Community Forums

Dennie · 05-02-2011, 08:17 AM

While my 84 Pace Arrow was plugged into shore power one of my house batteries exploded. I am showing about 15.5 volts coming from the built in charger. Is this too high or was it just a bad battery?

bullheaded · 05-02-2011, 08:25 AM

That's happened to me on a tractor....low water level.

Kayjulia · 05-02-2011, 08:42 AM

I had that happen in a Geo metro couldn't even get it into neutral to move it!
I had to get a jump and move the shift lever to neutral, move the car, take out the battery and take it to the auto parts store down the street and they said it was a short (?) I got back replaced the battery. I took the car home and washed the batter compartment with baking soda and water lots and lots of it.
Then threw away my clothes that got ruined from the battery acid. Not a fun day....

pwf16129 · 05-02-2011, 12:00 PM

15.5 is way to much it cooked your battery making alot of hydrogen gas, think Hindenburg, it is very explosive this uncovers the plates and any load will cause a spark and then you get the big bang.
get your system checked it is overcharging, 14.2- 14.5 max and should taper down ,also ck the age of your batteries, you don't want to run batteries that are over four months apart in age i went with a agm battery for my coach battery a little more expensive then the standard flooded battery but they seem to hold up better this kind of use and are basically maintenance free

Dennie · 05-02-2011, 04:42 PM

TKS, they were differant age batteries. I will recheck the voltage.

Wanabee FTer · 05-02-2011, 05:11 PM

An older single stage charger may not have any adjustments, around 15 volts may be normal.
You might want to consider upgrading to a 2 or preferably 3 stage converter/charger like the progressive dynamics PD9245. Add a charge wizard pendant to it and have one of the best converters on the market. Check to see if it will fit within your converter space. fleabay sells then pretty cheap.

bluefox · 05-04-2011, 07:07 AM

Your inverter keep on charging your house batteries. The water lever went belowed the plates. Hydrogen is above the plates and there was a spark across the plates and boom!!! It happen to mine and now I don't keep it hook up to shore power. I put a battery tender on them. The water lever won't drop.

Steve N Sal · 05-04-2011, 07:10 AM

Have to keep an eye on that water level when plugged in all the time. Thank God it didn't happen when you were in front of it. That would not be good.

John_N_Terry · 05-04-2011, 07:22 AM

I concur with the converter. Replace it with a 3 stage! Easy to do!

Senior Chief · 05-04-2011, 10:02 AM

Correct: the older converters put out a constant voltage and if plugged into shore power and the batteries are not checked, the water level will drop and one way or another, ruin your batteries.

If you don't want to purchase a new, 3 stage converter at this time (although that is your best bet to protect your expensive battery investment) MAKE SURE you check your battery water levels religiously while hooked up to shore power. Or unhook your battery bank completely from the coach system and hook up a battery tender (trickle charger) to them to keep the charge up.

Its also best to have batteries of all the same size and age, or the older/weaker battery will pull down the better ones.

Dennie · 05-04-2011, 07:14 PM

Thanks All, I did not know it was a single stage and will keep it checked until I can get a new inverter.

wa8yxm · 05-05-2011, 07:42 AM

If you do not have 3-stage converter.. Well, many of the older converters are noted for boiling batteries dry.. The poster who said "Hydrogen" had it 2/3 right

The gas that filled the space between teh plates was only 2/3 hydrogen, what was the other third, Oxygen, and what's the ideal ratio of Hydrogen to Oxygen if you want to make it go boom.... You guessed it I'm sure Two hydrogen to one oxygen, (Makes H2O don't you know)

Actually it's 2-H2 plus 1-O2 plus spark makes 2-H2O but hey, that's chemistry (101)

. And when it sparked, as it did when the liquid level got low enough.... Well, re-red htat formula and sure enough, it made water.. VIOLENTLY.

As to the age of the batteires... Though when you hook six volt pairs in series they need to be twins.. (Ideally consecutive serial number twins but that is taking it a bit farther than needed) with 12 volt in parallel it's not so important.

There is, however, a very slight danger of one of the batteries, not always the older one, shorting out and causing a very very rapid discharge of the good battery,, This can boil off the water part of the fluid in the "Good" cells of the failed battery and cause just that to happen as well.

I've seen batteries fail in as little as a week, or as long as a decade. Same make and model too (one was the warranty replacement for the other)

I'd not worry about mixing batteries in parallel.

DO a soda wash on everything you can imagine (Baking soda in water) surrounding that KBAOOM bttery though, all battery hold down hardwre, connections, frame members, anything it could possibly get to,, In fact load a garden sprayer with soda water At least a quarter pound per gallon of water,, And spray it down well.

Follow with tap water rinse.

DO NOT let soda water get into the battery cells on any battery remaining though.

Before disconnecting, Paint all positive post wires RED

pa0gri · 05-05-2011, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wa8yxm

Actually it's 2-H2 plus 1-O2 plus spark makes 2-H2O but hey, that's chemistry (101)

Nit picking: it is 2 H and one O2. A spark and OHHHHH.

73,s Gerard.

Dennie · 05-05-2011, 03:45 PM

Thanks everyone for the help. from the looks of the battery area this is not the first time this has happen. I will rebuild the whole bracket area shortly.