Charging Batteries

[winston1]

For what it is worth here is a manual from Schauer. It includes a charging rate table. http://www.battery-chargers.com/Instruction English.pdf

 

[PoorPlowboy]

I once had a big yellow EverStart Maxx from Wal-Mart blow up when I hit the start switch on a MF 231. It had never given me any trouble or indication that it was going bad until it did that, and blew the grill out of the tractor. Luckily the force went forward, and not backwards into the radiator. It was untouched rearward.

 

[jerrybob]

We had a guy killed here by an exploding battery a few years ago while he was jump starting his mothers car. He'd connected the two vehicles for a short time, then bent over the dead battery and was fussing with the cables when it went off. I swear that I think about that every time I'm hooking up a set of jumpers or a charger.

Many years ago....when I was a teenager......a neighbor kid did the same thing......he was bent over the battery when it exploded......he lost an eye unfortunately. I think about that whenever messing with a battery.

 

[clemsonfor]

I once had a big yellow EverStart Maxx from Wal-Mart blow up when I hit the start switch on a MF 231. It had never given me any trouble or indication that it was going bad until it did that, and blew the grill out of the tractor. Luckily the force went forward, and not backwards into the radiator. It was untouched rearward.

I have one of those batteries that just went bad in my saturn last night.

Walmart got of their prorated warrenty just before i bought it and at the time did not realize it till later. i no longer buy batteries from WM due to that. NOw my battery went dead 4 years later. Was a 3 year free battery so it was a high dollar one, the replacement should be about half if they prorated!!!

 

[texasjohn]

hmm...battery explosions seem to be more common than I ever realized.

I've jumped lots of vehicles without problems....guess I'll be more careful from now on...I like the concept of hooking up the "good" battery last when jumping.

Glad you're OK, OP.

 

[California]

This helps me remember what to attach last:

A battery emits explosive gasses while it is charging. So don't make the final connection anywhere near it!

Instead make the final connection far away from the bad battery, to a grounded part of the vehicle providing the charge. And as far from that vehicle's battery as is practical.

And when using a charger, this gassing is why you turn on the charger as the last step. Never attach a charger's cable to the battery with the charger turned on.


Keep in mind the source of the gas and it's easy to think what to connect last.

 

[careyo63]

Never was big on jumping off Veh.s. I've done my share but what makes me think back is my old Ranger bass boat. I had a onboard Elec.charger and 4-12v. batteries under a back compartment connected to it. And 30 Gals. of 2Cyl. Gas next to them. Kept that Boat for Yrs.and Never had a Prob. of a Battery Exploding myself. Those batteries got abused. Literally:ashamed: Your Correct that at least they were all connected Cal. Seldom having to change a Trolling Motor.

 

[kenmac]

I have an old Schauer roll around charger that goes up to 60amps on 12 volt. I have used it on high amps numerous times. Doesn't seem logical to me they would have the high amp settings unless it was ok to use them.

I like you , have charged numerous batteries on the 40 amp scale ,and never had a problem. Mine is like kinda like yours' ,but different brand. It has 200 amp jump start which I didn't use this time . only had it on the 40 amp scale. The battery was only a couple yrs old ..like I said,, been charging and jumping off batteries for a ling time (since I was a kid) never had 1 to explode.. I can now say, I've had my 1 st and I hope it's the last. Never thought a battery exploding would be that loud.. Really never given it much thought..

 

[bmaverick]

My Schumacher Electric Battery charger has a safety selection switch. One for Manual, another for for semi-auto, and the third for maintenance free/deep cycle. If doing the manual mode, there is no safety option. The semi-auto and main free has a safety feature to prevent the battery from exploding and the battery is sampled via circuit monitoring.

 

[careyo63]

When I made a comment of abused Batteries. The Trolling motor was 24V. that you jumped the Pos. terminal to another Battery's Neg. and Neg. to the Pos. to get 24v. I did remove the cables when I would put a Chrg. on them. Just 2 Typical Thumb Nuts. But the Charger stayed connected unless I had to replace the Battery. If I recall it was a 60Amp. Chgr.