12v Battery explodes.... [Archive]

JonB_in_Glencoe

11-09-2014, 11:08 PM

...in my ATV while I am sitting on it, in town, in my driveway.

Wow, still a little shakey :shock:
Sounded like a 12 ga shotgun.
Neighbors 2 doors down came over to see if I was OK. They were 'sure' it was a shotgun blast. My first thought was, 'who booby trapped my Honda with a cherry boomb?

121379

121380

Snow is coming tonight.... Yesterday I put the plow on the ATV and it started a little slow and like many times before, I put a trickle charger on it all night and most of the day. I rarely use it in the summer, it's typical for the battery's charge to get low. It is/was a 4 year old motorcycle sized battery.

This afternoon, I go out and disconnect the charger, re-install the seat (which is right on top of the battery), turn the Key to start it, the engine turns over once, then BOOM, honestly as loud as a shotgun.
This Battery is/was a gel type maintenance-free, instructions clearly say, "do not add water". It must have pressurized while charging and the starter engaging took it over the top. I've never had a battery explode before. CRAZY, I tell ya, just crazy.

The good news it's just a battery, I am OK, the ATV is OK, the little gel like acid that was in the battery was easy to flush out and off the ATV with fresh water.

Time for bed...Good Night.
Jon

PS, one neighbor/friend told me I should have opened it and checked the water and added some if low. He said there is no such thing as a maintenance-free battery. But the top was sealed and some labeling would have to have been cut to access the filler holes. what say you all ?

btroj

11-09-2014, 11:09 PM

I hope you changed shorts before going to bed.

Pb2au

11-09-2014, 11:12 PM

Sealed glass fiber mat batteries are exactly that, sealed up. Without a can opener, there is no opportunity to open them up. Basically maintenance proof.
Ive had one get hot and swell up on the charger. I found it that way and immediately decommissioned it. Not too sure what happened there.
glad to hear you and the Honda will live to fight another day. Better go get a non maintenance proof battery and get ready for the white doom!

BrassMagnet

11-09-2014, 11:14 PM

MaryB

11-09-2014, 11:33 PM

I had a 100 amp hour 6 volt AGM battery explode in my porch. Thought it had blown the walls out but just a little acid to clean up and plastic shards. Was under warranty so I got a free replacement.

Artful

11-10-2014, 12:11 AM

Wow, glad you were not hurt

starmac

11-10-2014, 12:56 AM

I have been around several truck and equipment batteries explode. I had one blow up in a 69 dodge once and thought I had blown a tire at first. That battery didn't even lose it's charge and worked several days, until I left the lights on and run it down. lol

I had 3 colledge kids come in to buy a battery once, when I looked under the hood the top had blown off there battery. I told them we should check the charging system as it may have over charged it. They said there was no need to as they slept in their car and had left the park lights on, and run the battery down. It blew up when he shot it with a stun gun to charge it. I just about rolled in the dirt, when he told me that. lol It did start it though. lol

TXGunNut

11-10-2014, 01:09 AM

Late 1970's a Motorcraft battery blowing up was commonplace. Scary, messy, but commonplace. Not today. Like BrassMagnet said, contact the manufacturer.

6bg6ga

11-10-2014, 07:19 AM

A short near the battery? Something had to cause it to explode.

JakeF

11-10-2014, 07:33 AM

Hydrogen build up in the battery, we had a bunch of flooded lead acid batteries in emergency sirens blowing up from over charging. You would hit the button to manually run the siren and boom!

1johnlb

11-10-2014, 07:50 AM

Early to mid 90's Ford exsplorers with the Motorcraft batteries were bad for this also, had several blow up. The batteries get low in acid and the gas ingnites with a internal short or arc.

ronald.love.566

11-10-2014, 09:22 AM

Many years ago I had one explode when a charger was hooked up and turned on

Not funny and very loud.

C. Latch

11-10-2014, 09:33 AM

I blew one while running my dremel tool on a power inverter in my truck. I was cutting the last wire for the last tomato cage when I heard a bang. Top blew off.

