Battery Explodes!

[Ski in NC]

So I am in my shop trying to clean it up a bit. I have an 8kW Kubota gennie that is the hurricane gennie for the shop and nearby house. While in there I figure crank it up and let it churn its juices a bit. Last time I ran it was about a month ago.

Preheat it for 15sec, hit start and rrr-rrr-rrr-BANG!! Battery right next to it (and 3' from me) blew apart. Top in pieces all over, side blew out, acid all over the place. I got spattered a little bit, and went straight to the shower and laundry in the machine. I was not injured, none in my eyes, but could feel irritation on scalp (about half bald), face and hands. Had my glasses on, that was a good thing. Ears still ringing from the very sharp bang. As loud as firing a shotgun without ear muffs.

I knew the batt was a little weak as it was a grp 31 deep cycle that was becoming too weak in the boat. But it started the gennie ok (barely of late). Figure an arc between plates lit off hydrogen. It was on a battery tender.

So be careful with batteries!!

I am lucky, but still have a mess to clean up.

DJMarchand- Being our resident chem engr, any advice to clean this acid up? Figure I need a base. Figure a gallon of water with a pound of baking soda mixed in and then wipe everything down? Sprinkle the stuff all over then wipe up?

It got on the concrete, on the side of the genny and a nearby plasma cutter and tig welder.

Third battery explosion I have been involved with in last 15yrs. Not sure I like batteries any more.

 

[Cigatoo]

Had that happen to me as I opened the hood on an old ford wagon. The hood saved my eyes and who knows what else. Makes you want to make safety glasses a permanent part of the wardrobe.

Today was a lucky day. Glad you are alright.

 

[DavidM]

Ski:


Water and baking soda should work. Better if you can wash the whole place down with a hose first to get most of it out and neutralize after with the soda/water solution. May take more than a pound of baking soda if you don't wash down first.

Had this happen almost 50 years ago while connecting jumper leads. The spark ignited H2 that had accumulated. That is a good reason why you want to connect the ground as far from the battery as possible.


Glad you are ok.



David

 

[sbu22]

Glad your OK.

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) or soda ash (sodium carbonate) are good, easy to handle and control neutralizers. Cheap and easy to procure.

I had a battery blow in my engine hole a few years ago. Normal advice is 1# baking soda to 1 gallon water. For my cleanup, I used dry application for any standing liquid/damp areas, a fairly thick paste (about the consistency of 30w oil) applied with a paintbrush on exposed surfaces like exhaust headers and stringers, and the 1#/gal mix for general area cleanup. Followed by a detergent/water wash and freshwater rinse.

Let the neutralizer sit until it stops effervescing, then rinse off. I found that trying a spot of fresh neutralizer on already treated areas would sometimes reveal areas incompletely cleaned on the first round.

 

[BruceK]

Deep cycle, but was it a sealed LA type?

 

[High Wire]

When we were kids my cousin and I used to make hacksaw blades glow by connecting the battery terminals together on old batteries laying around the shop. No clue how lucky we were they didn’t explode.

 

[dhays]

Today was a lucky day. Glad you are alright.

+1

 

[wpc691]

Yikes! Glad you’re OK Ski.

Mike

PS the Hatt is still running great.

 

[Maerin]

Dodged that bullet! I'm not sure if I'd've needed the laundry more for the acid or the shorts! Glad you escaped without injury.

??? for the new battery...

 

[BIG CAT]

Glad it wasn't worse. I've been fortunate to have never had one blow on me. I've seen the after effects of 4d and 8d explosions. Big damn mess and plastic and acid every where.



On gens that are on constant charge I always recommend they be replaced every three years. After that there reliability declines and especially when dealing with a none check able type.

 

[firehoser75]

Ski,
Really glad to hear you are alright. Sounds like you were very lucky, especially as it pertains to your eyes!
Sounds like you have been given good advice for cleanup. We can all learn from this!!

 

[Lou_tribal]

Ski you are a survivor! Glad you are fine.
Lesson learned:
1. Safety glasses are never a bad idea
2. There is a thread on battery boxes, useful or not, you may chime in

L

 

[LaBomba]

Ski, that's definitely a pucker moment! Glad to hear you survived relatively unharmed. I saw a coworker one time use a braided metal ground strap instead of a battery strap to try to pick up a battery. It blew every cell cap off and he got it in the face. Had I not been close by and close to a shower, he would have been in real trouble.

 

[bridaus]

That's the thread I started. Guess I'll put the bomb in a box. Hate not being able to trust things. Now have to wrap everything cause it could get damaged or damage you.

Glad you weren't hurt.

 

[boatbrain]

Ski glad to hear you are ok, besides perhaps some battery PST
Great informative conversation along these lines at thread topic
"Battery Boxes Required?"

When I used to work construction, all the guys would laugh at me when I would fill up the wet cell batteries in our scissor lift. I would ware safety glasses, a full face shield, long rubber gloves and a full length rubber smock.
they stop laughing about a year after when a truck battery in a old Ford pickup blew up overnight. It blew the hood open and throw pieces of the battery across the parking lot

 

[O C Diver]

Wow! Glad you're ok.

