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#1
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Charging Battery
hello everyone, I just bought a used generator (excellent shape) with elec. start. What I'd like to know is ...is it necessary to disconnect either of the cables to the battery to charge it with a trickle charger? Thank you for advice and information. J0hn |
#2
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Charging Battery
On 1/5/2011 11:04 PM, SirJohn wrote:
hello everyone, I just bought a used generator (excellent shape) with elec. start. What I'd like to know is ...is it necessary to disconnect either of the cables to the battery to charge it with a trickle charger? Thank you for advice and information. J0hn Is it a portable like a contractors genset or is it a fixed standby generator? TDD |
#3
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Charging Battery
I don't disconnect the battery cables on mine (Generac GP7500) when the
trickle charger is on it. However, I do disconnect the charger when I do the weekly test run. "SirJohn" wrote in message ... hello everyone, I just bought a used generator (excellent shape) with elec. start. What I'd like to know is ...is it necessary to disconnect either of the cables to the battery to charge it with a trickle charger? Thank you for advice and information. J0hn |
#4
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Charging Battery
On 1/5/2011 11:04 PM, SirJohn wrote:
hello everyone, I just bought a used generator (excellent shape) with elec. start. What I'd like to know is ...is it necessary to disconnect either of the cables to the battery to charge it with a trickle charger? Thank you for advice and information. J0hn no -- Steve Barker remove the "not" from my address to email |
#5
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Charging Battery
On Wed, 5 Jan 2011 21:04:26 -0800 (PST), SirJohn
wrote: hello everyone, I just bought a used generator (excellent shape) with elec. start. What I'd like to know is ...is it necessary to disconnect either of the cables to the battery to charge it with a trickle charger? No. You didn't ask, but I see warnings about the hydrogen gas that's created when a battery is charged. Especially if it run down and needs a lot of charging and especially if it is in a closed in space. And the warnings are about sparks from the charger when the charger is connected or disconnected. It helps to turn off the charger when doing this. Despite my posting, AFAIK it's incredibly rarre for a fire to start, or an explosion, from this hydrogen gas, but people here or googling can tell us more. I certainly don't worry about it. Thank you for advice and information. J0hn |
#6
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Charging Battery
On Jan 7, 7:39*am, mm wrote:
On Wed, 5 Jan 2011 21:04:26 -0800 (PST), SirJohn wrote: hello everyone, I just bought a used generator (excellent shape) with elec. start. What I'd like to know is ...is it necessary to disconnect either of the cables to the battery to charge it with a trickle charger? No. You didn't ask, but I see warnings about the hydrogen gas that's created when a battery is charged. *Especially if it run down and needs a lot of charging and especially if it is in a closed in space. And the warnings are about sparks from the charger when the charger is connected or disconnected. *It helps to turn off the charger when doing this. Despite my posting, AFAIK it's incredibly rarre for a fire to start, or an explosion, from this hydrogen gas, but people here or googling can tell us more. I certainly don't worry about it. * Thank you for advice and information. J0hn- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - I've seen batteries explode. It's pretty spectacular. Pieces of case 20 ft away. Never seen any injuries other than a little acid burns and ruined clothes. Typically from people disconnecting the charger while it was still on. I avert my face when disconnecting or connecting the last lead. It's more likely to happen inside a garage or other enclosed space than outside. Hydrogen is pretty light and given a chance it goes away quickly. |
#7
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Charging Battery
On Jan 7, 8:02*am, jamesgangnc wrote:
On Jan 7, 7:39*am, mm wrote: On Wed, 5 Jan 2011 21:04:26 -0800 (PST), SirJohn wrote: hello everyone, I just bought a used generator (excellent shape) with elec. start. What I'd like to know is ...is it necessary to disconnect either of the cables to the battery to charge it with a trickle charger? No. You didn't ask, but I see warnings about the hydrogen gas that's created when a battery is charged. *Especially if it run down and needs a lot of charging and especially if it is in a closed in space. And the warnings are about sparks from the charger when the charger is connected or disconnected. *It helps to turn off the charger when doing this. Despite my posting, AFAIK it's incredibly rarre for a fire to start, or an explosion, from this hydrogen gas, but people here or googling can tell us more. I certainly don't worry about it. * Thank you for advice and information. J0hn- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - I've seen batteries explode. *It's pretty spectacular. *Pieces of case 20 ft away. *Never seen any injuries other than a little acid burns and ruined clothes. *Typically from people disconnecting the charger while it was still on. *I avert my face when disconnecting or connecting the last lead. *It's more likely to happen inside a garage or other enclosed space than outside. *Hydrogen is pretty light and given a chance it goes away quickly.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - So, inside a garage, the hygrogen filled up the whole place? Must have been one hell of an explosion. For the OP, I've yet to see a starting battery that couldn't be charged with a slow charger while still connected to the engine without doing damage. People routinely leave battery tenders hooked up to all kinds of engines in everything from cars to generators without disconnecting the batteries. That's what I would use to keep it charged. |