WILCO

11-10-2014, 09:38 AM

Wow, glad you were not hurt

Same here.

Cactus Farmer

11-10-2014, 09:42 AM

Gel batteries
use a different charger than the old trickle type. And , yes, they cost more money than the old ones. I just got mine............

w5pv

11-10-2014, 09:45 AM

I had an old battery that had a loose post that I had to move around to get it to contact at times but in doing so it exploded on me,I was lucky that I wore glasses and was at home.It ruined the clothes I had on but I made in the house and shower before any real damage to me .From now on a battery with loose post will be trashed.

Col4570

11-10-2014, 10:19 AM

Under the Seat you say,you could have ended as JaneB.

bobby65

11-10-2014, 10:22 AM

Are you sure that was a gel cell the six holes on the top look like the ones where you put in the acid when they are new. I have saw a gel cell with the holes on top like that. Batteries are vented to let out the hydrogen gas that builds up when charging either from the the vehicles charger or a charger you put on it. Always make sure the breather hole is clear especially on ATV that go in the mud I have a Honda rancher and check it after a lot of mudding. Had a battery blow up on my 65 mustang when I went to start it and that scared the **** out of me. I could only imagine what you felt when it blew up under your seat. Glad all is good after

Mk42gunner

11-10-2014, 10:25 AM

Glad you're okay, exploding batteries are not fun.

Four years from a motorcycle size battery sounds pretty good to me; I have went through three automotive batteries in two years for my Kubota.

I personally like the maintenance free batteries of modern times; I put more than enough acid in new batteries while I worked for Sears in 1982 to want to have to do it again.

In years gone by it was fairly common to explode six volt batteries by jump starting them with twelve volt systems. Most that I heard about were older tractors. How much of that was the difference in voltage and how much was the difference between positive and negative ground systems, I do not know.

Robert

popper

11-10-2014, 10:40 AM

Hot hydrogen buildup due to overcharging (it was on it's last leg anyway). Had a kid changing a Renault battery blow up in his face. No eye protection or anything. Drenched his face with water & off to the hospital. Gel cell & deep discharge generally don't spew much acid when they go. When I was a kid I used to go to the A.F. ICBM analog computer bay (hanger). There was another hanger with open bathtub sized wet cells for backup power. Some union guy got PO'd & tossed a crow bar across the main terminals. 3 alarm fire immediately. I think he get 10-15. First time I saw a real 1911 was when it was pointed at me. I wanted to get a close up look at an armed F86. Got a trip to the tower & got to see a JATO assist B29 take off. That was way cool. That bird was flapping it's wings trying to get off the ground. Had fun watching the F102s do formation takeoffs. Roll, kick in AB, rotate & off vertical like a rocket.

HeavyMetal

11-10-2014, 10:52 AM

Batteries can blow wet or Gel if gas's build up and an internal spark is created, had one go in a toyota pick up I drove for work, top came off loudly as I was starting up to leave a customers location.

age has a lot to do with this as well as charge condition a good practise is to charge and then let it sit for a half hour or so before starting / using.

My company does a lot of battery powered equipment, both 24 and 36 voltsystems, and a set of these blowing is rare but it does happen once in awhile. Batteries need to be replaced near the end of there life cycle but before the obvious need for constant charging to keep them up.

for machines with low useage we have suggested some time of small trickle charger system that activates as the battery charge drops to a certain level, I've seen both wall mount and solar units ( never used a solar type) and these do help but will not make a battery live forever, LOL!

montana_charlie

11-10-2014, 01:08 PM

Dump the 'trickle charger' and use a battery maintainer ... such as this one.
http://www.batteryminders.com/batteryminder-model-1500-12volt-1-5-amp-maintenance-charger-desulfator-on-sale-now/

CM

geargnasher

11-10-2014, 01:43 PM

Gel batteries
use a different charger than the old trickle type. And , yes, they cost more money than the old ones. I just got mine............

