Hi Everyone. Well we are back on line and have rescued our bus from a far away dirt storage yard and finally found a place very close to home with a concrete drive, water and electricity. HOORAYY for us! That's the good stuff, here's where the problem comes in:
I went up to the bus this morning and decided to bring the house batteries and the genset start battery home and charge them here at the house. When I took the house batteries loose I discovered that the cases had exploded and of course the liquid was all gone. The last time we used the house batteries was when we stayed at the Fairgrounds here in Raleigh for July and August. They worked fine then. In September we moved into an apartment and we stored the bus in a storage field across town. We brought the bus closer to the house yesterday to a much better storage facility. The gen set start battery seems to be OK and is on the porch charging as we speak.
I have never seen batteries expand and blow up like this, does anyone have any decent suggestions as to why this could have happened?
Also while I am at this battery situation, some time ago someone gave me a suggestion of a really good battery tender to use while the bus is in storage. I have misplaced that information and was hoping could remember what the tender was.
Thanks,
Dave Siegel
Usually, batteries exploding is caused by outgassing-like a short circuit or drain-then a spark to ignite the hydrogen gas (think Graf Zepplin). If the bus is going to sit, either plug it in to keep the batteries up, or disconnect them completely. Wet batteries will self discharge in a few weeks. AGM batteries only loose about 5% charge per month.
Would suggest you look at AGM batteries. Yes they are expensive-but then you don't have to worry about watering them, cleaning the terminals (they don't normally outgas), and are just about maintenance free. I have 2 8D AGM's that are 7 years old that I need to replace. In that 7 years, I've done virtually nothing to the batteries except clean the terminals a couple of times. Once you experience the joys of AGM's, you'll never go back to a wet battery again. Good Luck, TomC
Chances are the batteries discharged and then froze causing the case to crack. Hense loosing all the liquid. Cheers Gerry
HI Dave,
We're using this to keep the house batteries maintained and charged - so far no issues and much happier than with previous solutions.
Progressive Dynamics PD9245CV Inteli-Power 9200 Series 45 Amp Converter/Charger with Built-in Charge Wizard
It is on amazon.
And I'm going to start disconnecting engine batteries (2 x 8Ds) instead of just using disconnect switch to eliminate trickle discharge over time. We've had ours about 6 yrs now, purchased from NAPA Truck. We've had to do more maintenance than Tom w/ his AGM batteries.
Was the bus parked in Florida (warm climate) when the explosion happened or could have happened?
Kind Regards, Phil
If the cases only cracked and leaked the liquid it surely appears to be a case of freezing (in FL?).
However, if pieces flew off and the posts blew off then if probably was an explosion, pretty rare. I've seen batts explode when hooked up in reverse.
Thanks PHil, I am using the same Progressive Dynamics PD9245CV Inteli-Power 9200 Series 45 Amp Converter/Charger with Built-in Charge Wizard and I was wondering if perhaps it went wild on me and over cooked the house batteries because we were hooked to a pole 24/7 for two months while we lived in the bus?
If it did fault how would I check it, so it doesn't happen again?
Dave
I just inadvertently overcharged my Genset battery. It looked like a swollen watermelon, just short of cracking open the case. So, it could be freezing or it could be a case of way overcharging, boiling all of the liquid out and then the batt will begin to swell from the heat.
I am also thinking that the house batteries got overcharged, and I am thinking about getting new batteries to replace the ones that ruptured but I am leery of the charger, is there a way that I could check it to see if the charger wizard actually shuts the device down when the batteries are charged?
Dave
Dave,
I have a disconnect switch between the house and bus batts. When I think the house batts are getting too much charge I just disconnect them.
Well, I do cheat a bit, I also have a separate VM for the house batts!
Where is that volt meter and the switch? Up on your dash or down by the batteries?
Dave
It is up high on the driver's wall. It is part of a panel that includes a push button check on battery condition and charging and a lighted dial.
It came on the bus but a separate VM can go anywhere you like. I would prefer it be down lower but it is part of a larger panel that includes the air bag leveling system.
It only shows conditions when the switch is pushed, kind of a nuisance. I can look for info on it if you like but a plain VM would work just as well and be lots cheaper. I see no need for the switch, no reason not to have it on all the time that I can see.
Thanks Gus, I actually have a second volt meter, but it is in an compartment that I can not see into all the time. I think I put it in there to see the starting condition of the genset battery. I may want to consider a new place for that meter.
I have no real room for another panel either, that's the problem with a small dash on an old bus.
