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Is it safe to charge a battery on the patio?

morcus - 18/5/12 at 01:05 PM

Can I charge a battery in my Garden? I've got no power in the garage and I can't park close enough to the house. Obviously I'd only charge it up when it was dry but is it safe and should I take any other precautions. From what I've read I'd rather not risk doing it in the house.

A1 - 18/5/12 at 01:12 PM

ive charged plenty of batteries in the house... should be okay to do it in the garden, just put a bucket over the charger to keep it dry...

PSpirine - 18/5/12 at 01:17 PM

Absolutely fine just make sure your mains lead is safely covered and away from water (or better yet have a water/splashproof extension), and cover the charger and battery from rain.

I've charged batteries by putting an extension and charger under the engine bay (closed bonnet) overnight many times, and they've never got damp.

I do always plug everything in and only then turn on the socket! Similarly, switch off at the socket before touching anything when you're done charging, just in case.

BenB - 18/5/12 at 01:29 PM

Yes, no problems. I'd just stick a bit of hardboard or something over it to keep the rain off the charger but that's about it

James - 18/5/12 at 01:43 PM

Many years ago my father charged a battery that gave off some hydrogen while doing it. When he took off the croc clip it sparked and the battery exploded showering him in acid.

He ran straight inside and held his head under the tap to wash out his eyes etc and he got away with it. But it burnt holes in his shirt in the process!

So, as suggested, turn off at wall first so as to minimise sparks.

I suspect charging it outside is safer as the breeze will blow away the hydrogen and help prevent what happened to my Father.

Cheers,
James

Bluemoon - 18/5/12 at 02:26 PM

quote:
Originally posted by James
Many years ago my father charged a battery that gave off some hydrogen while doing it. When he took off the croc clip it sparked and the battery exploded showering him in acid.

He ran straight inside and held his head under the tap to wash out his eyes etc and he got away with it. But it burnt holes in his shirt in the process!

So, as suggested, turn off at wall first so as to minimise sparks.

I suspect charging it outside is safer as the breeze will blow away the hydrogen and help prevent what happened to my Father.

Cheers,
James

Eck must remember to be careful, I know that's what I should do but.. I think this is about the first time I have heard someone actually manage that, the hydrogen normally manages to escape quite well!

coozer - 18/5/12 at 02:31 PM

Make sure its in a safe place avoiding the obvious trip hazard...

Slimy38 - 18/5/12 at 02:34 PM

quote:
Originally posted by coozer
Make sure its in a safe place avoiding the obvious trip hazard...

Amen to that. I'd once ran a battery charger to under my car bonnet, hooked it up and left the extension lead going from the car to the garage. The paperboy seemed a little shocked to find his legs were no longer underneath him and his papers no longer in his bag...

hughpinder - 18/5/12 at 03:32 PM

I managed to explode a battery on my tractor while charging it outside on a windless day- spark ignited the hydrogen. since it was basically at face level and about 12 inches away it seemed quite a powerful explosion. Luckily there was a hose on the wall directly behind me and I hosed myself down pretty quick - still got a a scar on the back of the hosing hand where I missed a bit. I found one of the caps from the battery cells about 50 ft way and bits of the plastic battery casing all over the place!
So just remember to switch off at the wall first...
Hugh

Canada EH! - 18/5/12 at 04:11 PM

Once and again, do not cover a battery while charging the hydrogen gas it gives of is very explosive. That is why all motorcyle batteries have vent tubes leading to the bottom of the bike.

coyoteboy - 18/5/12 at 04:53 PM

I know of a chap who knew a chap who left a battery on charge on a garage workbench, at some point a spanner fell across the terminals while they were out (washing machine under counter maybe?). They came back to find the back half of the garage in rubble form.

Batteries carry a lot of energy

britishtrident - 18/5/12 at 05:18 PM

Please don't put a bucket over as it is a potential bomb, you can over it cover but you must allow lots of ventilation.

Don't over charge and charge at a low rate to avoid producing lots of hydrogen gas.

Switch the charger off (I always do this from the mains socket) and allow a few minutes for gas to disperse before taking the crocodile clips off.