Yep, Absorbent Glass Mat and gel batteries (two different types, by the way) require different types of chargers to limit current and prevent the battery from overheating internally, since they don't vent like conventional batteries do. Combination of age, hydrogen buildup, pressure in the case, and most likely a short circuit between the plates that occurred during the last cranking event made the Kaboom.

Where's the seat, now, Jon? :kidding:

Glad you're ok, they put the batteries under the seat for a reason.

Gear

Shuz

11-10-2014, 02:05 PM

Glad you're OK!

lefty o

11-10-2014, 03:31 PM

as mentioned by others, get a proper charger for the AGM batteries. its safer, and the battery will last much longer.

Geppetto

11-10-2014, 03:48 PM

Might not be necessary, but I would consider rinsing the area the acid was in with a little bit of baking soda/water to make sure you got the acid neutralized out of the nooks and crannies, so you don't have damage down the road. Learned that one the hard way when a battery overflowed on an old yamaha motorcycle while charging. I rinsed it down, but then after sitting in the garage for a year the paint and chrome was rusting pretty well and I had to repaint/strip that area.

Dale in Louisiana

11-10-2014, 04:27 PM

Some good info here.

Lead-acid batteries come in three common varieties, flooded cell, AGM (absorbent glass mat), and gell. Other posters are correct in stating that the charging characteristics are different for each type.

When batteries are charger properly, the hydrogen produced by the charging is reabsorbed into the electrolyte. If one is improperly charged, then hydrogen is generated. On a sealed battery, this can be vented. On a flooded-cell battery, it is certainly vented.

Compared to many other flammable gases, hydrogen is hot stuff. It will burn aat concentrations of 4%-75%. By comparison, methane (natural gas) will only burn at 4.4%-17%.

If a battery is old or has lost electrolyte, plates become exposed, offering the potential for a spark at the same time that the battery can not take a full charging current without generating hydrogen. this is prescription for disaster.

Here's one of my medium-sized battery banks:

121437

dale in Louisiana
(who HATES batteries)

Plate plinker

11-10-2014, 09:53 PM

Looks like some money in those batteries. Why do you have them?
On another note dad lost a deep cycle battery to a electric winch system because the motor had a short internally. He said it was like a shotgun blast next to his ear.

DougGuy

11-10-2014, 10:17 PM

Looks like it might have arced internally when you put the load on it. Charging with a standard trickle charger could have caused it to heat enough to melt some lead internally without actually making a spark. Then when you put the load on it, the place that got melted thin from charging REALLY couldn't stand the amperage and it melted through, creating an arc. BOOM! Glad you are safe!

I blew one up cranking a Dodge 340 once, made a MAD dash for vinegar and water, saved everything except a few now very shiny paint spots under the hood.

DCM

11-10-2014, 10:17 PM

Battery was "gassing" and something caused a spark close enough to ignite the hydrogen. loose connection etc.
I have seen it 3 time too many.
Glad you are OK.

TXGunNut

11-10-2014, 11:05 PM

I hate batteries too, Dale. Been handling them for over 35 years and my pickup can't haul all the clothes I've lost to acid holes. Have had only a few skin burns but nowadays if I touch or even get uncomfortably close to a battery I wash my hands before I touch ANYTHING.

bangerjim

11-10-2014, 11:27 PM

All Right!!!!!!!!!!!!! Free Lead to Melt Down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just kidding! [smilie=p:

Glad you are OK.

banger

MaryB

11-10-2014, 11:51 PM

I have 16 232 amp hour 6 volt deep cycle batteries about 5 feet behind me in a vented battery box. Friend asked why I plan on using 3/4 plywood for the lids to access each half of the bank. In case of a battery boom I want the pieces contained! Need to pickup ply next trip to town and cut the doors, do some wiring before they all go in service. Half are just floating right now running the ham gear and 1 light only. Very little fume production and I do not plan on heavy use until they are covered and I have the vent powered up pulling fumes outside. Using a bilge fan which is designed for explosive gasses.

