battery detonation

[traveylin]

It finally happened. After 3o years of managing large electrical distribution systems with very large dc back up battery systems and 45 years of car battery use, I had one explode in the rv yesterday. Detonation was loud enough to where it upset the wife inside the house 100 feet away.
one of the two battery, house rack internally exploded spreading plastic and acid. We had just finished a three day trip with utilities at the campground and at the house reconnected for charging maintenance. Every three months, I check levels and adjust with distilled water only. Batteries were two years old and required water only once.
I will take both back to interstate battery and ask for a discounted replacement and Interstates recommended test for charge maintainer. The distributor is good folk and will do what's right.
I guess the message is batteries do explode and when working around them personnel protection is important, along with ventilation, spark reduction etc. Googling the issue, that explosive force is similar to a stick of dynamite with acid spray as a kicker.

stuff happens

[RayChez]

It really does not matter if it is in storage or being used. If you do not maintain the batteries and the water level evaporates, the plates will heat up and warp causing them to short out.

I always keep my coach plugged on with AC power whether I am in it or not. Never have had a battery explode yet. But I do watch the batteries pretty close, keep them washed and distilled water level up.

[traveylin]

Charging maintenance I define as leaving the ac power supply connected to motor home to replenish the watts used by the onboard electronics while in storage

[traveylin]

Replacing the batteries I find that interstate is now limiting RV batteries to 12 month warrantees. My failed battery was 33 months old. Plan going forward is to change out after 24 months of use. The charge/discharge limiting number of cycles for a wet cell battery probably supports that. The above several comments are good explanations for detonation of one of a pair of batteries

[Matt_Colie]

Single batteries can explode too, but when my boat business was still going we got paid to clean up about an have dozen battery explosions a season. Almost all were 12Vs in parallel. In the five years I kept notes, only one was a single battery that exploded while cranking the main engine.

If one battery of a pair in parallel fails, the good one will make sure it explodes.

Matt

[Daveinet]

wwest wrote:
That's just ONE of the problems of HD batteries in parallel, a cell shorts(***) in one, the good, FULLY CHARGED parallel battery rapidly discharges into the ~10 volt HD battery.

*** Very common lead-acid battery failure mode.

X2. That finally happened to me last year. Funny thing was, I was about 15 feet away when it happened. When the coach is parked, I rarely am on the battery side of the coach, but just happened to be working on a tire on that side at the time. Just about gave me a heart attack.

2 batteries in parallel, if one battery has a cell that shorts, there is a lot of current and a lot of heat. Its only a matter of time before it goes poof.

[wa8yxm]

One of the popular questions is "Which is better 12 volt in parallel or six in series.

Well there are no six volt batteries in RV's. only 12 volt, SOME of those 12 volt however are split in two for easier hangling (Each half is of course six volt)

Here is what happened.

The Bomb had a cell or two short out.. So now instead of being 12 volt it is perhaps 8 volt, or six volt (Depending on how many cells shorted) the others thus tried to "Charge" it, seriously overcharging and BOOM.

By they way... This is a very rare failure, and it can happen with six volt packs as well if your converter can push enough or if you have multiple pairs.

[wwest]

That's just ONE of the problems of HD batteries in parallel, a cell shorts(***) in one, the good, FULLY CHARGED parallel battery rapidly discharges into the ~10 volt HD battery.

*** Very common lead-acid battery failure mode.

[rgatijnet1]

traveylin wrote:
It finally happened. After 3o years of managing large electrical distribution systems with very large dc back up battery systems and 45 years of car battery use, I had one explode in the rv yesterday. Detonation was loud enough to where it upset the wife inside the house 100 feet away.
one of the two battery, house rack internally exploded spreading plastic and acid. We had just finished a three day trip with utilities at the campground and at the house reconnected for charging maintenance. Every three months, I check levels and adjust with distilled water only. Batteries were two years old and required water only once.
I will take both back to interstate battery and ask for a discounted replacement and Interstates recommended test for charge maintainer. The distributor is good folk and will do what's right.
I guess the message is batteries do explode and when working around them personnel protection is important, along with ventilation, spark reduction etc. Googling the issue, that explosive force is similar to a stick of dynamite with acid spray as a kicker.

stuff happens

You mentioned "charging maintenance". Does that mean that you had them on the charging cycle for De-sulfating, etc? If that was the case, that process produces an excessive amount of flammable gas and the compartment door should have been left open for proper venting.

[Clay_L]

Many years ago I was starting my truck when the battery exploded. It was due to a cracked internal connecting bus. The high starting current caused either a spark or a very hot hotspot that ignited the hydrogen air mixture inside the battery.

[Gjac]

Traveylin, was it a spark that caused your battery to explode or something else?

[prstlk]

It happened to me when I was doing my routine startup in the winter. When I spoke with a tech about it while looking into another issue he said it is not that rare.
His take was this. Battery s low on water due to age and constant charge. Gas developed in the void, any small spark will blow the works.
let's be careful out there.

[bobman]

Makes AGM batteries attractive

[TucsonJim]

It happened to my wife 20 years ago while starting her car. There was not one piece of the battery left that was over two inches long. When dealing with hydrogen gas, a single ignition source such as a spark or cigarette is all it takes.

I appreciate that yours was internal to the battery, but it's a good reminder that if you keep your batteries in an enclosed space, it's important to make sure that there is good ventilation so that an explosion won't occur within the confined space of the battery storage compartment.

[J-Rooster]

Sorry to hear about what happened to you and your coach! In my lifetime I seen one battery explode and it was scary! I was 17 years old working at a Signal Gas Station, when my co worker went over to check on a battery he was charging. My co worker was smoking when he bent over to check the battery and it blew up!