove immediately upon noticing a splash on it. Given time, a splash of electrolyte will soak through the glove and burn your skin.

 

• Neoprene gloves offer protection for an hour or more, but are harder to find at ordinary hardware stores. Nitrile is not the same as Neoprene. Nitrile gloves offer less protection from sulfuric acid than latex, and should not be used.

 

3. Protect your skin. Wear old clothing with long sleeves, long pants, and closed toe shoes to cover as much skin as possible. If any electrolyte splashes on your clothing the fabric will rot away in about a week or two, leaving a hole, so wear old clothes that you can sacrifice.

 

4. Know what to do if the electrolyte touches your skin. If any electrolyte splashes on your skin, immediately wash it with running water and soap.

• If you feel a burning or tingling sensation on your skin anywhere, you may have splashed a drop of electrolyte on yourself. It only takes a drop to cause a burn.
• You may not be able to see any redness or injury until it is too late, so if you suspect you may have splashed yourself, take a break from your work and wash immediately rather than taking a chance.
• Dispose of all used gloves and rags when the job is done. Leaving these in contact with other materials could cause damage.

 TIPS :

• If you do not know what you're doing, take your car to a mechanic. Most auto-parts stores will perform this service free of charge.
• Do not remove any battery port covers while the car is running.
• Be sure that your eyes are protected. Battery acid can blind you and is very corrosive.
• Clean the battery. Dirt holds moisture and becomes slightly conductive, especially dirt exposed to acidic fumes from the battery. Current flowing over the exterior surfaces of the battery through dirt promotes corrosion of nearby metal.
• Use a one-inch wide plastic putty knife to pry off port covers. Plastic putty knives can be purchased at most hardware stores or where house paint is sold. Alternatively, a screwdriver with an insulated handle may be used, but when prying, be careful not to accidentally touch the metal shaft of the screwdriver to any other metal. That could cause a spark which could ignite hydrogen gas inside the battery.
• Keep all areas free and clear of debris while servicing battery.
• Wear safety glasses when checking and filling battery cell liquid levels.

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Source : wikihow.com