JonB_in_Glencoe

11-11-2014, 12:25 AM

Gel batteries
use a different charger than the old trickle type. And , yes, they cost more money than the old ones. I just got mine............

Are you sure that was a gel cell the six holes on the top look like the ones where you put in the acid when they are new. I have saw a gel cell with the holes on top like that. Batteries are vented to let out the hydrogen gas that builds up when charging either from the the vehicles charger or a charger you put on it. Always make sure the breather hole is clear especially on ATV that go in the mud I have a Honda rancher and check it after a lot of mudding. Had a battery blow up on my 65 mustang when I went to start it and that scared the **** out of me. I could only imagine what you felt when it blew up under your seat. Glad all is good after

Dump the 'trickle charger' and use a battery maintainer ... such as this one.
http://www.batteryminders.com/batteryminder-model-1500-12volt-1-5-amp-maintenance-charger-desulfator-on-sale-now/

CM

Yep, Absorbent Glass Mat and gel batteries (two different types, by the way) require different types of chargers to limit current and prevent the battery from overheating internally, since they don't vent like conventional batteries do. Combination of age, hydrogen buildup, pressure in the case, and most likely a short circuit between the plates that occurred during the last cranking event made the Kaboom.

Where's the seat, now, Jon? :kidding:

Glad you're ok, they put the batteries under the seat for a reason.

Gear

OK, the Battery was, in fact, a AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat) http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/absorbent_glass_mat_agm
I was incorrect stating it was a gel battery. I had assumed they were the same.

ANYWAY, my fav Motorcycle/snowmobile/ATV shop (Fun Sports) http://www.funsportsofhutchinson.com/
had a battery for me in stock, they gave me a quick lesson and also sold me the proper battery charger for the New AGM battery.

Thanks for all the help and concern
Jon

geargnasher

11-11-2014, 12:36 AM

AGMs are ten worlds better than flooded-cell batteries for anything that has a vibrating single-cylinder or V-2 engine and bounces around, like anything that that size of battery fits, such as ATVs, riding lawnmowers, etc. You ought to be fixed up now, provided the machine doesn't overcharge the battery, which it shouldn't as long as the battery is fully charged each time you start it. If it gets run down much at all, use your new charger to bring it up first instead of the generator on the machine.

Gear

Just Duke

11-11-2014, 01:40 AM

Many years ago I had one explode when a charger was hooked up and turned on

Not funny and very loud.

Yep! Happens all the time.

6bg6ga

11-11-2014, 07:14 AM

All it takes is a very small spark if hydrogen is present. My first instance was back in 72 when a Toyota battery exploded on me as I was setting the timing. This was back in the days when you actually hooked up to the #1 spark plug with a spring like piece and then attached both the spark plug wire and the timing light wire. That was before I purchased a SUN timing light with the inductive pick up. I was lucky and only had a small cut on the forehead and wounded pride.

JonB_in_Glencoe

11-11-2014, 10:15 PM

Never add water to a gel cell.
Contact the battery maker and provide a photo of the battery. They should never explode. The manufacturer may decide it was clearly a manufacturing defect and they may replace it for free.
Well,
After I read your post, I figured, "what the heck".
So, I went to the Yuasa website, clicked on "Contact us"
Filled out the form, there was no means of sending a photo, so I attempted to post a link to my FB page where I had posted a similar note as the OP with the two photos.

I got a reply today...it went like this:

https://snt148.mail.live.com/ol/clear.gifhttps://snt148.mail.live.com/ol/clear.gifhttps://snt148.mail.live.com/ol/clear.gifhttps://snt148.mail.live.com/ol/clear.gif

RE: Yuasa Batteries Web Contact Us Form Submission
11/11/14

Hi Jon,

Sorry it took an extra day to get back to you.
I was out of the office yesterday, and so was our Quality Manager.

I can definitely offer you a new battery.
Even though it is out of warranty, they are not supposed to blow apart
like that.

