Battery Safety

[OPCOM]

Here is a little tip on battery safety. Maybe this could become a sticky thread if there is not one on battery safety already. It's an important topic. Having witnessed a battery explosion in someone's face and a fire caused by a short on a cranking battery, It's worthwhile to discuss it and see what input the members may have on batery safety and use.

Please take the poll.

What things are wrong in the attached image?

There could also be posted some data here concerning the slightly technical yet very necessary aspects of charging voltages, currents, temperatures, and other factors. One size does not fit all. While is is easy to say "just get a computerized charger", there is much more to knowing what to do with your batteries than plugging idiot box into the wall and clamping some cables on those lead posts. The charger, regardless of what the manufacturer says, probably can't tell the difference between a riding lawnmower battery, a 6TL, or an AGM unit. Remember, after the Zombie Apocalypse, this information could save your life.

So, back to the image:

1. Rotten battery clamp - poor PMCS. This can cause a spark and battery explosion, or become hot during cranking and cause a fire in all the greasy rags that are probably stuffed in various orifices of this engine compartment.
Solution: replace the clamp, cleaning the cables(s) while you are at it. Be sure to clean the terminal and wipe off the top of the battery as well.

2. Using a wood clamp to maintain integrity of the rotten clamp. This is a a "battle damage assessment" type of repair. If no one is shooting at you, there are few excuses for doing this in broad daylight.
Solution: Never do this..

3. The wood clamp's handle is very close to the other terminal of the battery. This could cause a spark and battery explosion, or this could end up by welding the clamp into one piece and also across the battery. If nothing else happens, the battery will be discharged within a few minutes and the internal heat generated by that chemical reaction could cause the battery to explode.
Solution: Since you did this stupid thing anyway, at least turn the handle the other way, away from the hot terminal. Some duct tape might be in order.

4. The battery does not fit the holder. In this case the metal lip of the holder is eventually going to cut into the battery case and let the electrolyte leak out.
Solution: when installing batteries of different-than-stock sizes, be sure there is adequate clearance for all hardware.

5. what else?

 

[hole]

 

[OPCOM]

Here's a good image of an exploded battery. not much to look at, but consider the acid spraying out all those holes at once, propelled by brning hydrogen and oxygen.

 

[grizcty]

"5. what else?"

Ain't anything right about this battery!

As a Interstate Battery Dealer.

I happened to notice it is NOT a Interstate!
1) Some dumb ass has a neg terminal (black) on a POSITIVE post!
2) cheap battery clamps
3) too many wires
4) no tie down/battery crooked
5) corrosion

In a emergency vice grips can be used as a clamp.
Just make sure that it cant touch anything.

 

[digitaldust]

watch out for wrenches that might contact the other post wile working around the bats.

 

[4x4 Forever]

6. Also, be aware of your battery system. I have a tractor with Positive
ground. Meaning, if you do swing a wrench toward the NEG side, it WILL arc and WILL light you up. Dont ask me how I know...

7. What else?

 

[cranetruck]

Add to that the precaution of always removing the negative connection first and installing it lastly. That way if you accidentally touch ground when working on the positive, it won't cause a short and touching ground (chassis= battery box) when working on the negative terminal is harmless.
Find 1/2" and 9/16" open end wrenches with plastic handles.

Read the PS magazine articles on the old site about battery care and safety.

 

[dittle]

When installing/removing batteries (which I do more often than I would like) at the museum I always wear gloves and keep my hands w/ gloves between the box end wrenches and anything metal that the wrench could short to. Also do this when I'm removing the series cable that goes b/t the two batteries. Haven't had any sparks doing it this way.

 

[m16ty]

I voted I have witnessed an explosion. It happened right in my face. The charger had a bad connection so I went to "wiggle" the clamps, spark, BOOM. Happened when I was 15. I know better know. Learned that when a battery charges it vents off explosive hydrogen gas. Had a mini Hindenburg in my hands.

 

[WillWagner]

When installing/removing batteries (which I do more often than I would like) at the museum I always wear gloves and keep my hands w/ gloves between the box end wrenches and anything metal that the wrench could short to. Also do this when I'm removing the series cable that goes b/t the two batteries. Haven't had any sparks doing it this way.

except for the gloves, I use multiple rags,tape and wood. A 24VDC spark is like arc welding. I always wash up after handling lead acid bats. I have been doing truck stuff as far back as I can remember, including when 24VDC was standard on trucks. It still scares the pee pee outa me. Batteries can be unpredictable.

 

[OPCOM]

One of the ones that exploded did so because the terminal was cracked inside the battery case, from too much wiggling and tighteneing. Some batteries are two-man lifts, especially if in an awkward position with no carry handle.

