Terms and conditions

Warranty and service guidelines

Current Automation will honour all product warranties for 1 year, subject to the conditions mentioned in below forum. Products with warranties greater than 1 year will be returned to the supplier and all cost involved will be for the consumer.

What is and what is not warranty.

Warranty approval can only be decided by our service department; in many cases it will be clear if a faulty unit broke down outside of warranty.

The following instances are not covered under warranty for inverter & UPS equipment:

Water damage the unit needs to be checked internally and externally.

Presence of dirt and soot inside the unit.
Soot is the biggest culprit, as it contains carbon which conducts electricity and will cause damage.

Reverse polarity
Reverse polarity is when the negative battery cable is connected to the positive Multi terminal and vice versa. In general, this is not purposefully mixing the cables, but reverse polarity is caused by a wiring mistake or wrongly labelled cables. Reverse polarity can usually only be detected by a repair agent.

Lightning strikes and power surges
Lightning strikes and power surges are not always evident. This can usually only be detected by a repair agent. But in most cases the customer will tell you about it, or more electrical devices broke down at the same time.

Insects and other pests, even mice can get into the unit and cause a short circuit sometimes even inside the unit. In most cases they are visible after opening the unit and when closely inspecting inside.

Age of unit
Any unit older than 1 year from date of invoice does not fall under warranty. In a few cases we can decide to cover older units under warranty, but only after communication with the service department. In these cases, the service department can sometimes offer a replacement unit for a discounted price.

Mechanical damage can be anything from clearly dented cases, to accidental holes drilled into the units casing, straight through an essential internal part. Another item that gets easily damaged is the AC and DC connectors. The bolts and screws that make up these connectors are made of copper and can break when excessive force is applied when tightening.

General battery warranty information

EXCLUSIONS TO WARRANTY

1. DISCHARGED BATTERIES. A reasonable time must be allowed to recharge the battery in order that it may be tested. (10~14 working days)
2. Should a teardown reveal the presence of “white” sulphation – the obvious result from inadequate charging the claim will be disallowed.
3. EMPTY BATTERIES. There are only three ways that a battery can lose electrolyte.
   1. A hole or crack in the casing and the electrolyte leaks out.
   2. Overvoltage during the charge process either by the regulator failing on the alternator or by the use of an unregulated battery charger. Most modern battery chargers are microprocessor controlled, are very simple to use, are safe to be left connected to the battery for long periods of time and are inexpensive. The use of Automatic , “ intelligent “ battery chargers are encouraged , especially on sealed batteries and will in fact enhance the life of a battery with regular use.
   3. If a battery has been left discharged for a long period of time, the sulphation process inhibits the charge process. It causes a buildup of heat as a result of high resistance. This causes the battery to gas and results in the subsequent loss of electrolyte through the breather, which is calibrated to allow the gas to escape, to prevent the battery from exploding. In some instances, should the charge rate be too high, then the condensation chamber might not have the capacity to process the high volume of hydrogen and oxygen and the battery can explode.
   4. NOTE: when a battery charger is connected permanently to a battery, (E.G. standby or back up application), then only a CONSTANT VOLTAGE CHARGER may be used. If not, the battery will lose electrolyte due to gassing.
4. DAMAGED CASINGS AND BROKEN TERMINALS. Physical damage in any way to the battery is not a factory fault.
   1. Always check that terminals are tight. Loose terminals are a common problem which causes arcing or flashing and results in the terminal or post being burned off.
   2. The same situation when a vehicle is being jump started with jumper cables. Ensure that connections are tight and safe.
   3. When attaching cables to the terminals, do not over tighten. When using the thread type terminal, the maximum torque permissible is 18 – 20 Newton meters.
5. Full data logging will be required for batteries used for Solar, Standby, Backup and Telecom applications with the following details from installation date:
   1. Site Temperature
   2. Charging Parameters
   3. Cycling parameters

Charging parameters vs. battery specIf data cannot be supplied for these specific applications warranty will be void.

Specific supplier warranty information

CSB BATTERY CO., LTD
LIMITED PRODUCT WARRANTY

12 Month warranty for Stationary Batteries:

All 12-volt batteries are warranted to be free from defects in material and workmanship and manufactured in accordance with our specifications. Should a claim arise, the following is our limited product warranty policy.

Warranty period starts from the date shown as date code of the battery.

If upon initial inspection and installation the battery fails to meet the published performance ratings per the latest catalogue data at the time of shipment, or the user identifies flaws in material or workmanship that would impair life or product performance, the user will be instructed to:

1. Upon written approval, return the product for examination freight prepaid.
2. Hold the materials on the site pending inspection by a CSB representative.
   

