Fed up with batteries

Well now I am PROPERLY p..o..! YET AGAIN a battery exploded on my reo,. I was tightning the clamps (as you do) in routine maintenace. And 2 nights ago I heard loud bang. Yes a battery had exploded on another vehicle in the workshop. last month a battery "blew its top" on the wrecker. you know what? I speak to people NEVER seen or had a battery explode..and others who have never even heard of such an occurence. I lost 4 batteries last year SAME! ..Every day I wait for (the usual!!?) BANG!.. humph..I ALLWAYS wear eye protection AND ear defenders even if I just LOOK in blasted (pun) battery compartments. And after all these explosions it IS a scary procceedure. ((bit like bomb disposal I suppose!!))NEVER tighten connections without protection. OH... is that yet another friendly BANG I hear from the garden? (yard). cept I am NOT lol!

Maybe instead of nitroglycerin to fill them you use distilled water instead.

Sounds like you and batteries do not get along. In the 30+ years I have been working on everything from bobcats to D9's I only have had 2 ~ 3 explode. Scared the heck out of me.

You are so right . i had 4 batteries blow up when i jumped a Truck about 20 yrs ago .One of the posts hit my hand . Never work with safety glasses at the least .I was very lucky

I never really heard of nor had a battery explode on me. I read a post here about 24vdc charging systems and I "assumned" both batteries would be equally charged.

NOT SO! say the veterans of MV's. A weaker battery will actually become weaker when a newer battery replaces one, and one of the two eventually take on more current when charging. I never knew this, and had my doubts. Then, just a few days later, after replacing one of my 8vdc trojan batteries in my golf cart and charging up the cart, one of my grown sons came to me and told me there was a loud band on the golf cart. Sure enough, I went to check the cart batteries under the charger for just a couple of hours, and one of the batteries blew up.

We live and learn.

Wow - Thanks guys. I've been playing around cars and trucks on and off for way too many years and never knew about the "unballanced charging" deal. I guess it might be better to save the so so batteries for 12 volt stuff and replace the pairs for 24 volt stuff as both new sets. Sorry this had to be at some cost to you guys, but thanks for the heads up all the same. Dave.

WOW, never really thought about that very much!

I am going to have to build myself a watchdog circuit to warn me if the voltage across the batteries in my M54A2 differs more than a volt or so. Shouldn't be too hard to rig up.

dmetalmiki, what kind of batteries were these? As far as I know, our 6TL batteries have vented caps.... I don't see how anything other than maybe a sealed "maintenance free" battery could explode. If you are not using a military type battery, maybe the vibration of your MVs is causing shorted cells or something. Maybe a heavier-duty battery is needed?

Jon

the vented batteries are the ones that go bang, allowing the gas to escape and also gives a path to the gas inside it only takes a SMALL unseen spark, I have had a few go bang, one time alomot lost my sight, if it were not for quick thinking by others , I would have

1, What batteries are you using?

2, Are you replacing the battereis in pairs?

3, Are you using an external charger?

I am kind of known for my destructive testing when it comes to electrical devices, I really want to see what some things can take. I have fried about 6 alternators and at least a dozen glow plug controllers in an effort to make them more bullet proof. I have exploded two batteries.

On one occasion, it was outside in the yard on a 2x12, and I had it on charge, it would not come up no matter what I did, so I thought I would try a little extra voltage. Well, I think it was about 60 volts DC I had going to it. Walked away (backed away), went and had lunch. Came back and there was nothing left but the plates, part of one terminal, and a bit of plastic underneath. Never found the sides or top. They just vanished.

On the plus side, I didn’t have to do much work to melt the remaining debris into ingots for later casting of bullets for reloading.

I have duel large 100a.ah. truck batteries. or pairs of heavey duty 90's. OH! and a 24 volt "desulphator" hooked permenantly. I allways wear specs AND ear 'tectors.
I have a SAFETY guy work the leads now so....they can bang away as they blooming well please! (see picture) (So, Is THAT' tiny gpw I hear some ask!!!! )

yeah , its kind of a No No to mix batts.....the charge rates get messed up....that why in solar systems, either you separate a bank of batts to a different load or double up with the same series ( amp hour rating ) and try to keep them within a few years of the same age.

I had a battery explode. This was not a military battery. I test run an emergency generator at the facility I work. When it's in the single digit temps I run the generator each morning when I start. I was at the control panel and flipped the generator only run switch, Then like was previously mentioned, A very load bang. My co-workers ran in to see what happened. Battery case parts and battery box lid pieces were all over.It's nothing to take lightly. I could of got hurt!!