#8
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Charging Battery
On 1/7/2011 7:02 AM, jamesgangnc wrote:
On Jan 7, 7:39 am, wrote: On Wed, 5 Jan 2011 21:04:26 -0800 (PST), SirJohn wrote: hello everyone, I just bought a used generator (excellent shape) with elec. start. What I'd like to know is ...is it necessary to disconnect either of the cables to the battery to charge it with a trickle charger? No. You didn't ask, but I see warnings about the hydrogen gas that's created when a battery is charged. Especially if it run down and needs a lot of charging and especially if it is in a closed in space. And the warnings are about sparks from the charger when the charger is connected or disconnected. It helps to turn off the charger when doing this. Despite my posting, AFAIK it's incredibly rarre for a fire to start, or an explosion, from this hydrogen gas, but people here or googling can tell us more. I certainly don't worry about it. Thank you for advice and information. J0hn- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - I've seen batteries explode. It's pretty spectacular. Pieces of case 20 ft away. Never seen any injuries other than a little acid burns and ruined clothes. Typically from people disconnecting the charger while it was still on. I avert my face when disconnecting or connecting the last lead. It's more likely to happen inside a garage or other enclosed space than outside. Hydrogen is pretty light and given a chance it goes away quickly. I've never seen a battery explode that had the caps on. For some reason, possibly due to an old mechanics tale, many folks will remove the caps when a battery is charging. The idiot who uses a cigarette lighter to see down into the battery to check the electrolyte level is the usually the victim/cause of a battery explosion. :-) TDD |
#9
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Charging Battery
In article ,
The Daring Dufas wrote: The idiot who uses a cigarette lighter to see down into the battery to check the electrolyte level is the usually the victim/cause of a battery explosion. :-) I tried to do that, but by the time I ran around to the front of the car with the lighter, it had stopped glowing. |
#10
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Charging Battery
On 1/7/2011 8:40 AM, Smitty Two wrote:
In , The Daring wrote: The idiot who uses a cigarette lighter to see down into the battery to check the electrolyte level is the usually the victim/cause of a battery explosion. :-) I tried to do that, but by the time I ran around to the front of the car with the lighter, it had stopped glowing. You have infrared vision? :-) TDD |
#11
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Charging Battery
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#12
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Charging Battery
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#13
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Charging Battery
The one exploding battery I was near. The old farmer was
using 12 volt boost setting on a BIG charger, to try and charge a battery on a Gehl Skid Steer. I was on the other side of the machine, out of sight of the battery. I could smell the sulfuric acid, he was over charginig the battery very badly. He moved one of the clamps while the charger was still delivering too much amperage for the situation. It sounded like firing a short barrel revolver, just one shot. I wasn't sure what went wrong. Finally occured to me that he'd exploded the battery. He said "get some water for my eyes!" I grabbed hold of him, and guided him into the house so he could rinse his eyes at the sink. I had a thought that I should wash my coat in hot water and baking soda. I didn't. But should have. The next day, the front of my cloth coat disintigrated. I still have the coat. I ought to throw it away, but it's a heck of a memory. I'm reasonably sure the caps were on the cells. I've renamed that charger setting to "12 volt blast". Instead of boost. I try not to ever adjust a clamp while the charger is plugged in. Safer, that way. -- Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus www.lds.org .. "The Daring Dufas" wrote in message ... I've seen batteries explode. It's pretty spectacular. Pieces of case 20 ft away. Never seen any injuries other than a little acid burns and ruined clothes. Typically from people disconnecting the charger while it was still on. I avert my face when disconnecting or connecting the last lead. It's more likely to happen inside a garage or other enclosed space than outside. Hydrogen is pretty light and given a chance it goes away quickly. I've never seen a battery explode that had the caps on. For some reason, possibly due to an old mechanics tale, many folks will remove the caps when a battery is charging. The idiot who uses a cigarette lighter to see down into the battery to check the electrolyte level is the usually the victim/cause of a battery explosion. :-) TDD |