[Edited on 18/5/12 by britishtrident]

SteveWalker - 18/5/12 at 05:29 PM

He only said to put the bucket over the charger, not the battery - presumably in case it rains while the charger is plugged in.

morcus - 18/5/12 at 05:31 PM

Thanks for the tips. You seem to be saying that if I follow all the usual rules and instructions and do it when it's not raining it should be fine. I went to look for chargers and read everything I could find online and I might not bother and just get myself a new battery for the moment, or wait till I'm free to spend all day at my grandads or uncles and borrow their leccy.

On a side note, with the negative terminal not connected, nothing can draw power can it?

D Beddows - 18/5/12 at 05:47 PM

Good lord, don't ever drive the car - that's REALLY dangerous.......! Whatever happened to common sense? don't charge it up outside when it's raining or use a pressure washer to clean it while it's charging etc etc otherwise just do it - absolutely everything is dangerous beyond belief if you consult the internet

T66 - 18/5/12 at 05:56 PM

When I worked on trucks in the 80s - we had a balls out charger for zapping truck batteries with plenty of amps, only problem was the timer was broken. So we always switched it off before we went home.

Until we forgot to switch it off on Friday,leaving it on all weekend.

It was on 90 minute quick charge, and it had been on all weekend. Anyway it didnt catch fire, but the whole garage stunk of eggy farts till lunchtime monday.

The haulier got a new battery on the company.

MakeEverything - 18/5/12 at 07:21 PM

We've had a spate of exploding generator batteries lately. I wouldn't charge one in the house in future, or near anyone.

Peteff - 18/5/12 at 07:59 PM

There's a start and charge round at the bike shop and you turn the switch to give it a boost and it returns on a spring to the maximum level. If you wedge it with an Allen key and forget it makes batteries change shape and steam comes out of the vent.

mangogrooveworkshop - 19/5/12 at 07:26 AM

quote:
Originally posted by MakeEverything
We've had a spate of exploding generator batteries lately. I wouldn't charge one in the house in future, or near anyone.

Tell me about it Ive seen a load of UPS batteries swelled up to mega size ready to blow......we take the juice off them and come back later

adithorp - 19/5/12 at 09:09 AM

quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
Please don't put a bucket over as it is a potential bomb, you can over it cover but you must allow lots of ventilation.

Don't over charge and charge at a low rate to avoid producing lots of hydrogen gas.

Switch the charger off (I always do this from the mains socket) and allow a few minutes for gas to disperse before taking the crocodile clips off.

[Edited on 18/5/12 by britishtrident]

Many moons ago, when batteries were a lot poorer quality than they are today and gassed a lot more... I was taught to always to blow over the top of a battery, before connecting/disconnecting anything, to disperse any gas.

Morcus, yes you are correct, once the neg' is disconnected nothing can draw power. Always disconnect neg' from the battery first. That way if your spanner accidently touches chassis/engine/earth while doing it, nothing happens. Then when you disconnect the positive, thats also safe if your tool touches body/engine etc.

coyoteboy - 21/5/12 at 12:32 PM

quote:
Good lord, don't ever drive the car - that's REALLY dangerous.......! Whatever happened to common sense? don't charge it up outside when it's raining or use a pressure washer to clean it while it's charging etc etc otherwise just do it - absolutely everything is dangerous beyond belief if you consult the internet

You wouldn't believe the number of people lacking common sense these days. No-one said don't do it, just warned him to bucket the charger and then relayed a bunch of funny tales.

[Edited on 21/5/12 by coyoteboy]

D Beddows - 21/5/12 at 01:31 PM

No, I appreciate that but all the scare stories then prompted him to say that he was just going to buy a new battery instead! Yes of course batteries can be dangerous if you're a muppet or very unlucky but there are statistically far more dangerous things you can do.......like drive a car as I mentioned!

[Edited on 21/5/12 by D Beddows]

coyoteboy - 21/5/12 at 02:16 PM

Probably more risk in driving to get the new battery

morcus - 22/5/12 at 02:43 AM

TBH it was more the costs and mucking around that put me off. A battery charger is still on my shopping list but my car will need a new battery eventually (As the current one is the wrong size and tied in with phone cable, and wedged in by the spare wheel) so I might aswell fix that at the same time as changing the alternater rather than end up doing two jobs.

I'm not planning on driving this car all that much (as I don't commute now) so I'll probably be charging batteries on my patio soon enough.

On a side note, any one intrested in a battery? I'll have a look and see what size ect when I swap it out, it's flat now but it got me from Brighton to Clacket lane so it probably still works.