EasternPromise
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Battery Fire and Meltdown
- Thread starter EasternPromise
- Start date
DerpsyDoodler
Solar Addict
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Oh my! Many sympathies. I empathize with what you’re going through. Any idea or speculation on what may have caused it? How long were those batteries in operation? Where did you source them from?
Those look like lead acid cells, hydrogen off gassing?
If it is hydrogen, the cells may still be ok. Disconnect all the cables, and spray it down with soap suds, and wash it off... check if the cells still have voltage.
DerpsyDoodler
Solar Addict
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Just sat and stared at the picture. Sooooo glad it wasn’t worse. Your house is still standing!
EasternPromise
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Surrette deep flooded. I took two bad cells out and adjusted the setting down to compensate. This was three weeks ago. Everything was hunky dory until this morning when I heard some loud pops, then smelled smoke, then went outside and saw fire.
Front two cells are melted down completely. Any cleanup recommendations would be appreciated.
Front two cells are melted down completely. Any cleanup recommendations would be appreciated.
Battery acid. Yuck.
For small stuff we use baking soda to neutralize... for an entire battery spill? I would contact hazmat to get cleanup...
For small stuff we use baking soda to neutralize... for an entire battery spill? I would contact hazmat to get cleanup...
There are several solutions on google search, but none deal with a home. Soil, etc.
EasternPromise
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This should serve as a reminder to EVERYONE, to be extra diligent with wiring, regular battery maintenance, etc. None of us want to see this happen to anyone or see anyone injured, hurt or have to go through a meltdown scenario such as this regardless of the cause.
We all feel for you. TG no one was hurt. Please do keep us informed of any investigation details.
We all feel for you. TG no one was hurt. Please do keep us informed of any investigation details.
Steve_S
Offgrid Cabineer, N.E. Ontario, Canada
One very quick way for such to happen is a Low Electrolyte Level with the plates exposed, that IS a guaranteed fire.
Hydrogen in theory could do it too but it rarely builds up to such a level during Charge and I see on the right side of your box a vent pipe, so really Hydrogen should not have been the cause. It would also take an ignition so loose/corroded connections could do that but there would have been other issues beforehand.
WEAR Nytrile gloves and wash everything off with pure water & baking soda to neutralize the Sulphuric Acic.
When you separate the batteries, clean each one up well, look for any bulges, marks, cracks in the casing. Anything unusual.
Then check your electrolyte in each cell to determine the charge state of each cell within the battery.
Verify that posts are clean & intact, any melting "don't use". If a minor scrub with a BRASS brush cleans them up really well your good.
A Battery Operated Dual Mode Smoke detector inside the box can be a wonderous thing to save your backside. Make sure it's not far from your active venting.
When you rebuild / restore your battery box, seriously consider lining it with Magnesium Oxide Board. It is Fire/Water proof, higher rated than "fireboard" and 1/2 the cost. It's a PITA to cut (use a toss away blade in circ saw) and you can screw it on with regular #8 wood screws. Mag-O Board is available at most large building supply houses.
REF:
www.magnumbp.com
Hydrogen in theory could do it too but it rarely builds up to such a level during Charge and I see on the right side of your box a vent pipe, so really Hydrogen should not have been the cause. It would also take an ignition so loose/corroded connections could do that but there would have been other issues beforehand.
WEAR Nytrile gloves and wash everything off with pure water & baking soda to neutralize the Sulphuric Acic.
When you separate the batteries, clean each one up well, look for any bulges, marks, cracks in the casing. Anything unusual.
Then check your electrolyte in each cell to determine the charge state of each cell within the battery.
Verify that posts are clean & intact, any melting "don't use". If a minor scrub with a BRASS brush cleans them up really well your good.
A Battery Operated Dual Mode Smoke detector inside the box can be a wonderous thing to save your backside. Make sure it's not far from your active venting.
When you rebuild / restore your battery box, seriously consider lining it with Magnesium Oxide Board. It is Fire/Water proof, higher rated than "fireboard" and 1/2 the cost. It's a PITA to cut (use a toss away blade in circ saw) and you can screw it on with regular #8 wood screws. Mag-O Board is available at most large building supply houses.
REF:
Green
Magnum Board® One product, practically every application. Magnum Fiberglass Reinforced MgO Building Materials are a technologically advanced building material that offers superior performance in every…
www.magnumbp.com
EasternPromise
New Member
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Just closing the loop on this mess.
I've done some investigation with the battery manufacturer, and the cause of the fire seems to have been a loose connection which grew extremely hot. Whether hydrogen gas played a role here or not I'm not sure, but inappropriately torqued connections were definitely the culprit. Note to anyone doing connections by themselves, make sure you torque to the appropriate spec - in my case 25psi.
The folks at Surrette were pretty good at working with me to remedy my issue since I live off grid full time and I'm back on with a set of 24 S2 1275 AGMs. Trading off some longevity for zero maintenance as the lead acid 1450s are impossible to get a hold of these days.
Additional takeaways include a better vent system and battery operated fire alarm.
I have some additional troubleshooting given my dead temp sensors but will post in another thread.
I've done some investigation with the battery manufacturer, and the cause of the fire seems to have been a loose connection which grew extremely hot. Whether hydrogen gas played a role here or not I'm not sure, but inappropriately torqued connections were definitely the culprit. Note to anyone doing connections by themselves, make sure you torque to the appropriate spec - in my case 25psi.
The folks at Surrette were pretty good at working with me to remedy my issue since I live off grid full time and I'm back on with a set of 24 S2 1275 AGMs. Trading off some longevity for zero maintenance as the lead acid 1450s are impossible to get a hold of these days.
Additional takeaways include a better vent system and battery operated fire alarm.
I have some additional troubleshooting given my dead temp sensors but will post in another thread.