Thanks again,
Dave
Dave,
You could probably easily install it on the driver's electrical panel cover with detachable connectors or extra long wires.
Love that Silverside!
Gus those are both an option, I also have a armrest (left arm) panel just under the driver's window, I suppose I could reconfigure that panel and add a volt meter. Do you use an analog style or digital? My volt meter for the start batteries is digital the one that I have used for the genset is an analog style.
Dave
I just posted this on another thread:
I just bought a Victron Multiplus from Jamestown Distributors. http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=61576&familyName=Victron+MultiPlus+Inverter%2FCharger (http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=61576&familyName=Victron+MultiPlus+Inverter%2FCharger) It does it all. True sine inverter, multistage charger (you select wet cell, AGM or even Lithium ion). It senses shoreline amp draw and supplements additional in phase ac from the inverter if you are exceeding amp draw from shoreline. Automatically manages DC for charging. Has two charging circuits. One for house batteries and a second for the engine start batteries. No manual switches, disconnects, etc. Has a remote that is a monitor and a programing device. 2 kw 12v is $1626, and 3 kw 12v is $2295. Very small foot print and easy hookup. Also check out http://www.technomadia.com/ (http://www.technomadia.com/) . They've been using one for a year with a self built 1000 amp LI house battery pack. They also make 24v units.
Dave,
Mine is analog. Actually it doesn't even have numbers, just a stepped green dial marking. I hate those things.
Digital is the best and I'm going to replace my dash analog VM with a digital like the digital coolant temp gage I now have thanks to a posting here a couple of months back. I also plan to replace my oil press and trans temp gages with gages from the same company.
exploded batteries happens all the time on boats left at the dock on the charger 24/7. I would find 2 or 3 every spring at recomissioning. I agree with the acid free batteries and the proper charger. Our batteries are charged by our invertor and i can glance at the panel and tell if i have 110 input, what the battery voltage is and how many amps are being used. Thats a Heart Freedom unit we have.
First I would like to say thanks to everyone that has added a comment here in trying to help me with the house batteries. But I think I really have to explain my situation a little better.
I had two Group 31 house batteries.And also a Group 24 generator start battery. There was a smart charger plugged in to the house batteries 24/7. I only use the house batteries for very little 12 volt lighting, everything else is 120 volt either off the generator or plugged into a wall. The charger that was hooked to the house batteries would charge from an outlet in the battery bay when ever there was current flowing.
It's been recommended that I use an inverter (have no idea what they do.) (Probably have no need for one either.) We do not dry camp in the boon docks. We like our creature comforts and that means TV an air conditioning so we plug into electrical power always. (Did I mention that our stove is electric also?)
Should I maybe just add one more battery to my gen set start side and also use those two batteries for some house power? I could use that small charger and charge the two batteries if needed, but only by switch and my selected time.
Does that make sense? Am I heading in a correct direction?
Thanks again,
Dave Siegel
Dave, it seems to me to be a matter of choice. Our generator starts off the house batteries. We have had that set up on 3 different rigs. I have thought of separating them but, since it has worked, I have not been that motivated to do so. Our first motorhome had one house battery and a converter, no inverter. That battery worked for the small DC loads and could even run the furnace all night if needed. I do not think that it was really optimal though. We now have three large house batteries and an inverter, and they work fine even when dry camping (though it is really getting to be time to replace them), but we are not taxing them much. There has always been plenty of power left in the morning to start the generator.
It all comes down to your use and how much of a safety factor you want. Of course, make sure that you have good battery chargers that do not damage the batteries and test things periodically. We once ruined a bank of 4 AGM batteries with a charger that, although I thought functioned well, did not.
Lin,
Depends on your gen. I had an old Onan that had a built in alt in the flywheel to charge a sep batt.
When it was hooked to the bus batts it drove the VR crazy. Finally just attached a small separate batt to it with a switch to bus batts because it was the easy way out.
"Digital is the best and I'm going to replace my dash analog VM with a digital like the digital coolant temp gage I now have thanks to a posting here a couple of months back."
Gus, can you tell me where you got your gauges.
Thanks
Fred
Fred,
Got it on the bay. Below is the address. I noticed the price has gone up $2 since I got mine but it is still a good buy.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Digital-Water-Temperature-Meter-Blue-LED-Display-Smoke-Lens-104-280-F-/170942121106?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item27ccf1c492 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Digital-Water-Temperature-Meter-Blue-LED-Display-Smoke-Lens-104-280-F-/170942121106?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item27ccf1c492)
He has all kinds of gages, I'm thinking of getting one of his VMs also since my analog one is hard to read exactly.