Battery Charging Safely

[Scubadoo]

Is it safe to charge my boat batteries while still connected to the boat's electrical circuit or should I disconnect before charging. I don't have a built in charger and use the normal car charger type from halfords.

I am only talking about charging while in attendance.

RM.

 

[Guest]

Re: physics experiment

Course it is.

I do think it strange how everyone is dead wurrid about the lecky aren't they, even when it's 12ish volts? So it's high time we had another physics experiment to investigate how utterly shit scared your wife and/or mates are about electricity.

Get a long piece of wire, about a metre and a half long. It's best if it's really thick wire, like a battery jump lead, or multi-core if you can't get any of that. Strip the insulation off the last six inches of both end. Tuck one end of the wire into your back pocket, leaving long dangly uninsulated coper wire showing. Now, whilst victim is close by, prepare to do something quite safe to do with electricity- such as turn a fuse on, change a lightbulb, check battery levels- but just beforehand collar the victim, offer them the exposed wire, and say "here, just hold this will you, I just want to see what happens while I turn the fuses back on.." and almost every time they will leap away and say ooer no thanks. Best results are if you are near something like a fuse box. It makes no difference if you actually flourish the wire first of all, and then put one end into your back pocket. They always say ooer bugger off not me...

 

[byron]

Re: physics experiment

When I say Physics experiment I thought this was going to be a fred on Syrup of Figs and others stuff to move ones bowels

©2001
www.education-jobs.co.uk
www.alexander-advertising.co.uk

 

[Col]

Just be careful,batteries give off hydrogen gas which will sit in your bilge.make sure you vent this out.

 

[KevL]

Are you sure about Hydrogen sitting in the bilge? How did the Hindenberg fly then? Or was that helium?

KevL

 

[Col]

Most boats have some sort of engine cover which could trap gas.
Anyway,what happened to the Hindenberg somewhat illustrates the point.

 

[hlb]

Ger off. Yer goin to give the guy a heart attack.
Most boats are left on charge all year, mine is anyway.
Propper boaty charger that is.
Just charge the bugger up now and then and dont worry about it.
I've never seen a load of boats or cars, blowing up all over the place.

Haydn

 

[Guest]

It was due to be helium, but H on fateful trip. Small holes on top of battery filler will alllow this to escape. Small holes arounf eng hatch will also allo H to escape up thru air, mostly N and O, atomic nos erm 7 and 8 I believe.

 

[ArthurWood]

It was H not He. He does not burn. In any case the densities of both gases are such that they diffuse very quickly and would not hang around long in the bilge.

 

[Col]

I wasn't meaning to sound like a prophet of doom,I mearly said be careful and vent the bilge(read-engine compartment) I have had a battery explode on me,It's not pleasant and could have been avoided with a bit of forethought, simple things such as not disconnecting crop clips with charger still powered up,leave hatch open while charging.