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Battery explosion

Started by davidlarson, July 18, 2012, 09:15:54 PM

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davidlarson

We have a propane-powered Generac back-up generator on our place, which automatically self-tests for about 25 minutes every week, and also automatically provides power for the house and shop in case of power outages from storms or other calamaties.  Recently it failed to do either one of these tasks, and when I checked it out I found that the 12-volt battery (the size of a car battery) was deformed as though the top had been blown off.  It was a 5 year battery,  in use at that point for 30 months, so I took it back to the auto parts store where I had bought it.  I assumed that I would get credit for 30 months on the exploded battery, but the man in the store said he could not explain why it had exploded, and that this occurrence was very unusual.  He gave me a new identical 5-year battery at no charge, and he now has a loyal and long-term customer.
I have breakfast every week with 6-8 other old duffers, who among them have an amazing amount of useful and practical knowledge and experience - much more than I have, in fact.  They also were not able to explain the explosion, but my generator is now working again, without problems.
David L.

Clam77

Sounds like it got overcharged and the fumes ignited somehow.  Happens occassionally.

That or you have some VERY annoying critters running around in your woods..   :D
Andy

Stihl 009, 028, 038, 041, MS362
Mac 1-40, 3-25

LAZERDAN

We also had one on our generator explode !  Battery acid all over.  Don't have a clue why.  We cleaned it up, put in new battery, checked the charger, all is well now. But they do explode.      Lazerdan

trim4u2nv

All you need is a buildup of hydrogen and a spark.  Better to put the battery in an exterior location away from relays or static electricity.  My dad used to drive volkswagens (1970's wagons) and the battery below the back seat combined with the spark of hooking up jumper cables would blow the top off the battery.  I hooked up a remote positive cable and mounted it near the tow hook far from the battery after blowup #2

shinnlinger

You should also hook up jumper cables on any disabled car using a solid ground instead of the negative terminal.   That way the spark/explosion risk is minimized. 
Not saying I always do, but i should.
Shinnlinger
Woodshop teacher, pasture raised chicken farmer
34 horse kubota L-2850, Turner Band Mill, '84 F-600,
living in self-built/milled timberframe home

Al_Smith

I've had two of them blow up on me from using jumper cables .One from a battery charger .

Kansas

I had one explode on an International M tractor. It had a positive ground. I pulled my pickup up to jump it, put the cables on, then scratched my head trying to figure out how to hook up the jumpers to the tractor. I reasoned you always go positive to positive.

Don't do that.

DouginUtah


You DO always go positive to positive.

Former owner of an Austin Healy Sprite with positive earth.  ;D
-Doug
When you hang around with good people, good things happen. -Darrell Waltrip

There is no need to say 'unleaded regular gas'. It's all unleaded. Just say 'regular gas'. It's not the 70s anymore. (At least that's what my wife tells me.)

---

Al_Smith

A lot of old tractors and British sports cars used a positive ground for some reason .

That can  kind of screw you up jump starting them if you don't pay attention .Makes the old sparks fly for sure .

Cypressstump

Quote from: DouginUtah on July 19, 2012, 11:26:48 AM

Former owner of an Austin Healy Sprite with positive earth.  ;D

I had a 3000  MKIII,,, wish I still onwed that little jewel.
Stump

Timberking 1220 25hp w/extensions -hard mounted
Case 586E 6k forklift
2001 F350 4X4,Arctic Cat 500 4 wheeler wagon hauler
Makita 6401 34",4800 Echo 20"er, and a professional 18" Poulan PRO , gotta be a 'pro' cuz it says so rite there on tha' saw..

Kansas

Quote from: DouginUtah on July 19, 2012, 11:26:48 AM

You DO always go positive to positive.

Former owner of an Austin Healy Sprite with positive earth.  ;D

I want to make sure I got this straight. After my explosion, talking with people, I should have gone from the positive on my pickup, to the "negative" positive on the tractor that had things reversed. And one more question. Why in the world would they do that? There had to be a reason they wanted to go positive ground, but darned if I can figure it out.

doctorb

I am now officially confused.  Amazingly, I have never had a battery explode :D
My father once said, "This is my son who wanted to grow up and become a doctor.  So far, he's only become a doctor."

beenthere

I had a battery explode in a '71 Ford Maverick when I switched the ignition switch to 'start'. Blew a huge bulge in the hood and acid everywhere. Sure would not want that to happen with my head anywhere near.

Concluded the battery was low on fluid and conditons just right for an arc and explosion.

Safety glasses are good precaution when around batteries, even tho they seldom blow.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

beenthere

Quote from: Cypressstump on July 19, 2012, 12:44:42 PM
Quote from: DouginUtah on July 19, 2012, 11:26:48 AM

Former owner of an Austin Healy Sprite with positive earth.  ;D

I had a 3000  MKIII,,, wish I still onwed that little jewel.

