George2615
Super Member
About 10 years ago I had 4 large group 4D batteries blow up on me. The 4 batteries are paired (2 left bank and 2 right bank) for starting a diesel powered building fire pump. My job is to run the fire pump on a weekly basis. Checking the batteries is the responsibility of the building maintenance staff. The batteries weigh about 150 lbs. each and are wet filled with battery acid. Apparently the maintenance staff had not checked them for quite some time and the acid level was low. I went to start the pump and all 4 batteries let go. Blew top tops right off the cases spraying acid all over the room. Luckily for me I was behind some of the 8" piping so acid only got on my clothes which were ruined. When they blew it sounded like a ******* going off. The batteries are replaced every 3 years so I think the maint. staff let their PM slide. After that experience I added checking battery levels, cables, connections, and cleaning the tops to my check list.