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Old 22nd November 2021, 20:27   #11
COLVERT
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Originally Posted by iwanta260 View Post
I had a battery on a 'smart' trickle charger, and it exploded. They are not smart enough to sense when the plates buckle or run dry, and just keep charging until the plates touch, then big badda boom!! bits of silver Yuasa plastic everywhere under the bonnet.
I suppose I should have drop tested the battery every now and then to check for a dying battery.
Rather a lot of guesswork going on in here.---

If the plates run dry they will no longer charge.

The plates will have quite a job to touch one another as they have a separator between them.

Drop testing is to see how much electricity is stored in the battery.

I personally don't blame the charger.---Much more likely a poor connection provided the spark needed to detonate the thing.---
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Old 22nd November 2021, 20:44   #12
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Rather a lot of guesswork going on in here.---

If the plates run dry they will no longer charge.

The plates will have quite a job to touch one another as they have a separator between them.

Drop testing is to see how much electricity is stored in the battery.

I personally don't blame the charger.---Much more likely a poor connection provided the spark needed to detonate the thing.---
I agree, I blew up a fork lift that was on charge once, i leant against it and a static spark jumped from me to the truck and blew up the batteries.
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Old 22nd November 2021, 21:41   #13
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Originally Posted by COLVERT View Post
Rather a lot of guesswork going on in here.---

If the plates run dry they will no longer charge.

The plates will have quite a job to touch one another as they have a separator between them.

Drop testing is to see how much electricity is stored in the battery.

I personally don't blame the charger.---Much more likely a poor connection provided the spark needed to detonate the thing.---
Did you notice that none of us were very specific about what may have caused the battery to explode?

But we were very specific in giving our views about the charger.

I do hope he does not take your comment as a measure of confidence in his charger!
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Old 22nd November 2021, 21:45   #14
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I agree, I blew up a fork lift that was on charge once, i leant against it and a static spark jumped from me to the truck and blew up the batteries.

So the nitrous oxide injection kit wasn't to blame?
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Old 22nd November 2021, 23:12   #15
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Did you notice that none of us were very specific about what may have caused the battery to explode?

But we were very specific in giving our views about the charger.

I do hope he does not take your comment as a measure of confidence in his charger!
Using my experience as a tool maker I made a number of tools for making the parts that go inside batteries for a battery making company.--I have also actually made a number of batteries myself.

I had a life long friend that made batteries for years before he branched out into car sales.----He finally died of lung cancer we reckon from breathing in the lead fumes generated during construction.---
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Old 23rd November 2021, 10:08   #16
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......................

I personally don't blame the charger.---Much more likely a poor connection provided the spark needed to detonate the thing.---

As Colvert has not returned to respond to my comment about confidence in the charger, I will explain my thinking.

If the battery exploded there is a high probability that gasses were set alight by temperature caused by overheating or a spark. An intelligent maintenance charger should prevent excessive gas production within the battery by controlling the rate of charge as the battery approaches the fully charged state. It should also contain circuitry to prevent sparks - CTEK call this Safe spark free operation, others use similar terms.

Based on the above, my view is that the charger is likely to have played a part in the failure, although not as the OP thought.
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Old 23rd November 2021, 12:47   #17
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Exploding battery's being charged by this type of charger is unfortunately well known in the classic car fraternity. I know of people who have lost their cars due to it, a Rover P6 burnt out and garage destroyed, a good friends 1939 Ford, battery under rear seat set on fire, lots of damage. This car was kept at his holiday home and luckily he was there and found it. He could have lost his home as it has an integral garage. A friend in the Netherlands who is a Dolomite owner and employed in the manufacturing of exotic high performance cars has seen a whole collection go up when a customers garage was destroyed using one of these. just a few examples i have heard of.

In all but one, my mates 1939 Ford, they were all the cheap ones purchased from the discount supermarkets. Steve's was an early version of a main brand which he had been using for a lot of years. He now disconnects the battery's of his classics and charges as required and will not trust using one again.
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Old 24th November 2021, 21:52   #18
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Exploding battery's being charged by this type of charger is unfortunately well known in the classic car fraternity. I know of people who have lost their cars due to it, a Rover P6 burnt out and garage destroyed, a good friends 1939 Ford, battery under rear seat set on fire, lots of damage. This car was kept at his holiday home and luckily he was there and found it. He could have lost his home as it has an integral garage. A friend in the Netherlands who is a Dolomite owner and employed in the manufacturing of exotic high performance cars has seen a whole collection go up when a customers garage was destroyed using one of these. just a few examples i have heard of.

In all but one, my mates 1939 Ford, they were all the cheap ones purchased from the discount supermarkets. Steve's was an early version of a main brand which he had been using for a lot of years. He now disconnects the battery's of his classics and charges as required and will not trust using one again.
I note you are quoting classic cars.--Do you not think it applies to modern cars as well.--
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Old 25th November 2021, 13:17   #19
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I note you are quoting classic cars.--Do you not think it applies to modern cars as well.--
I quoted classic cars because this issue is known about in those circles. Your comment DO you not think it applies to modern ones puzzles me somewhat. Why wouldn't I think it would happen in a modern if I know it happens.
You may be surprised by it happening, I'm not. Most modern cars don't sit about not being used therefore do not need these charges so you've probably never known about it. Now when your modern classic is parked up for a few weeks and you buy one and your battery explodes or the charger bursts into flames its news.
My comments were to inform that this issue is not new and to take notice that it happens and more often than you may realise, beware what you buy or even consider going down that route.
I haven't gone down that route due to the issue but disconnect my batteries and then charge if they need it. I find a good battery lasts through the winter layup doing this, just connect up and off we go so find the trickle charges not worth buying.
My opinion but thought it better to just inform there is a known history of this happening.
Hope that helps.
Additional info my Dutch friend said that an inquest in the fire that destroyed the collection was attributed to the charger and there have been others over there that have also. He thinks due to the fact these low cost ones have been available in Europe for longer than the UK is why they know more about it.

Last edited by RobSun; 25th November 2021 at 13:29.. Reason: Further info
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Old 25th November 2021, 21:28   #20
COLVERT
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I quoted classic cars because this issue is known about in those circles. Your comment DO you not think it applies to modern ones puzzles me somewhat. Why wouldn't I think it would happen in a modern if I know it happens.
You may be surprised by it happening, I'm not. Most modern cars don't sit about not being used therefore do not need these charges so you've probably never known about it. Now when your modern classic is parked up for a few weeks and you buy one and your battery explodes or the charger bursts into flames its news.
My comments were to inform that this issue is not new and to take notice that it happens and more often than you may realise, beware what you buy or even consider going down that route.
I haven't gone down that route due to the issue but disconnect my batteries and then charge if they need it. I find a good battery lasts through the winter layup doing this, just connect up and off we go so find the trickle charges not worth buying.
My opinion but thought it better to just inform there is a known history of this happening.
Hope that helps.
Additional info my Dutch friend said that an inquest in the fire that destroyed the collection was attributed to the charger and there have been others over there that have also. He thinks due to the fact these low cost ones have been available in Europe for longer than the UK is why they know more about it.
Thanks for your reply.---

Perhaps it will help your understanding if you look at my three posts about batteries which can be found in the ---really, really useful information--- thread.--



PS. and also post 15 in this thread as well.

Last edited by COLVERT; 25th November 2021 at 21:31..
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