Upon satisfactory proof of claim, as determined solely by CSB, CSB will repair or replace at our option any defective battery.

Warranty of a battery is defined as its failure to reach at least 60% of its rated capacity.

If a properly maintained battery fails to meet 60% of its rated capacity, cost for replacement equipment installation, material freight charges and travel expenses of CSB representatives will be the responsibility of the purchaser.

Conditions:

1. Warranty claims for full replacement must be made three (3) months from failure.
2. This warranty applies only to the original purchaser of the equipment and is nontransferable.
3. This warranty does not cover any physical damage due to nature or man, which stresses the battery beyond design limits, and is void if manufacturing date codes are destroyed.
4. Each battery must be the proper size, design and capacity for its intended application at 25゜C (77 ゜F).
5. The warranty period shall be adjusted based on operating temperatures, frequency and depth of discharge. For every 10 ゜C (18 ゜F) increase in operating temperature above 25 ゜C (77 ゜F), the warranty period will be reduced 50%.
6. Each battery must be operated and maintained in accordance with the published instructions. This warranty is invalid if the battery is subject to misuse, abuse, physical damage, freezing, neglect, or the use of battery additions.
   

CSB Battery Co., Ltd shall not be liable for, and user shall indemnify and save CSB Battery Co., Ltd harmless from any claims and liabilities arising out of the use, maintenance, transportation, or installation of any equipment warranted hereunder. The foregoing limited warranty is in lieu of all warranties expressed or implied, including any warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. CSB Battery Co., Ltd shall not have any liability for any special, incidental, indirect or consequential damages.

CSB Battery Co., Ltd

Validity
The following table contains all the current products which the CSB warranty applies to.

CSB 12V batteries

Warranty on the 1150K ROYAL 102Ah 12V battery:

12 months in Standby Applications (e.g. UPS, Vehicles, Gensets, Float charge app.)
6 months in Cyclic type applications (e.g. solar, electric carts, power packs)

Golf cart batteries need to be fully charged before it is stored for extensive periods of time.

VISION BATTERIES

Vision batteries are manufactured by Shenzhen Centre Tech Co. Ltd, which hereby warrants that the batteries described in the following table shall function in terms of the performance specifications provided by Shenzhen Centre Power Tech Co. Ltd, free of any manufacturing fault or defective materials, for the period indicated.

The batteries described in the table are for purposes of standby use only and the use of the batteries other that for this function shall render this warranty void.

ENERGIZER WARRANTY CONDITIONS

1. The Energizer Battery is guaranteed for two years against manufacturing and material defects from the purchase date as indicated on the invoice or delivery note.
2. The Energizer Automotive range is guaranteed for one year.
3. The Energizer Gel VRLA is guaranteed for three years except in golf carts and wheel chairs. When applied in wheel chairs a six-month guarantee applies. When applied in golf carts there is no warranty.
4. The Energizer AGM VRLA battery is guaranteed for twelve months. This battery is designed for standby applications. When applied in wheel chairs and gold carts or any deep cycle applications, there is no guarantee.
5. The Energizer motorcycle range is guaranteed for six months.
6. Genuine golf cart batteries (6 volts and 8 volt) are guaranteed for six months. All other batteries used in golf carts carry NO GUARANTEE and are used at the exclusive risk of the purchaser.
7. The warranty covers the replacement of the defective battery with an equivalent new battery.
8. This warranty does not in any way cover personal loss or damage owing to hidden defects.
9. Before validating the warranty, the battery will be send to the original supplier and they will recharge and test the battery according to JC – AS instructions.
10. Should there be any doubt as to the validity of a claim, then a full teardown analysis will be conducted on the battery and the outcome will be communicated to the customer.
11. A full report is done for each claim.

THERE WILL BE NO CLAIM IF THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE DOCUMENTS - INVOICE AND PROOF OF DELIVERY ARE NOT PRODUCED.

BSB BATTERY WARRANTY
LIMITED WARRANTY CERTIFICATE

Period of Guarantee: One-year full replacement guarantees from the date of shipping.

All BSB batteries are guaranteed to be free from defects in material and workmanship. Conditions and claims procedure are set out below.