 

[OPCOM]

The attachment shows a typical battery equalizer. This is the kind of equipment that efficiently draws off the stack to keep the midpoint at exactly half voltage. This is what you might power large 12V acessories with. One fault of it is that it always draws a tiny bit of power and can run down a set of batteries in a month. It is intended for use on buses and the like, where charging power is always available. To use it in a military truck, install a two-pole switch to completely disconnect it when not in use. A big relay or contactor can be used to automatically connect and disconnect it when the vehicle power is turned on and off.

 

[littlebob]

I answered the second. I have worked with them in cars boats and motorcycles for years, but having said that I did something stupid yesterday as I was finishing putting the u-joints on the Suburban and had to turn the key on to put in neutral and when I finished it didn't have enough juice to start. I always hook the charger first to the battery, then connect the extension cord to the charger then plug the extension cord into the wall last. All that was thrown out the window when I checked a few minutes later when I saw it wasn't charging and wiggled the connections on the battery to get a better connection while watching the ammeter on the charger.

A friend was charging a battery as a teenager and was smoking while hooking up a battery and it blew up and covered him in acid and knocked him unconscious. Luckily for him someone was there to hose the acid off and he had sunglasses on to protect his eyes.

 

[OPCOM]

Besides flooded lead-acid batteries, which are the more rugged kinds for cranking, there are also "non-spillable" and "valve-regulated" gelled electrolyte and absorbed glass mat lead-acid batteries. These never need 'water' and are not to be opened. Gelled electrolytes are the kinds usually seen in cheap UPS and emergency exit signs. AGM are found more in telecom power supplies and large UPS and are in most respect superior to gel-cels. They usually do not do as well in high-discharge-current cranking because the innards are more delicate due to many thin plates separated by thin fiberglass matting soaked in the acid electrolyte. Valve-regulated means they can vent if necessary. If you are venting one, you are abusing it! The AGM battery can give a life of 10-20 years if cared for properly. The attachments detail the care and use of a typical AGM battery. The users manual is simple. the specifiers manual has alot of meat there. Although they don't have the acid splasing around, they deserve the same respects as a car battery or 6TL.

There may be something wrong with the presentation of the files when clicked on. It seems best to right click and save-as. It worked that way. Odd.

 

[steelandcanvas]

Very informative thread, a big Thank You to Patrick (Opcom)!

 

[OPCOM]

OK well I hope I am not going off the deep end into non-safety aspects, but I do want to present what little info I have on battery use and care. I notice we have an Interstate Battery dealer in the house. It would be really helpful to have some deep details on caring for flooded lead acid batteries, including the different kinds of chargers and exactly what they do. I don't think anyone will make an accusation of marketing.

Attached is a small chart for flooded lead-acid batteries showing voltage, specific gravity, and percent charge. It is inadequate thought because it only represents what is true at 80 degrees, and in this case we don't the age of the data, or of newer batteries are any different. maybe slightly so..

The chart assumes any charging or other disturbances have been discontinued for a couple hours, so the battery will show the true settled voltage.

 

[Westex]

Yes, it is all relative to the charge and time of shut down of the charge, and the status of the plates. Having said that, I remember my best battery blow up was about 1977 when I was working with an electrical forklift, with a bunch of dumb@$$es who liked to smoke and continued to fire off their cigarettes with the acetlyne torch. Was near the forklift while it charged with a GIGANTIC Exide battery. What a blast, literally. Had to hose 'em down in the eyes with a firehose. Oh my.

 

[OPCOM]

Yes, it is all relative to the charge and time of shut down of the charge, and the status of the plates. Having said that, I remember my best battery blow up was about 1977 when I was working with an electrical forklift, with a bunch of dumb@$$es who liked to smoke and continued to fire off their cigarettes with the acetlyne torch. Was near the forklift while it charged with a GIGANTIC Exide battery. What a blast, literally. Had to hose 'em down in the eyes with a firehose. Oh my.

did they get fired after they got fired?

 

[73X]

did they get fired after they got fired?

They should have been fired. that was stupidity at its best. atleast they where alive to be fired.

 

[dittle]

except for the gloves, I use multiple rags,tape and wood. A 24VDC spark is like arc welding. I always wash up after handling lead acid bats. I have been doing truck stuff as far back as I can remember, including when 24VDC was standard on trucks. It still scares the pee pee outa me. Batteries can be unpredictable.

I started doing the glove trick after I welded my 1/2" wrench to the turret basket on a M60A3 when installing batteries.......6 batteries makes one heck of a weld by the way. Was tightening down the post clamp in one of the tight corners caused by the turret basket and the wrench slipped; the rest I'm sure you can imagine.