Holy exploding battery Batman.

[mcanderson]

So starting the boat today and there was a god awful bang from the engine room and the EVC display sets off alarms and the goes blank.

A strong smell is present.

We open the engine hatch slowly. I’m thinking blown engine.

It quickly becomes apparent that a battery let go big style. What a mess.

Hopefully all sorted now and a new battery in.

Bugger me with a fish fork that was a complete ball ache.

 

[Portofino]

Why ?
Need a bit more detail to end up a shared learning experience me thinks .

Acid / wets - when did you last ck the levels?
Started up with shore power and charger on - thus added the alternators?

More detail ps .

Gotta be linked with turning the key (s) .

 

[mcanderson]

Shore power off.

Wet batteries. Never checked the levels. Zero maintenance batteries.

Le bang on turning the key to start the starboard engine.

Engines last started two weeks ago.

 

[[2068]]

I generally replace my batteries after 5 years or so, as a preventative measure - it’s very hard to see the electrolyte level through the side of a black plastic casing.

Plus most of the batteries are directly underneath my daughters berth!

 

[Nigelpickin]

Is it an IPS boat? That’s usually the problem

 

[fergie_mac66]

Hydrogen gas ?

 

[jrudge]

Will have been gassing and a spark ( solenoid / starter motor ) set it off.

I had it in a jag once. Big Bang. Acid everywhere

 

[ph321]

Been there. I think the battery had mostly failed leading the charger to try and continuously push charge into. It was the bow thruster bank and exploded the second I touched the switch... A nightmare to clean up.

 

[Bouba]

Do battery boxes contain the explosion?

 

[Portofino]

Charger failing to float ?
Basically overcharging - worth checking the charger or getting a proper boat sparky to that .
I had a charger fail the other way - stuck on float. Ie failed to bulk .Max out was only 4 Amps ( 40 amph )

Smart chargers theses days should not really cook / boil off the acid —- caveat - “if they do what they say on the tin .”
They need to be tuned in to exact type of battery well .

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/VRLA_battery

 

[simonfraser]

hm, is it the boiling off that creates enough space inside the battery for the gas to be generated in a sufficient amount ?

my wet batteries gas very gently on a modern charger.

 

[jrudge]

The battery box is just there to collect the gas ( which is lighter than air so rising ) and vent it.

I will incidentally contain it a bit I suppose ( mine is a substantial fibreglass lid ) but not it’s purpose.

In theory of course the op battery box should have vented most of the gas away so worth checking on Re install it is in place and the vent not blocked.

 

[simonfraser]

if the box is supposed to collect the lighter than air gas, why collect it at all ?
my batteries sit under a non air tight access panel in the floor, aft cockpit is above it, fabric covered.
surely any gas would just escape ?

 

[fergie_mac66]

battery boxes are supposed to be fitted with a piped air vent upwards to the outside as hydrogen is lighter than air.

 

[jrudge]

It needs to vent to outside. It could accumulate under your cover etc. You may not see as likely but your mate with a cigarette in. His hand may find out the hard way. !

 

[mcanderson]

No battery box, and it wouldn’t have made a difference as the explosion was from inside the battery. In my frustration and annoyance I didn’t take photos as I was working quickly to get back up and running as I had a lift out booked for my new props to be fitted.

 

[fergie_mac66]

Blocked battery vent

 

[jrudge]

When mine went it was the battery that exploded , but what happened was the battery was gassing so the “fire “ just went inside and blew it to bits. You need the right air / hyrdrgen mix for an explosion. Good luck cleaning it all up.

 

[rubberduck]

Is it an IPS boat? That’s usually the problem

Funny you should say that but our new boat has IPS & needed new batteries, bought it one of these as well, superb bit of kit. https://www.dockmate.eu/ips-interface/

 

[Portofino]

Funny you should say that but our new boat has IPS & needed new batteries, bought it one of these as well, superb bit of kit. https://www.dockmate.eu/ips-interface/

Yep posted a thread recently.
But it seemed to have flown over every bodies head .
It appears the V tolerance is very narrow on IPS boats .
Once below then codes are thrown randomly inc “ stop engines “
As well as “ limp mode “ the joystick arguably the raison d etre goes first .


My friend had new bats €500 fitted for the offending 2 .
So far 2weeks so good .