Battery Explosion

Greenpully · Jan 25, 2011

Connected battery charger on JD 520 yesterday.Today when I pushed starter petal battery exploded. Blew top and about two inches of sides away.Battery was taking charge as normal.Question: What caused it blow up?? A first for me.Thanks GP

Anonymous-0 · Jan 25, 2011

It takes a spark to ignite the hydrogen. Do you think one post clamp might have been a bit loose and arced? I saw a guy do the same thing but he was a bit visually challenged and had a bad habit of hooking up the boosters and watching for a big spark, then changing the cables around if he saw one. That wrong hookup did the same dammage to that battery as you mention.
Later Bob

D.B. in Mi. · Jan 25, 2011

(quoted from post at 18:15:03 01/25/11) Question: What caused it blow up?? A first for me.Thanks GP

Fumes and a spark. It only takes a little spark to cause a batter to blow. Hope you wernt hurt.

Bob Bancroft · Jan 25, 2011

I had that happen to me once,years ago, almost in my face! It was a new batt. a customer had installed. Couldn't figure out what was going on. I went out and was baffled too, until I held the starter switch on and started wiggling batt. connections. Apparently there was a break in a connection inside the batt. and with a load and my wiggling a spark ignited the gas.

brian(MN) · Jan 25, 2011

It has happened to me, once. I was charging the battery and cranking it. I figure the battery was giving off gas from the charging and when I cranked it caused a spark somewhere and boom!. I never leave the charger working when I crank it now.
Brian(MN)

Adirondack case guy · Jan 25, 2011

Your battery may have had a post that was broken loose from the plates inside and arced when you pushed the starter pedal, or a cable was loose on top and there were gasses from charging the battery adjacent to the terminal, which arced. If you smell rotten eggs and you cause a spark around a battery you can make a -Boom. Sorta like any thread on this forum. If something smells bad and there is a spark,---Poof LOL

Formerly PaMike · Jan 25, 2011

Wow, you and I must have the same luck. Same thing happened to me tonight. I never had that happen before. Sounded like a shotgun going off. Blew the side off the battery. Scared me like none other.

fixerupper · Jan 25, 2011

Son had that happen to the battery in his pickup. Sounded like a shotgun like the others said. I was working in the machine shed 1/8 mile away and when the blast happened I looked over his way to see what he was shooting at. If I remember right the battery had a loose post. Jim

in-too-deep · Jan 25, 2011

A co-worker and I had two 1000 CCA truck batteries blow up on us. He was hooking up the charger cables and I happened to be looking slightly away but he got it right in the face. Was terrified the acid burnt his eyes. No injuries but it knocked the lense out his eyeglasses. Took a couple hours for our hearing to return fully. Now I always hook and unhook negative first and avert my eyes when making contact with the clamps. How many times have you watched terminals and cables spark and not thought twice? Scary.

PJH · Jan 25, 2011

Looks like the time between the charging (yesterday) and the starting (today) would have allowed the hydrogen to dissipate. Is Hydrogen heavier than air? Might have settled in the batt box if so, then a loose connection set it off.

When I was young and worked a second job in a gas station, someone spoke to the owner as he was tightening the clamps on a freshly boosted new battery. He turned his head to reply and shorted the posts together with the wrench and the batt blew up. Broke his glasses, but didn't harm his eyes.

I've been lucky, I guess. Never had one blow on me.

Paul

Jim Plunkett · Jan 25, 2011

Low on water that gives them more room to build up gas & when the plates are exposed more chance for sparks

2x4 · Jan 25, 2011

hydrogen is much lighter than air. It just didn't escape from the battery

buickanddeere · Jan 25, 2011

Battery if low or dead may have froze. Freezing will buckle or shift plates or internal intercell connections.
A battery will explode just as readily from an internal spark as it will from an external spark.
If lead acid batteries were to be introduced into the market today. They would be rapidly banned due to personal and environmental health and safety concerns. Lawsuits would be flying too.

Bob · Jan 25, 2011

The battery was "bad". They fail in two ways... either just lay there DEAD or explode.

Either way, time for a new battery!

Criticize my comments, if you will, but that's the way it is!

Roy in UK · Jan 26, 2011

Yes silly me had a similar experience many years ago. I had a battery charging up in the workshop. I was using an angle grinder and... well you can guess the rest. Those sparks can go a heck of a lot further than you think and yes it does sound uncannily like a shotgun going off.
Now every time I use a grinder, bench, angle or otherwise I always check for that and I also check there is nothing containing gasoline nearby.

ASEguy · Jan 26, 2011

I had one explode on me in my younger years. It took two cells off of the end of the battery. I couldn't believe the blast was so forceful. It sounded like a shotgun blast next to my ear. I was very fortunate. It was probably as previous post stated an internal connection. Just make sure you have clean tight connections. Because of my experience, I now remove cables, hook up charger and then walk away to plug it in. Gerard

Anonymous-0 · Jan 26, 2011

It blew up because it was past it's service life and rather than replace it you insisted on pounding it into a fireball with some poorly filtered relatively unregulated power source.

Batteries don't last forever. They "get old" outgas extensively and breakdown internally.

So after it has lived past it's service life (no matter how long or short) the liquids are replaced with an explosive gas, The mechanical connections inside the case break away, and they spark internally.

You say blah blah blah.

I can say from experience that sometimes you stand back and watch the other guys light em off (X2), and sometimes you just run for a place to wash down with your eyes shut and arms a'wavin (X2).

fred goodrich · Jan 26, 2011

My bet the battery was froze. It usually happens once every winter at my place and then the guys check them before they jump them.

Allan in NE · Jan 26, 2011

It didn’t just commit suicide out of the blue; that’s BS.

When a battery charges, it "gases".

Somehow, and from what source, I can't tell ya but more than likely a "iffy" battery connection, a spark found that gas and torched 'er off.

Kind of a common hindrance when charging batteries.

Allan

36 Coupe · Jan 26, 2011

Batteries start gassing at 5 amps.Always put the clips on the battery first,then plug in the charger.When you take a charger off the battery unplug the charger first.When boosting batteries make the last connection away from the battery.I wear saftey glasses or full goggles when working on batteries.

Anonymous-0 · Jan 26, 2011

All of the advice on the thread is correct but this post is best.

Geo-TH,In · Jan 26, 2011

Had the same thing happen to me 25 years ago. Battery was 3 months old. Car wouldn't start. Had to charge battery. During the charging process hydrogen gas forms inside the battery. All it takes is one spark and you will see a bright flash while things go flying. Many people each year are injured, usually eyes, because of this problem. Source of the spark is most likely the connection between the charger and battery. Could also be the battery cables. Most injured people want to sue the battery company claiming defective battery. Just like gas, hydrogen will not blow unless there is the presence of oxygen in the right ratio.

Lesson learned here should be to keep everyone back when jumping or charging a battery. Turn charger off before disconnecting battery too.

Learn to respect the battery.
George

gene bender · Jan 27, 2011

It blew up cause owner just doesent understand how to charge a battery. If it has removable caps do that to help fumes escape. Its always a good idea to wait a little till the fumes are gone. The gas build-up can get dangerous when charging any battery. Your battery charger probably has warning posted.

Wilson · Jan 27, 2011

Had a battery explode in a single engine airplane. How that will get your attention!!!

Geo-TH,In · Jan 28, 2011

Did it require a change in underware?

Battery Explosion

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