Battery explosion [RE-wrenches]

[Randy Brooks]

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John V,

After having a battery explode in a solar gate opener control box when 
the gate was left unused for several weeks with a 5 watt uncontrolled 
PV module, I now always install a small charge controller.  The 
SunGuard is cheap insurance and peace of mind.

Happy Holidays,

Randy Brooks
Brooks Solar, Inc.
Solar Power for People
140 Columbia View
Chelan, WA  98816
509-682-9646
info at BrooksSolar.com
www.BrooksSolar.com

On Thursday, December 2, 2004, at 12:12  PM, John Veix wrote:

>
>
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> Why bother with a Sungard if the size of the panel is less than 1/3 of 
> the
> battery a/h rating ?
>
>                                                     cheers,
> John V
>
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Allan Sindelar" <allan at positiveenergysolar.com>
> To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
> Sent: Friday, December 03, 2004 8:11 AM
> Subject: Re: Battery explosion [RE-wrenches]
>
>
>
>
> Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor:
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>
> Dean and Wrenches,
> My message about the exploding battery was incomplete, and meant for 
> the
> "save drafts" folder, but went out. This was not a storage battery that
> exploded, but a small 12V starting battery of maybe 600 CCA at best 
> and when
> new. It was in a generator "closet" that was part of an unheated 
> workshop
> and well vented to the outside. The starter contacts were about 3' 
> away from
> and above the starting battery, so it's hard for me to accept that the
> battery could have produced a hydrogen gas stream of sufficient 
> density to
> explode from a starting spark at that distance, as Bruce and Dan 
> suggested.
>
> Here's the best I can figure: She had had a 10A automotive charger on 
> it,
> that included a "manual" switch setting. It may have been left on that
> setting, and that setting may have allowed the battery to get well 
> within
> gassing range. It was an old starting battery with little capacity 
> left. I
> suspect either a gas explosion with an undetermined internal trigger 
> (as Jay
> suggested), or possible a spark at one of the cable terminals.
>
> Now, at her request I added an AC receptacle on the AC output of the 
> gennie,
> to allow recharge of the replacement battery only when the gennie is
> running. She will set the charger to "automatic" rather than "manual"
> regulation, but I still don't trust that unit. I will recommend that a 
> 5W PV
> module with a Sunguard regulator be added and used instead of the 
> automotive
> charger.
>
> And after two weeks, her hearing is still notably weaker. Let's hope it
> returns fully. She's 73 years old, and still building passive solar 
> homes...
>
> Allan
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dean T. Newberry" <deant at dcn.org>
> Hi Allan,
> When charging any lead acid batteries etc, there is always gassing, 
> ie=20
> hydrogen and oxygen mixing above the battery. Any loose connection 
> near=20
> the gas can cause a spark when a load is applied. The bad connection=20
> could be internal to the battery, or the post to clamp, or loose or=20
> corroded wire in the clamp, or possibly the start switch itself if 
> nearby.
>
> Your customer will recover most of her hearing within a week. I have 
> a=20
> pretty good case of tinnitis from the military and construction, so 
> I=20
> can't tell if the harmless demonstration had a long lasting effect on 
> my=20
> hearing, but I remain very respectful of battery gas.
>
> Battery banks should be installed in a clean, well lighted, 
> ventilated=20
> space, the following is the code section on Batteries, in my 
> experience=20
> all of these requirements make good sense.
>
>
>
>> On a related note, several weeks ago this client went to start this 
>> gennie
>> after having run her automotive charger (Shumaker homeowner-grade 10A
>> automotive charger) for several hours off of system (inverter AC) 
>> power.
>> When she hit the start button the battery exploded. The battery was 
>> under
>> the generator and that protected her from acid, but her hearing is 
>> still
>> partially gone. We weren't there, and she couldn't explain in detail 
>> what
>> happened. It concerns me, as I can't explain why this battery 
>> exploded.
>
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