Did you see where the 1967 Austin Healy stolen in 1970 was recently found by the owner while looking on eBay?
http://laist.com/2012/07/16/man_reunited_with_stolen_1967_austin_healey.php

south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Kansas

Got away with one a couple of times. Once was at the local gas station and some kid had an old pickup that he couldn't get started at the pump. I asked him if he had jumper cables, he said yes. So I pull around to jump him. They were old cables, but didn't think anything of it. We hooked things up, and sparks flew everywhere. I got to looking. He had shortened them up a little and put the ends back on wrong. No explosion, glad their wasn't, being he was next to the pumps.

Another one was I was out at a hay field checking the hay I had mowed down. Steep hill. Going up it, the battery fell into the fan. Trust me, that gets your attention in a hurry. Got it dug out, and being it was a stick shift, managed to back down enough to turn around, and pop the clutch and make it to town.

Come to think of it, way back when, battery died on an old International, I believe. 6 volt. We tried to jump it with a 12 volt battery. We didn't blow the battery but melted all the insulation off the battery cables.


Den Socling

Way back in college days a friend had a 3000 MKIII with Abarth exhaust. What a sweet sound that Healy made!

Wish somebody would explain the positive ground. But it didn't seem like Lucas did anything right.

Ron Scott

I've experienced a battery blow up, a scary experience.
~Ron

trim4u2nv

As car bodies became lighter and lighter, the amount of body metal sacrificed to corrosion became significant.   It is cheaper to allow the copper wires to be sacrificed in galvanic corrosion, than the body.  It is easier to replace a battery cable than the entire frame which has rusted too thin.  This is done on pipelines and ships all the time.  On many old 6v antiques the copper wire is pristine because of positive ground but the insulation is inferior (fire hazard.)  These older systems had twice the amperage and half the voltage.  So you didn't want some big fat corroded starter wires to short out with twice the amperage and cheesy insulation.  Also there is hydrogen embrittlement in theory which can weaken high strength parts and welds if they come in contact with hydrogen gas released during galvanic corrosion or welding or normal electrical use.

Den Socling

I still don't understand positive ground. Copper and steel are certainly far apart in the galvanic series but steel corrodes regardless which is ground. Right?  ???

thurlow

There are LOTS of threads on the various tractor/ag/old machinery forums about the benefits of positive or negative ground systems;  I've never seen a consensus by the experts about why the old ones were positive ground.   When boosting one (positive ground); boost/hook to the batteries and ignore everything else........positive to positive and negative to negative.
Here's to us and those like us; DanG few of us left!

Kansas

Why can't they just have everything for everything so as not to confuzzle us? For instance, is there really a good reason to have all the different hydraulic ends? Why don't all the manufacturers just get together, have the same ends for everything?

beenthere

There you go with that talk of more Gov't control. ;)
Let's just remove all the competition......I could tell stories of what that does but it would take this to the Restricted thread.
Kansas, you don't get many things.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Jeff

At the first mull I worked at, we had a "frog" as we called it. It was an electric pallet jack/cart that could be used to move around pallet stock and such around the mill. It was plugged in every night to charge, as it had large golf cart type batteries.  One morning one of the loaders needed some minor work that required some grinding and a little welding. The maintenance guy was probably 30 feet from the "frog" when he started grinding with the side grinder throwing sparks towards the frog.  Apparently the charging frog had a hydrogen gas build up around it, because it went off like an h bomb. It was plugged in underneath a panel of 440 disconnects, which two of were blown loose from the wall, also causing an electrical explosion when something or other went to ground in those.  Luckily no one was closer than the guy grinding or they would have been done for. The maintenance guy caught some plastic shrapnel in the back, but it was just superficial. We were down for almost two days getting the panel and bus duct repaired.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Kansas

Beenthere, I never mentioned government control on hydraulic ends. Nor did I suggest there would be only one manufacturer of hydraulic ends. Just that they would be uniform, for at least most applications. You go to rent an attachment for a skid steer, first thing they ask is, what kind of ends do you have. Just be nice to see the manufacturers come up with one standard.

sandhills

I'm going to jump in and I have to agree with Kansas hands down, any manufacturer can make a product of better quality or cheaper than another, but in our small arsenal of antiquated tractors we have a IH with IH fittings, JD's with JD fittings, and a few old 2 cylinders with pioneer fittings (yes we still use them for certain jobs).  I hate chasing around after adapters all the time, can't ever remember the last place or tractor they were used on.
Oh yeah, back on subject, I had a little Honda 70 bike when I was a kid and the battery blew while I was riding it, right between my legs, yes I have kids now but man did that scare the all billy heck out of me  :o

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