Conditions:

1. The battery must be installed and maintained in accordance with the applicable BSB Power Installation and Operating procedure manual.
2. A battery will not be considered defective unless it fails to deliver 80% or less of its quoted capacity during the guarantee period.
3. Each battery must be stored, charged, discharged and stored in accordance with the printed instruction.
4. User agrees that the manufacturer or his agent shall be granted inspection access with reasonable notice.
5. Guarantee & Warranty period is reduced by 50% for every 8°C increment above 25°C (77°F).
6. Guarantee & Warranty is void if temperature exceeds 71°C (160°F).
7. Guarantee & Warranty is void if the battery becomes unserviceable due to fire, wreckage, freezing, neglect, abuse, or any other act of god, use of battery additions, parts of the battery are tampered with or modified or the battery is serviced by persons not authorized by BSB POWER.
8. Guarantee & Warranty is void if the batteries are used in conjunction with non-BSB batteries.

Claims:

1. Contact original point of purchase for instructions on applicable warranty claim procedures.
2. Upon satisfactory proof of claim as determined by BSB Power Company
3. Limited the batteries will be repaired or replaced based on the original purchase price and the portion of the warranty term remaining to be applied towards the purchase of a replacement battery.
4. Under no circumstances can product be returned, credited or exchanged without written authority from BSB Power. Any freight charges incurred are at the user’s expense.

Limitations:

1. The one year guarantee is the only warrantees and remedies provided for by BSB Power to the user. BSB Power disclaims all implied warrantees of merchantability and fitness.
2. In no event shall BSB Power be liable, except to the extent that this limitation is found to be unenforceable under the applicable law.

DISCOVER ENERGY BATTERIES

GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. The user is responsible for determining that each product is of the proper size, design and capacity to perform at the time of purchase. Product that is undersized for any application will not be warranted.
2. Warranty is void if the product is subject to abuse, misuse, unauthorized alteration, or any other physical damage other than ordinary wear or if manufacturing code is destroyed.
3. Warranty is void if vents are tampered with in any way.
4. Warranty is void if published Discover maximum charge and discharge rates are exceeded. It is the responsibility of the installer and user to comply with these conditions and guarantee maximum currents are not exceeded.
5. Warranty is void if published Discover upper and lower operating voltages are exceeded. It is the responsibility of the installer and user to comply with these conditions and to guarantee low and high voltage cutoffs are not exceeded.
6. Warranty is void if it is established that non approved or undersized connector cables are used, cable ends are not attached directly to terminal bushing or post connections or improper terminal hardware is used. Batteries whose terminals have been melted will not be warranted and, further, no battery installed in series with the battery whose terminals have been melted will be warranted. It is the responsibility of the installer and user to comply with these conditions and guarantee terminal torque at installation and regular re-torque.
7. Warranty is not transferable.
8. Full replacement warranty claims must be made within 10 business days of tested failure or alleged defect.
9. Product use must be discontinued upon discovery of a defect.
10. Acceptable charging ripple (peak to peak) shall be less than 4% of Discover® recommended string voltage with duration of less than 6 milliseconds.
11. Chargers used to charge product in cyclic applications must be ambient and product temperature compensated and equipped with Discover® recognized and approved charging algorithms with no ripple. In cases where chargers are used that do not meet this criteria, i.e. Discover® blocks installed into equipment where the chargers may not be approved, any potential warranty is deferred by DEC to the user’s final sales contract with the seller. It is the responsibility of the user to confirm the charger’s viability and to what extent a non-compliant charger may damage or shorten the battery life.
12. Backup power products are intended to supply back up power for a limited number of cycles. Frequency of discharge shall not exceed Telcordia battery string Certification levels based on requirements for safety and performance #SR-4228. The product must be sized to limit the depth of discharge based upon average volts per cell that are equal to or greater than Discover® discharge ratings for the product.