I was able to find the pictures on your facebook page.
I have seen this before, but yours certainly had some force behind it.
I bet it made a noise for sure !

I will check with my Quality Manager today, see if he wants to get the
battery back.
Not much left to really look at, but maybe they can get an idea what
happened.

Alan -----------
Marketing Support Specialist
Yuasa Battery Inc.

fryboy

11-11-2014, 10:26 PM

so ummm ...did you buy a lottery ticket ? ( best git one muy pronto if you havent lolz ) bet you even forgot about the glowbul warming for a few minutes :P

freebullet

11-11-2014, 10:30 PM

Glad this is working out for you. Might wined up only costing some time and that pair of underwear. :oops:

DR Owl Creek

11-12-2014, 03:44 PM

This summer a buddy of mine tried charging a dead battery on his tractor. He ended up taking a shower in battery acid when it blew.

A few years back, a battery in a piece of construction equipment outside the Federal building in Columbus, Ohio blew up. They thought it was a bomb, and shut down everything in the downtown Columbus area until they figured out what happened.

Dave

AKtinman

11-12-2014, 11:58 PM

Dang, Jon! Sorry to hear about your battery excitement!

On the plus side, you didn't get hurt, and I would guess it means you've got a good heart as well. That would have given some folks a heart attack!

popper

11-13-2014, 03:23 PM

Lead sluffs off & fall between the plates causing short & hot spot. Gel & mat batteries slow down but don't prevent that problem. Usually there is no burning explosion, just pressure venting really rapidly. Now if you change polarity in the science project, both test tubes go boom - H2O electrolysis.

MaryB

11-13-2014, 11:29 PM

Don't drop a wrench across the terminals of a 6 volt 200 amp hour deep cycle battery. Friend did it and it destroyed the wall behind the battery. Drywall was torn off 5 feet up from the force. I fuse every battery string right at the terminals, with 4 24 volt 232 amp hour strings I have a lot of energy that I would rather not have explode! He was just installing new batteries in the deer shack down by the river. I had walked outside to get some air(he is a smoker, yuck) and the explosion shook the cabin. He got lucky and when the wrench welded in place he ran and was just coming out the door when it let loose. I was out there helping him with how to wire it all and I told him to wrap the wrench in electrical tape... he said he would be careful and didn't need to. Cost him a $100 battery and now he has to fix drywall on one wall of the cabin.

JonB_in_Glencoe

11-26-2014, 03:14 PM

Update:
I received a new battery from Yuasa, via UPS. They also included a brand new trickle charger. My local dealer was happy to accept the new battery as return for the one I bought from them two weeks earlier, which I had installed right away due to the incoming snow storm (that missed us).

I also just received the 'container' and materials that I need to use to ship the exploded battery and pieces to them, via Yellow freight collect.

122872

Sweetpea

11-26-2014, 03:27 PM

SWMBO used to clean local buildings for the phone company.

The banks of batteries they had in there would blow your mind. ( And I'm pretty sure the entire block, if they went! )

Down South

11-26-2014, 07:51 PM

Seen a couple 12v batteries go. Worst one was in a buddies face.

rondog

11-26-2014, 08:23 PM

I've always been kinda skittish around batteries, especially those giant wet cells like Dale's. Worked 26 years in Telecom, been around a LOT of big ones. Never had a problem, but I have a healthy respect for them and try to keep my distance. Little ones like AA's don't bother me, but when those start leaking it still gets on my nerves. But M/C batteries and larger.....don't like 'em.

Dale in Louisiana

11-26-2014, 08:28 PM

SWMBO used to clean local buildings for the phone company.

The banks of batteries they had in there would blow your mind. ( And I'm pretty sure the entire block, if they went! )

I have one bank where each 2-volt cell is larger than a five-gallon can, and there are sixty of them. They're flooded-cell format. A tech has to make amonthly round making sure the electrolyte is at proper level. The charger is the size of a refrigerator, and is subject to monthly checks as well. These things are amazingly long-lived. I've seen banks in service over twenty years that still run better than 80% of new specifications, but they don't do this without TLC.

dale in Louisiana
( absolutely HATE batteries)

MaryB

11-27-2014, 12:16 AM

Those banks are a solar users dream, some get them when they get rotated out, usually 80%++ life left

SWMBO used to clean local buildings for the phone company.

