Battery explosion

This was a lot of years ago but I was just thinking of it for some reason.

Growing up I was in charge of snow plowing. I spent a couple of hours plowing one day and then shut down the tractor. I walked about 50 feet away and heard something explode. The side of the 6 volt battery had blown clean off. I was a good battery, at least it hadn't been dead and started the tractor that day. It always puzzled me - what causes that?

Other one is a no brainer. Cousins had a 49 Chevy grain truck. It died on the scales at the elevator one day. No start. They unhooked the battery and pulled it, got it going and drove it home.

They were working on it and figured that the posts on the battery had shorted out as they had power when they wiggled the posts. So cousin grabbed a screwdriver and pried on them while my uncle tried to start it (battery under the floor on passenger side). As soon as my uncle stepped on the starter the battery blew sending the three caps shooting upward into my cousins chest. Acid as well.

Turns out the main cable had worn through and welded itself to the frame. Cousin had three matching purple bruises on his chest for a good while. Also had to burn the clothes!

I had battery of a pickup explode years ago also.... I had recently jumped battery to start it. When I later started it, battery exploded. Put battery acid all over engine. Every time since, I have removed cell vents (unless sealed battery) when charging and also place ground wire to bad vehicle on frame away from battery.
When battery explodes, it is like pulling both barrels of double barrel shotgun at same time while holding it by your ears. Not pretty.

battery exploded on a friend but he was using a charger 12 volt setting on a 6 volt battery.
then i had a supervisor tried charging a battery by using a start position i told him not to latter he walked by me with a grin on his face i just said had to try it didnt you sure surprise me it blew up

When DC electrical current is passed thru water it seperates the Hydrogen from the Oxygen. When the level of distilled water in the battery drops below the top of the lead plates that cunduct the current, sparks sometimes pass between the plates lighting the hydrogen in the space between the water and the top of the battery. You can imagine how the rest goes.

Removing caps to charge or to jump is dangerous. Hopefully someone smarter than I an will also tell you.

I have a neighbor who had his shed burn down this last summer from a battery that exploded. I would call him a BTO.
He had two almost-new combines in it, a new 4WD tractor, a twelve-row planter along with a 1,000 fuel tank and several other implements.
You do the math on how much money he lost.

I have seen a couple of them blow, one was in a 49 Chev pickup, under the floorboards on the passenger side. It blew the floor mat and metal cover up into the seat. It is caused by the accumulation of hydrogen and oxygen in the top of the battery, and then being ignited by an internal spark or external, such as hooking or unhooking jumper cables of a charger. Keeping the battery full of water should lessen the chance of a big explosion.

If the internal connection of the battery post to the plates or the connection between plates breaks, a spark can occur at that gap and ignite the hydrogen. Mishandling a battery while installing it can damage those connections and vibrations in use can finish the break. Sometimes the connections are poor when manufactured.

I had one blow up 4 or 5 years ago. It was a 6 volt and I set it on the pole barn floor and put the charger on trickle charge and figured it would be all set by morning. During the night I heard an explosion and when I went out the next morning I had to was everything in the barn. An equitment dealer downstate had a guy hook one up to a charger and it blew up in his face. He had glasses on but still lost one eye plus acid burns

Battery was dead on my snow blower. Used the recoil to start it. While it was smoothing out and I was leaning over it taking the choke off the battery blew. Took me a second to figure out what had happened. Battery shards and acid everywhere. There was a plastic shield on top of the battery that saved me.

I figured the battery was low on electrolyte and the plates arced from the engine generator. Well thats my story and I am sticking with it. I keep a box of soda bicarb in the garage now.

When I was about 15 I was helping my uncle weld a fuel line held by a vise on his work bench. Underneath the bench was a battery being charged. Yes, it made a he!! of a mess. Got his ears, but the helmet protected his face. He said he had never had that happen before, but afterward he did move his charger.

20 yrs ago I blew both batterys on the 24 volt 4020 deer ,, it reguired jump to start that am , once it warmed up , I could shut it down and start as needed thru the day ,,. went to put it away,,and hit the starter button , and ,BLAMO both blew up under my feet ,..changed out batterrys ,and then it caufht fire all by itself ,, rewired and went to 12 volt starter,, and its been good ever since

When I was a young man, I worked a second job in a gas station. Boss was installing a new battery in a customer's car, and I asked him a question. He turned his head toward me to answer, and shorted the posts with his wrench. It blew up and hit him in the side of the face, but he escaped any eye damage or other permanent injuries. That's the only battery I've ever seen blow up.

We were trying to start an AC dozer when I was young. It wouldn't make a sound, and the boss thought the battery was stone dead. He ran in the shop and came out with a length of brazing rod, bent it in a horseshoe shape, and jammed the ends of that thing down on each battery post. It kinda welded itself to the posts, and he tried for a second or so to get it loose, but it turned cherry red and burned in two right in the middle of the arch. Burned his hands, but no explosion. If that big old battery had blown up, they'da seen the flash in the next county. There wasn't anything wrong with that battery, but I can't remember now why it wouldn't roll the engine over.

I read all these stories about batteries blowing up and it reminded me of my son and his fellow officer in a small town. They had a patrol car that continually needed boosting off and the little town wouldn't or couldn't fix it. I gave him my booster pack to use until they did something. A few days later he called me and wanted to know how much it cost, because the city was having to replace it. (?) After pressing him about I found out they had started the car with it and left it hooked up to "charge it back up". I later saw what was left of the booster, in very small pieces. I didn't know they would do that. I didn't furnish them another one either.

Had one blow up on me. I was driving a '68 AMC Javelin with a straight six. Every now and then the choke would stick so I'd take the air cleaner off pop the choke open some and it would light. Got out of school one evening and stopped at Meijer's Thrifty Acres on the way out to the farm. Javelin didn't start, I cranked it for a while, then surrendered and got out, opened the hood, took off the air cleaner and popped the choke, hopped back in and hit the key and off she went, jumped back out and hastily put the air cleaner back on and drove off. I was sitting at the corner of Marsh road and Grand River (major artery on the east side of Lansing/East Lansing) I heard a large bang, got scared and dropped the clutch pulling out on to Grand River Road against the light. Calmed down, backed up and waited for the light, drove about a 1/2 mile or so before I could find a place to pull over. Opened the hood and 1/2 the battery was gone, the top and engine side of the case were GONE. I had stopped at a gas station, the attendant came out to see what I was looking at and said "Sorry we don't sell batteries" I asked if he thought it would make Laingsburg- he didn't think it would. He was wrong not only did I make Laingsburg but the next morning it was about 20 degrees outside and the battery started the car so I could pull it down to the barn and change the battery. Nearest I can figure is I didn't tighten down the air cleaner all the way and the air cleaner snorkel rotated over and shorted out against the battery post, a spark followed by a boom.

I feel deprived!
I have never had a battery blow up on me.
]

All proof to change out a battery asap that is suspicious.

Here's my battery explosion tale. I charged a ford maverick battery I removed the charger and went to start the car and the battery blew apart. Ford's better idea was to put the starter solenoid right above the battery. I always turn my head disconnecting a charger. Stan

when I worked in the strip mines we would use the mechanics welder to jump the dozer batteries, without thinking I disconnected the leads before he shut the welder off, took the whole top off the battery and sounded like an M-80 went off in the cab....

I always thought that removing caps would allow nitrogen gas to dissipate into atmosphere rather than building up and exploding with a stray spark.
I only do that when charging, not jumping. If I am wrong, please enlighten me!!