13. Product determined to be under sized or used in a manner considered to be unsafe will not be warranted. THERE IS NO SUBSTITUE OR SHORT CUT FOR PROPER SYSTEM SIZING. The final decisions on system sizing remain the responsibility of the user.
14. Discover® power blocks are warranted to have a “FLOAT” or “CYCLE” life. Warranty is void on Product designed and purchased for float service which is used in cyclic service, or any service where float product is discharged to more than 70% remaining capacity in excess of 6 times annually. Discover, at its sole option, will void any warranty on Float service products found to have been cycled out.
15. Float Product warranties apply to product that is not continually used in temperatures under 50°F (10°C) or above 77°F (25°C). Product must be located where individual cell temperatures do not vary by more than 5°F (2.5°C). Product life is directly affected by temperature. For every 5°F (2.8°C) increase in operating temperature above 77°F (25°C) or decrease below 50°F (10°C), life will be affected by up to 20% and warranty will be proportionately reduced. Warranty is not available for product continually used and maintained in temperatures below 32°F (0°C) or above 90°F (32°C).
16. Upon installation and at least once per season for float service product, (i.e. January, April, July, October), purchaser should complete and maintain a Battery Maintenance Report recording battery serial number, float voltages, surface temperature, connection resistance/conductance, ambient temperatures, etc. The inability to produce such data at the time of a warranty claim may result in the voiding of any warranty.
17. Unless expressly noted within a Discover® Factory or Discover® Factory Warehouse Sales Contract, the warranty described in this document shall be in lieu of any other warranty, express or implied, including but not limited to, any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. NOTE: Some jurisdictions do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts, or exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitations may not apply in all cases.
18. As published, (*) Extended Float service warranty for Data & Telecom/UPS/HR applications is offered when installations are monitored against use at 68°F~77°F (20°C~25°C) and with "Battery Management Systems" and reporting in place. Commercial cyclic service and float installations without management systems or environmental controls are a maximum of 1/3 listed Free replacement - to a maximum of 12 months only - with no extended pro rata warranty period.
19. Without exception, the power block is specifically designed and produced for particular float or cyclic applications and warranted to have a float or cycle life. WARRANTY IS VOID on ANY Float Type product used in cyclic applications or that upon verification is found to be cycled out or where it is determined that the frequency of discharges has exceeded acceptable levels based on requirements for safety and performance as may be defined by Discover and/or Telcordia #SR-4228 (or other industry recognized body) battery string Certification levels based on requirements for safety and performance. This would include for example Float Service 12V 33ah batteries used in wheel chair applications or Tel/UPS/HR type batteries used in Broadband applications.
20. (*) WARRANTY IS VOID on any Discover product subjected to excess vibration caused by out of balance or improperly operated pads in Burnishers.
21. (*) WARRANTY IS REDUCED to 90 days’ free replacement with no extended coverage on any product discharged and or charged in cyclic service while orientated in any manner other than right side up. i.e.: Pallet Jack applications where the battery is installed on its end.
22. (*) WARRANTY adjustments are calculated using the later of the sales invoice date or original bill of sale, manufacturing production code date or Discover® factory warehouse ship code dater! Warranty will be granted provided this Proof of Sale does not exceed the batteries manufacturing code date or ship code dater (whichever is latest) by more than 6 months. If it does, or the original bill of sale cannot be produced then warranty may, at DEC'S sole option, be calculated using the manufacturing code date or ship code dater.
23. After the free replacement period, and - if applicable - for the remaining prorated warranty period, the customer may obtain a replacement battery of similar size upon payment of a prorated charge based upon the then current cost per month. The cost per month is determined by dividing the current MSRP less 60% (100 - 60% = 40) by the months of warranty coverage and multiplying the result by the months in use since the date of the original bill of sale, provided that the proof of sale invoice date does not exceed the batteries production date code or ship dater (whichever is latest) by more than 6 months. All warranty adjustments are offered FOB Discover Factory Warehouses or dealers only.