The banks of batteries they had in there would blow your mind. ( And I'm pretty sure the entire block, if they went! )

MaryB

11-27-2014, 12:18 AM

Boy would you be nervous in my living room! 1,000 pounds of 6 volt 232 amp hour batteries 6 feet from me. 16 of them...

I've always been kinda skittish around batteries, especially those giant wet cells like Dale's. Worked 26 years in Telecom, been around a LOT of big ones. Never had a problem, but I have a healthy respect for them and try to keep my distance. Little ones like AA's don't bother me, but when those start leaking it still gets on my nerves. But M/C batteries and larger.....don't like 'em.

Jailer

11-27-2014, 04:24 PM

DeputyDog25

11-27-2014, 05:54 PM

Wow, glad you are okay, you can look back and kinda laugh about it now that you know no one was injured, no damage was done to the ATV; so the most you sacrifice was a good pair of Fruit of the Loom!

MaryB

12-01-2014, 03:00 AM

The battery box, need to cut covers yet and get the vent installed. Just float charging right now so minimal off gassing

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd248/maryalanab/IMG_20141129_2034571201_zps5d3f8a7e.jpg

All the fun stuff to control and charge them, left is 2 solar MPPT charge controllers, above them is the communication interface so they can run in parallel, middle is junction box(cover is off, I am doing some wiring changes to add second charge controller etc) top right is a 40 amp backup charger for winter days with to much snow and not enough sun, under that the pair of 1kw pure sine inverters. Nothing is grid tied on this, purely off grid. Son as I finish wiring I can power more things. Also adding a relay controller that works off voltage set points to turn the inverters on/off as needed.

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd248/maryalanab/IMG_20141128_2229403461_zps32720917.jpg

JonB_in_Glencoe

12-01-2014, 09:47 AM

Wow, that's quite the setup :)

Alan in GA

12-01-2014, 09:57 AM

Same when I tried to start my company truck, a 2000 Nissan Frontier. Those two [3 cells each] Caps blew off hard enough to DENT my truck's hood!
I had not checked the acid level in a while and figure a cell was low enough to expose plates to Hydrogen rich air and...BOOM!
I'm wondering if your maintenance free battery also lost fluid/acid out a crack or crevice? Hard load from starter and spark and....BOOM! Ignition!

edctexas

12-01-2014, 09:47 PM

The AGM batteries I believe are sealed but can vent if the internal pressure is high enough. Another type of sealed battery is the VRLA (Valve regulated lead acid). Most of these designs have materials which act as a catalysis converting hydrogen back to H2O. The reaction takes a while to equalize. If you have a spark before the, hydrogen is converted below the stoichiometric ratio for KB. Then POW! The word used is a fancy term for fuel air mix for explosion. Anyway, heavy loading immediately following a heavy charge or one which leaves hydrogen floating around is bad form (asking for a problem).

Speaking of telecom batteries, these are 2V cells in the thousands of Amp hours. 24 are series strung for producing the 48V nominal voltage for one or more telephone switches. The newer electronic switches don't take as much juice as the older relay switches. If one central office, A painter set his nearly full bucket of paint on the coppers bars feeding the power to the switch. Boom! Paint everywhere. A track of paint footprints led to where the chap's truck had been outside. He never came back to pick up his paycheck!

Ed C

woodbutcher

12-01-2014, 11:29 PM

:shock: Back about 65 or 66 was working at a friends gas station.Had a tourist stop for a leg stretch and a snack before refueling.
Went to start his car about 20 minutes later.Very loud nasty noise.Part of grille gone,hood corner bent up and headlights gone.
Hydrogen gas build up under the hood.That Caddy sure looked sad.We were knee deep in cops and fire dept.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo