Hot Battery

[waterone1@aol.com]

I just answered another question from someone who was wondering how to troubleshoot or diagnose a battery that was "too hot to touch". I am posting this anywhere I can, and since my experience was with a twin 1991 Mercruiser with 5.7L magnums...I thought this would be appropriate. I almost lost my eyesight last year ( if I didn't wear glasses, there is no doubt that I would now be blind). I had a battery that was questionable and not holding a charge in the boat and just to be sure, I put it on my 30 amp charger. After a few hours on the charger, I bent down over the battery and "checked on it" it was scalding hot, as I stood there, bent over the battery, I heard a loud BANG! Next thing I know, there is hot, burning liquid (battery acid) all over my face, ringing in my ears and blood flowing down my neck. I was lucky, after staggering over to the water hose and soaking myself, I came out with no permenate damage! All of those warnings we hear about batteries that can explode...guess what it really can happen, I know...IT HAPPENED TO ME!! I know for a fact, that if I had not been wearing eyeglasses, I would have been hit straight in the eye with scalding battery acid. Whether it is on this forum or elsewhere, if someone talks about a hot/ overheated battery....please, tell them to get away from it, and change it out when it is safe......those warnings are not a joke. By the way, we later found the battery caps.....about 75 feet from where the battery exploded.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Hot Battery

waterone<br /> nice post. its amaazing how the hair turns brittle and falls out later . lucky it grows back. it is also haard on clothes. isnt it amaazzing how faast you can find the hose with your eyes closed ?? . I had it happen to me years ago and now if the battery is hot or sizzling I leave it be until it cools. I also use the eyball test and a hydrometer to check them before charging. if a cell is dead its dead and no amount of charging will fix it.

 

[trog100]

Re: Hot Battery

they dont need to get that hot to explode either.. all it takes is a little overcharging.. that produces gassing.. the filler plugs not to be loossened and the little built-in vents to be bunged up and the cell can explode spraying battery acid all over the place..<br /><br />30 amps is rather a lot to bung in a dodgy battery and leave it for few hours.. lets just say that the resulting explosion shouldnt have been entirely unexpected.. he he..<br /><br />still alls well that ends well..<br /><br />trog100

 

[Phantom17]

Re: Hot Battery

This happened to me in a Ford SHO taurus a few years ago, but it wasn't hot. My wife was in the shower, about 150 feet away from the driveway, in the back of the house with the windows closed, exhaust fan and water runnung and she heard it. <br /><br />I did auto body repair for about 10 years before my recent line of work. The battery was dead, and I was replacng it. My wrench literally touched the ground lead and bang it blew to bits in my face. I have some lost hearing in my left ear, and luckily missed my eyes, but it got pretty much the rest of the left side of my face. No the positive and negative never touched. <br /><br />The battery had an internal short circuit, which was why it kept quitting. To this day I cringe whenever I have to disconnect a battery. I sound like an idiot in the boat when I work on it telling my kids to go "over there" away from the boat while I disconnect the batt.....<br /><br />Be careful folks, S@#$ happens.

 

[Phantom17]

Re: Hot Battery

"the resulting explosion shouldnt have been entirely unexpected.. he he.."<br /><br />Did I miss humor in someone getting acid in their eyes?

 

[sue5878]

Re: Hot Battery

Waterone<br /><br />Thanks for the post. I think I'll add batteries to the list of things Achris does to the boat.<br /><br />I have heard that batteries can explde but I've never received a first hand account or two.<br /><br />I suspect that I've been lucky to date. In the past I've just charged the batteries in the garage and the kids sorry the boss and the kids walk past it all the time. I think that would be worse than me getting the blast.<br /><br />GR

 

[cc lancer]

Re: Hot Battery

I have a bottle of red finger nail polish in the shop and for years I have been painting the positive post on any new batteries. I have been lucky, but have friends [professionals] that have had catastrophic experiences.<br />One who was an instructor at a technical school had his wedding band welded around the bone. He almost lost his finger and they had to graft skin, to repair his finger.<br /><br />As JH19 talked about internal short circuit, I have noticed this more with boats than autos, if one of the terminals has turned black ,replace the darn thing. Its just not worth being blind or hurt.

 

[mkast]

Re: Hot Battery

The night was cold, or something like that. Friend calls me up to say "I can't figure this out!" He put the "automatic charger" on the battery. He never checked the level of the electrolite. It was very low. The charger just kept slamming the amps into the battery that sucked it up like the resistor it had become. By the time I arrived, the battery was giving off heat waves, like asphalt in the summer. Beware of the automatic charger, most people just "set it, and forget it", much to their dismay. I was lucky enough to have aquired a constant current charger.