WITHOUT EXCEPTION:
Discover power blocks are specifically designed and produced for particular float or cyclic applications and warranted to have a float or cycle life.

US BATTERY WARRANTY

Click here to view the warranty.

RITAR BATTERY WARRANTY

Click here to view the warranty.

JA SOLAR LIMITED WARRANTY

Click here to view the warranty.

Site Visits

Site Visit 1: Site visit with Technical Consultant to inspect power requirements and to establish if what was quoted to the client will satisfy the client’s needs, also to establish location of where goods will be installed and if there will be additional or special works to be added on quote. The cost for such call out can Vary between R 850 to R1850 cost is based for JHB and PTA Region only or 50KM Radius of nearest branch. For further locations Quote will be adapted accordingly.

Site Visit 2: On Site Load Monitoring. A Technical Consultant will go to site to fit a power monitor/ logger to the client main AC feeder to house or building load. The Monitor can then be left on site for the duration of 1 to 4 weeks, the consultant will the drive out to site again to retrieve the monitor and submit the downloaded data to Sales Consultant to quote Custom correct actual Power system sizing. Typical cost for this service will be R2800- 3950 cost is based for JHB and PTA region only or 50KM radius of nearest branch. For further locations Quote will be adapted accordingly.

Installations

Current Automation will install all goods purchased for your system when quoted and paid for the service. The installation will be to install the power system paid for and to do the basic connection to the client’s DB. AC to feed to the power system and the AC that returns from the power system to feed your dedicated circuit of the House/ building DB. If there is no dedicated circuit Current Automation will spend up to 1 x HRS labour maximum to split wires and create a dedicated circuit of your backup loads. The Current Automation electrician will use his own decision if it will be possible to carry out the work himself or if you will need to contract an electrician to create the Dedicated Circuit. If the Maximum of 1 hour is passed, you will be informed to either pay additional, or contract an Electrician. Current Automation can provide an COC on request of the client to do so at an additional charge of between R 1500 and R3000 depending of System Size, Location or Time duration. If The Client DB, Earthling or wiring is not up to electrical standard it will not be possible to issue the COC until rectified to SANS Electrical Standards.

Return of materials/stock request procedure

Prior authorization is required from Current Automation, before any goods will be accepted as returns or for repairs.

No goods will be accepted by our drivers as returns/repairs.

A RMA “Return Material Authorization” is to be completed telephonically with our returns department.

Info required from customer:
Invoice number
Invoice date
Product code
Product serial number
Status of goods and packaging

RMA will first be approved by our management and customers will be notified whether we will accept the return or not.
An RMA number will be given to customers telephonically or via fax/email.

The approved RMA and invoice of sale of the goods is to accompany the goods when returned to Current Automation CC.

Note
Should management approve the return of goods, the following will apply:
Goods returned after 7 days: 15% Handling Fee will be charged to all our customers.
Goods returned after 30 days: Goods will not be accepted.

Credit notes
Credit notes will only be issued once goods have been tested by our technical department and no fault was found.

Credit notes may take between 5~7 working days.

Refunds
For any refunds requested there will be a 10% admin fee charged Thank you for your understanding Current Automation Management team.

Solar & backup systems sizing, liability and limited warranty issues

Current Automation always endeavors to assist our client with the best suited solar or backup designs. Unfortunately, we don’t always receive enough information to quote and or complete the correct design due to lack of information from the clients especially if only asked for components.

Programming and setup of equipment is done according to information supplied by the client and not what is always required for the system to function properly. It is therefore very possible that your site may not function properly and we cannot guarantee the correct functionality due to site and setup unknowns.

If a client decides not to purchase a full turnkey solution and opt for components only, Current Automation can only offer a limited component only carry-in warranty and not free site support.

Typical information lacking or not setup correctly, which has an enormous impact on the system’s performance are:

• Sites coordinates for sun hour calculation.
• Angle of panels towards the sun. (Winter vs. Summer vs. shading)
• String combinations.
• Cable sizing and distance of the panels to the equipment
• Connectivity of all the items to make a system operational.
• Site wiring standards (SANS10142 or SANS10108)
• Communication cables between inverters etc.
• Fuse sizing.
• Earthing & lightning protection and placing of these required items.
• Logged loads i.e. watts per hours over a 24-hour period. (This is critical for hybrid or off-grid systems.
• Batteries, sizes, and age as well as the relevant discharge curves for them.
• Mixing old batteries with new batteries.
• Temperature of equipment in enclosure/room.
• Temperature and type of batteries.
• Isolation issues.
• Low voltage disconnect settings of equipment.
• Interfacing with generators and controllers
• Local municipality approvals, grid limiting and meter integration.

(A full turnkey solution defines that all items in the power solution must be purchased and installed by Current Automation and not just a partial supplied list of items.)

Under no circumstances will Current Automation warrant the performance or operational guarantee of a partially supplied non-turnkey solution. 

Battery guarantee for systems.

1. Batteries will be guaranteed for a period as stated by the manufacturer.
2. This guarantee only covers failures due to faulty design and or components failures done by the manufacturer.
3. It is however the customer’s responsibility to maintain the equipment as specified in the maintenance manual.
4. Special initialization procedures and maintenance are required for OPzS / vented batteries and can only be done with a full turnkey solution and or a service level agreement.
5. A battery guarantee for (component supply) and or (turnkey supply) also does not cover the equipment against operations outside the specified electrical parameters, improper environmental conditions, high room temperatures and lack of ventilation caused by high levels of dust contamination.
6. Premature failure of batteries, due to over cycling or high temperature cannot be guaranteed due to unknown conditions of charging characteristics vs. D.O.D vs. time of charge vs. low voltage disconnect settings.
7. Current Automation will under no circumstance take responsibility for batteries supplied by other suppliers operating with our equipment.

Module guarantee.

1. Panel manufacturer offer a 25-year linear warranty. Please note that Current Automation will offer our service of the testing the panels under a carry-in condition, but claims and replacements will have to be carried by the supplier with their criteria of warranty situations.
2. In summary it is possible to assist a client who purchased components only, but our standard call-out rates will apply to assist the system to become functional.