Battery Charging and Carbon Monoxide Alarm

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DuncanHall

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I have a Fireblitz CO7B Car4bon monoxide Alarm.

I have a bank of 3 lead acid batteries under the bunk in my rear cabin in a vented compartment. I find that when the batteries are charged the alarm sounds when the batteries are in the absorption phase. This has happened many times in different locations when there has not been an obvious source of carbon monoxide. I thought that batteries produced hydrogen and oxygen so am a little surprised at the alarm sounding.

Has anyone else experienced the same?
 
DuncanHall said:
I have a Fireblitz CO7B Car4bon monoxide Alarm.

I have a bank of 3 lead acid batteries under the bunk in my rear cabin in a vented compartment. I find that when the batteries are charged the alarm sounds when the batteries are in the absorption phase. This has happened many times in different locations when there has not been an obvious source of carbon monoxide. I thought that batteries produced hydrogen and oxygen so am a little surprised at the alarm sounding.

Has anyone else experienced the same?
Click to expand...


As said already CO detectors are also sensitive to other gases, hydrogen being the one most likely to cause problems to a small boat owner.

I guess you need to seal your battery compartment more thoroughly and maybe also improve the venting. Hydrogen escapes very easily so very thorough sealing may be necessary and/or vent the batteries directly.
 
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I would expect that it would need excess gassing to set a Co alarm off, unless it was an unusually sensitive alarm. What type of batteries do you have, what make/model of charger and what voltages does the charger output ?
 
This happened to me last summer when my batteries were goosed and over charging - the rotten eggs stink was, however, obvious before the CO alarm activated.
 
PaulRainbow said:
I would expect that it would need excess gassing to set a Co alarm off, unless it was an unusually sensitive alarm. What type of batteries do you have, what make/model of charger and what voltages does the charger output ?
Click to expand...

I have 3 Trojan 31XHS batteries charged by a victron Multiplus with temperature compensation fitted. They are 2 years old. I do have to top them up a little but they seem to have plenty of capacity. Bulk is set to 14.82 but temperature compensation lifts that about 14.9.

The voltage is in line with Trojans recommendation.
see
https://cdn.taynabatteries.eu/datasheets/31XHS-Trojan-Data-Sheets.pdf
 
Line the battery compartment with a catalyst to convert H + 2O back to water.
Ahh, mebby not, not given the price of platinum...
"recycle" bits of an old fuel cell and place a catalyst mesh in the compartment vent
If you can get hold of knackered batteries that have a catalyst built into the vent you could use that too.
 
DuncanHall said:
I have 3 Trojan 31XHS batteries charged by a victron Multiplus with temperature compensation fitted. They are 2 years old. I do have to top them up a little but they seem to have plenty of capacity. Bulk is set to 14.82 but temperature compensation lifts that about 14.9.

The voltage is in line with Trojans recommendation.
see
https://cdn.taynabatteries.eu/datasheets/31XHS-Trojan-Data-Sheets.pdf
Click to expand...

Still wouldn't expect to set the alarm off every time the batteries are charged. I'd make double sure the batteries are not overly gassing.If not, perhaps moving the Co alarm would stop it going off.
 
My CO alarm went off while I was running an equalisation charge. Sterling 30A untra charger, flooded open lead/acid. I have never run the equalisation before, apparently is a good idea every so often. I slacked off the caps and 16V certainly produced some gassing. Good to know the alarm works, for H2 anyway.
Angus
 
DuncanHall said:
Has anyone else experienced the same?
Click to expand...

I've experienced the same. Only very infrequently with the CO alarm, but is is quite common with the gas alarm.

Surprising I've found it happens even through the batteries aren't using excessive amounts of water.

I find leaving hatches open helps and closing the cabin door between cabin with the batteries and the galley with the gas alarm.
 
In submarines we had catalytic hydrogen burners to get rid of evolved hydrogen. I seem to remember they also got rid of CO so perhaps it could be a solution.
 
DuncanHall said:
I have a Fireblitz CO7B Car4bon monoxide Alarm.

I have a bank of 3 lead acid batteries under the bunk in my rear cabin in a vented compartment. I find that when the batteries are charged the alarm sounds when the batteries are in the absorption phase. This has happened many times in different locations when there has not been an obvious source of carbon monoxide. I thought that batteries produced hydrogen and oxygen so am a little surprised at the alarm sounding.

Has anyone else experienced the same?
Click to expand...

Yes, happens to me too. Was fairly frequent over a 2 year period but for the last two years much less frequent. The only thing I changed after the first 2 years was I changed the 18 year old battery charger to a modern CETK M200 battery charger.

www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk
 
PaulRainbow said:
Still wouldn't expect to set the alarm off every time the batteries are charged. I'd make double sure the batteries are not overly gassing.If not, perhaps moving the Co alarm would stop it going off.
Click to expand...

It does not happen every time but frequently following recharging overnight after heavy discharge.

Thanks all for the replies, I shall have to look at improving venting when on charge.
 
I spent many years working on various forms of gas analysis and detection.

The detectors in mass produced alarms are relatively crude compared to their (and much more expensive) industrial equivalents.

A typical detector will have an alarm level of around about, say 100ppm. An H2 concentration of 250ppm is equivalent to 100ppm CO.

No surprise that is alarming.
 
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