 

[achris]

Re: Hot Battery

I have an older charger that only puts out about 1.5 amps. It's a pain to charge really low batteries, but they don't get hot and they don't explode. Using the high current chargers has it's dangers, as already explained. The main danger is what leads to them going 'pop', unregulated. When an alternator, as in a car or boat, is charging a battery(s) it reduces the charge current as the battery reaches full charge.<br /><br />Chris...........<br /><br />GR, I'll buy you a hydrometer and teach you how to check the batteries.

 

[waterone1@aol.com]

Re: Hot Battery

Just to clear something up, my 30 amp charger is a modern pro-grade multi-stage charger that usually will reduce power and shut off without my constant attention. Usually, when i first connect it to a battery it will start out on the high charge rate and reduce from there. In this particular case it started out only showing a ten amp charge rate....I went about working on other things while it charged. You know the rest of the story. Ever since then, I have visually and with a hydrometer checked each battery before connecting to the charger. For someone to suggest that "the resulting explosion shouldn't have been entirely unexpected...he he". I have dissagreed with people on here before, sometimes, I was right, other times I was wrong.....if this wasn't a family friendly forum and I wasn't a professional, I would tell you exactly what you can do with your "he he".

 

[trog100]

Re: Hot Battery

well u can disagree all u like.. it wasnt a wise thing to do.. professional or not.. sorry..<br /><br />i could have been a little blunter and said it was darn right stupid.. <br /><br />the he he.. was simply me trying to be polite.. even friendly.. call it an attempt at wry smile..<br /><br />high amperage battery chargers are dangerous things.. i wouldnt let such device near any battery of mine only in an emergency and then i would keep a very carefull eye on it..<br /><br />out of curiosity did u bother to unscrew the filler tops.. ???<br /><br />trog100

 

[waterone1@aol.com]

Re: Hot Battery

How old are you Trogg....are you retired, bored and have nothing better to do than remember "back in the day". You, your posts and anything else you think you are contributing...are totally worthless......go play cribbage or something. Last time I saw a screw off battery top I was in diapers. Let's see, boat came in after winter storage....didn't crank too good, pulled battery and put on charger.....had no dead cells or charger would not have initiated charge (needs to see at least 11.5 volts or will not start charge) I check on battery and it blows up in my face.....and somehow your fried old brain thinks I'm stupid.......I've read most of your rediculous wandering, feeble post's.......I'm done ......this is a waste of my time....one final word. Try to keep up with things....otherwise go play chequers or something.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Hot Battery

waterone1<br /> batteries, like gasoline and 115 house current are incredably dangerous. mostly due to carelessness. comes from familiarity. its so common pretty soon we tend to see it as a non lethal thing. luckily improving safty standards have aided in keeping maiming and deaths to a minimum. my first experience with it was in 10th grade. while in auto shop, breaking the safty rules, I stuck my hand down under a manifold to retrieve a dropped fastener for a fellow trainee.<br /> somehow I managed to get my watch on the starter battery terminal and a ground. the next 20 min was spent with 2 emts and the shop teacher trying to remove the melted band from my arm before it started severe swelling. almost made it. after that I was very careful. my battery explosion was while in my twenties working at a gas station/garage. another employee had charged the battery then load tested it. tested bad so I was told to remove it and install a new one.<br /> like jh19 I placed the wrench on the neg terminal and boom. never got to twist the nut. soon as I touched the post it went off. why it did not go off with my co worker who had load tested it is a mystery. lucky no scars or permant dammage occured. I still tend to turn my face occasionally when messing with batteries. I should still wear face protection but I have gotten complacent and quit. hope it does not bite me. I worked at a sears auto dept that had a requirement that a rubber apron and face protection be worn with any operation dealing with batteries. was a good policy.

 

[tommays]

Re: Hot Battery

my two cents i have seen a lot go up because people did did things like dissconect the charger while it was live<br /><br />i have see my dad do the wedding ring trick and taken him to the emg room<br /><br />and then thers my last one in march a 4 X 6 24 VOLT SYSTEM <br /><br />its weak but hasent been charged for 24 hours pop the tops check the cells and find bad ones replace the tops and move the machine to a repiar area and battery number 4 goes boom caps like bullets <br /><br />no wrenches no charges just worng place at the worng time<br /><br />tommays

 

[achris]

Re: Hot Battery

Sorry Trog, I think you're out of line on this one. If the charger was a regulated charger then the user has every right to expect that it will do it's job properly. I even suspect the user used that charger because it's regulated.<br /><br />

high amperage battery chargers are dangerous things.. i wouldnt let such device near any battery of mine only in an emergency and then i would keep a very carefull eye on it..