So, ok today I went to wrecker (fire proof suit eye glasses, defenders , sword at the ready) removed all existting wiring for the extra equiptment, twin 12 volt wow wows etc. radio, C,B. horns. emergeancy light. (all 12 volt) Cut and cleaned all the wires to these items. Changed the wiring to the "master" switch ( from negative) to ISOLATE THE POSATIVE BATTERY TERMINAL. replaced the batteries with 2 charged desulphated 90 A.H. batts. Cleaned and replaced bolts through battery terminals. Re fitted everything ( shudder flinch!!)... Ran the primer...hit the go button..Fired up instantly.
Yes, the primer ran better, and the starter cranked like good un' So the effort and dilligence really paid off in starting perfermance. NO BANGS.. shiver..! so now to do all my trucks thus.. I do NOT allow my helper/s in the battery shop ..or access to the LOCKED battery compartments. ABSALUTLY no go areas for them. you just never know..In the forces I used the addage ..you wont have to get out of trouble ..if you DONT get into it in the first place...By the way this definately applies (towing or not) going UP or DOWN steep grades.

As a P.S. I have disconnected the 24 volt desulphater that used to be permenantly attatched, and taken all the 12 volt accessories to a 12 volt 100 amp truck battery in a seperate location. NOT connected to the vehicle batteries or wiring. Checking my trucks after writing the post (on a hunch) I found 2 of the trucks also wired "negative" diconnect on thier master switches. these will be changed to positive disconnect asap. tomorrow. Simmilarly the 12 volt accessories will be isolated independant 12 volt supply. ( I dont use inverter / droppers as I have not found units powerfull or reliable enough yet.)

Just be aware that if you do the pos master switch .That it is possible to have power on some things .It is better to have it on the neg side of the battery . just ask anyone that races a dirt car or drag races this is the only way theywill allow the batteries to be hooked up

Shoprat 19th Engr said:

Just be aware that if you do the pos master switch .That it is possible to have power on some things .It is better to have it on the neg side of the battery . just ask anyone that races a dirt car or drag races this is the only way theywill allow the batteries to be hooked up

Click to expand...

I agree, with the ground still connected any accidental short to chassis from the battery (+) terminals will create a spark of major proportions.

Never adjust terminal clamps while engine is running.

Consider a battery maintainer to keep both batteries equally charged. Also, check out battery equalizers...
Much of this has been covered before as you will discover by searching old threads.

There is no circuit to "accidenltly" short out if there is NO POWER going though the wiring. No posative supply no spark. BUT if the negative is isolated power IS RUNNING through the wired components ALL THE TIME . simply put if there is no current travelling the wire there is nothing to short to. IF the current IS flowing through components ALL THE TIME and they cross earth (ground) for any reason, then there is a danger. I.E. some equuiptment will use the (thier) ground to complete a circuit for the starter motor if operated without turning on the master (isolation) switch. NOW see the bang smoke or flames. If the positive is "not there" then push to crank all day, no component will try to "complete" a circuit for that operation. there is absalutly NO power for any operation. And those not to aw-fay please REMEMBER components accross one battery (for 12 volts) Will allways short to complete a 24 volt operation. (they supply (or try to))the completion of a (resitant) circuit to earth. I hope this helps as a lot of damage ensues if one forgets to a master(isolation) switch on before cranking.
So, I dont know about drag racer or others, "interperating? the complex RULE " ( convention) " So read below..and DISCONNECT THE POSITIVE LIVE wire (by an Isolation/Master switch.)
Think of your home. Connect the wires (positive negative) the "other way round" and leave a plug in and switched on, BUT the Machine swithed off with it's own switch..( while you attempt a repair) AND you WILL have a LIVE tv washing machine lawnmower whatever internals, even if it is switched off. SWITCHED OFF> hopes this keeps you all SAFE.

>>>When electricity was discovered scientists tried many experiments to find out which way the electricity was flowing around circuits, but in those early days they found it was impossible to find the direction of flow.

They knew there were two types of electric charge, positive (+) and negative (-), and they decided to say that electricity was a flow of positive charge from + to -. They knew this was a guess, but a decision had to be made! Everything known at that time could also be explained if electricity was negative charge flowing the other way, from - to +.
The electron was discovered in 1897 and it was found to have a negative charge. The guess made in the early days of electricity was wrong! Electricity in almost all conductors is really the flow of electrons (negative charge) from - to +.
By the time the electron was discovered the idea of electricity flowing from + to - (conventional current) was firmly established. Luckily it is not a problem to think of electricity in this way because positive charge flowing forwards is equivalent to negative charge flowing backwards. To prevent confusion you should always use conventional current when trying to understand how circuits work, imagine positively charged particles flowing from + to -.<<<