Never seen that happen....and would prefer not to.

Ted

 

[Delfin]

Hand you're ok, Ski. Do you have any theories on the cause?

 

[Ski in NC]

Still all ok here. Will clean up the mess tomorrow. Went out there this evening and spread baking soda. It sizzled vigorously. Tomorrow I will move the genny and do a good clean up.

My theory is that the batt being in a degraded state had h2 over the plates and when I went to start something arc'd and that was the ticket. Probably worse that it had a batt maintainer on it causing a shorted cell to off-gas more than usual. plenty of h2.

When batts get weak, get rid of them. Today's lesson...

 

[hollywood8118]

Still all ok here. Will clean up the mess tomorrow. Went out there this evening and spread baking soda. It sizzled vigorously. Tomorrow I will move the genny and do a good clean up.

My theory is that the batt being in a degraded state had h2 over the plates and when I went to start something arc'd and that was the ticket. Probably worse that it had a batt maintainer on it causing a shorted cell to off-gas more than usual. plenty of h2.

When batts get weak, get rid of them. Today's lesson...

so was the water level in the batteries low and exposing the top of the plates to air?


HOLLYWOOD

 

[Ski in NC]

Probably. Me being a slacker, I did not check levels in batt. And last fall we ran the genny for three weeks after Florence. I had more important things to deal with. It started, and I was cool with that. Lesson learned.

 

[bridaus]

Do we think a battery box would have contained this or just added shrapnel?

 

[healhustler]

Lucked out, Ski. I wish I was a stranger to battery booms but there have just been too many sparkey hotshots in my career. Eventually, one is gonna get you. Sure glad you escaped most of the shower.

 

[OldDan1943]

If it aint good enough for the boat, it aint good enough for the home, shop or car.
Dispose of it properly, even if you have to pay.

 

[STB]

I'm glad you are okay!

I had a 4D blow up on my boat between the surveys and the first time I got aboard for keeps. I'm glad I wasn't there when it happened. I'm sorry you were.

My batteries are now enclosed in these:
-- https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-HM408-Commercial-Automotive-Batteries/dp/B002WCUR0M

 

[STB]

To answer the earlier question, I have no idea if a box would have controlled the explosion or just added to the shrapnel. Nowhere does the model I installed claim to be able to control an explosion.

I just hope it'll help, and if not, at the least, help prevent one from other reasons, e.g. a dropped wrench, and/or other types of problems, e.g. boiling over without exploding. I guess after seeing one type of battery failure, I'm trying to avoid seeing the others!

 

[Art]

It was on a battery tender.

So be careful with batteries!!

Third battery explosion I have been involved with in last 15yrs. Not sure I like batteries any more.

Ski - Just suggestion:

I believe in letting batteries rest. If needed, charge before using. If too old/worn-out to hold a charge - Replace It!! Tender's consistent off n' on input can [over time] create internal batt problems. YRMV...

 

[Bluto]

I'm glad noone was hurt. Batteries store energy and when it's released all at once, it can be bad.
I noticed you said it was a deep cycle battery. Is it not better to use 'starting' batteries for that application, or do lots of boaters use deep cycles to start engines?

 

[FF]

DO you think an OTS batt box would have contained the explosion or added to the flying debris?

 

[Ski in NC]

I think a batt box might have contained some of the H2 and possibly made it worse. I'll continue to leave it in the open.

I think the take-away lesson here is to get rid of batts when they are weak.

My previous practice was to recycle batts: When boat thruster batt got weak (hard duty) it would go to the genny or some other light duty use. I will still do that but just not to the same extent.

I did put the batt tender on (not the switching type, but constant 13.2) as a bandaid for a weak batt after sitting a month. Batt and tender has been on the genny for like two years in a weak status.

I investigated an incident several years ago where an Al hull dinner boat had a batt explosion. Four 8D's in fwd compartment for a thruster, wired for 24v. 30A charger on all the time. A batt blew and ignited H2 below deck. Blew open the seam holding the foredeck to the hull. No one was on the boat, so no injuries, but the damage was pretty extensive. Root cause also a shorted cell that caused other cells to overcharge and boil dry, creating much H2. And inadequate (as in no) ventilation.

That investigation destroyed one change of clothes. Acid everywhere and it is hard on clothing (and people).

We gots to be careful!!

 

[Art]

We gots to be careful!!

This you said is the crux of every situation in our lives. We boys do tend to often play with toys and accomplish work procedures... that can BITE!!

I'm very glad you are OK!

Daily repeated and reinforced in my masonry construction company:

#1 Item: "Always Be Careful"!! - At all times doing all proceedures.

#1 Rule: "STOP whatever you are doing"!! - If anything seems, looks, feels or smells odd. Fully correct the item before resuming work.

#1 Back Up: "Call Me" - At any time for any reason you feel necessary.