Trog, you drive a car? If so, then you are using a charger (alternator) capable of pumping over 50 amps into your batteries. You going to stop using your car, or change to a 1950's generator? <br /><br />FWIW, I have seen other posts with your little 'he he's in them. Maybe you should review your use of them. Maybe use the smileys (Graemlins) instead.<br /><br />Chris.............

 

[cmyers_uk]

Re: Hot Battery

Trog,<br /><br />The first paragraph contained useful information the second was perhaps best left as a thought <br /><br />Waterone, keep smiling your well and I for one have learnt something from your experience and this post. I will be looking at the battery with a bit more respect in future

 

[waterone1@aol.com]

Re: Hot Battery

Guy's, thank you for your support. The other day I answered a post from someone who didn't know much about maint. who said that he had a battery that was too hot to touch, and wanted to know if he should check his charging system. All I could think of was him or a member of his family being hurt by an exploding battery. We all talk about what might happen if something goes wrong....from exploding batteries to fuel flash fires. Sometimes I believe that people might think that we are over cautious, or that the things we warn of could never happen. We have all seen the posts, "I have an automotive starter" "my fuel tank is leaking" should I really run my blowers". What I posted, did happen to me! Yes, I screwed up, I did not watch that battery as close as I should have....that was my fault. I will accept that blame. But how many of us have placed a battery on a charger that we were not 100% sure of ? Did everyone always check the electolite and battery casing for any possible defects before charging ? Sorry, but there are some people on here that imply that unless you have done that you deserve to have a battery blow up in your face. Ok, moving on, I'm putting energy into something that needs none. Bottom line...batteries are dangerous, please read and follow all warnings when handling and or charging a battery. These warnings are not a joke or someone being paranoid....they are real.....I had one blow up in my face. do not let this happen to you !!!

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: Hot Battery

Thanks for the reminder waterone1. I can get very complacent and am thankful for the reminder!

 

[trog100]

Re: Hot Battery

"Trog, you drive a car? If so, then you are using a charger (alternator) capable of pumping over 50 amps into your batteries. You going to stop using your car, or change to a 1950's generator?"<br /><br />chris learn a little before u patronize.. your comment is totally irrelevant.. i can go into details as to why.. but unless i am ask i wont..<br /><br />waterone1 had a lucky escape.. it will definitely teach him a lesson and he wont do the same thing again..<br /><br />he and he alone was responsible for that battery getting that hot that it exploded.. <br /><br />now i know u like like to cosy-cosy up to each other on here.. but that dont justify covering up errors..<br /><br />jh19s experience was something entirely different.. it really was out of the blue and as such very frightening.. cos it appears that there was no wya of preventing it.. or even knowing it was gonna happen..<br /><br />but.. <br /><br />batteries being overcharged to the point of getting that hot is operator error.. it can be prevented..<br /><br />touching spanners across terminals is operator error.. it can be prevented..<br /><br />not loosening the filler termimals is operator error..<br /><br />bringing a naked flame near em is operator error..<br /><br />charging the average boat battery at say a moderate 4 or 5 amps will never ever cause it to get that hot it expodes.. this is the safe way to charge batteries..<br /><br />bunging 20.. 30.. or 40.. amps into em for several hours and leaving em unattended will make em get hot.. especially doing it to known "suspect" batteries as watone1 did.. this is the dangerous way to charge batteries..<br /><br />follow some simple precautions and its pretty safe.. the one basic rule to follow is the more current u try and bung in em the more they are likely to become dangerous.. do it for long enough and they will become dangerous..<br /><br />now i am really getting pissed off by the quite clear "stick togetherness" of some regulars on this board.. and if these dudes aint got the brains to see logic and reason in what i have just said.. well thats their problem..<br /><br />it seems even the dudes who do see logic are very reluctant to go against their buddies..<br /><br />we all make mistakes.. i have made my share of em.. i do like to think that when i do make one thow i am man enough to admit it and dont hide behind a bunch of cronies.. i also like to think i learn from it..<br /><br />there is bottom line here i think.. folks are becoming more reliant on modern automated high power chargers.. they are getting battery carless.. if this thread makes em less battery careless its served its purpose..<br /><br />now if u really do want to make an old battery dangerous.. its pretty easy to do.. just bung 30 amps into it... leave to to brew for a few hours till well baked.. then come back and closely inspect it..<br /><br />jeesh i give up..<br /><br />trog100

 

[rattana]

Re: Hot Battery

Waterone, good post on the possible dangers when charging batteries. It is good when someone posts about safety, if it evens draws one inexperienced person's attention to what could happen it is valuable information. <br />Accidents can always happen, that is why they are called accidents. I am glad you recovered with no problems.