#14
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Charging Battery
I can easily imagine exploding a golf cart battery. They
need a LOT of amperage to charge in a reasonable time. It would be ideal for them to charge at about 5 amps for three or four days. But no golf course is going to want a cart to be idle for three days. So, they get higher amperage rate chargers, and hydrogen vapor. -- Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus www.lds.org .. wrote in message ... My wife maintains about 80 golf carts at the country club she manages. They have had a few battery explosions. The caps were always on and it was always caused by something sparking while they were on the charger. |
#15
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Charging Battery
Hmm. Considering that most golf is performed
in temperate and pleasant weather, it would make sense to put a couple of fans in the cart barn. Ridge vent, to draw the vapors out, also. Maybe a small fan blowing on each cart. One time I got a call to repair an ice merchandiser in a barn at a golf course. It was a warm day, and they were using a lot of ice in the kitchen, and for the golfers. It was HOT in that barn, they really needed some kind of attic vent. Helped explain why the ice was melting. -- Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus www.lds.org .. "mm" wrote in message ... So, inside a garage, the hygrogen filled up the whole place? Must have been one hell of an explosion. It must be that there's no breeze inside, so there isn't that much hydrogen but it hasnt' spread out yet. We should dye all the hydrogen blue. Then it would be easier to figure out where it is. |
#16
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Charging Battery
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#18
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Charging Battery
On 1/8/2011 2:49 PM, wrote:
On Sat, 08 Jan 2011 13:45:39 -0500, Tony Miklos wrote: On 1/8/2011 11:20 AM, wrote: On Sat, 8 Jan 2011 08:58:30 -0500, "Stormin Mormon" wrote: I can easily imagine exploding a golf cart battery. They need a LOT of amperage to charge in a reasonable time. It would be ideal for them to charge at about 5 amps for three or four days. But no golf course is going to want a cart to be idle for three days. So, they get higher amperage rate chargers, and hydrogen vapor. Typical golf cart chargers put about 18-20a into the battery. That is pretty modest compared to a car and about what you get from a big outboard. Are you talking about an electric golf cart with a bank of about 6 batteries or a gas or propane one with one battery to start the engine? If it's an electric cart, are you saying 18 to 20 amps into each battery or to the whole bank of batteries? I am talking about an electric. The charger feeds the bank but they are in series so Mr Kickoffs says they all see the 18-20a. These can be 36v or 48v OK, that makes sense. And yes if the charger shows 18 amps, that's 18 amps at each battery. I was thinking they were parallel, that would need a lot more current. I never worked on a golf cart, mostly just curious. Now I know a little bit about them. |
#19
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Charging Battery
On Sat, 08 Jan 2011 16:24:54 -0500, Tony Miklos
wrote: On 1/8/2011 2:49 PM, wrote: On Sat, 08 Jan 2011 13:45:39 -0500, Tony Miklos wrote: On 1/8/2011 11:20 AM, wrote: On Sat, 8 Jan 2011 08:58:30 -0500, "Stormin Mormon" wrote: I can easily imagine exploding a golf cart battery. They need a LOT of amperage to charge in a reasonable time. It would be ideal for them to charge at about 5 amps for three or four days. But no golf course is going to want a cart to be idle for three days. So, they get higher amperage rate chargers, and hydrogen vapor. Typical golf cart chargers put about 18-20a into the battery. That is pretty modest compared to a car and about what you get from a big outboard. Are you talking about an electric golf cart with a bank of about 6 batteries or a gas or propane one with one battery to start the engine? If it's an electric cart, are you saying 18 to 20 amps into each battery or to the whole bank of batteries? I am talking about an electric. The charger feeds the bank but they are in series so Mr Kickoffs says they all see the 18-20a. These can be 36v or 48v OK, that makes sense. And yes if the charger shows 18 amps, that's 18 amps at each battery. I was thinking they were parallel, that would need a lot more current. I never worked on a golf cart, mostly just curious. Now I know a little bit about them. My friend manages a ministorage. Her golf cart is gasoline, but the other location, a couple hundred yards down the road, has an electric one. I finally got to see how they vary. They're just like you guys say. |
#20
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Charging Battery
On 1/8/2011 9:10 PM, mm wrote:
On Sat, 08 Jan 2011 16:24:54 -0500, Tony Miklos wrote: On 1/8/2011 2:49 PM, wrote: On Sat, 08 Jan 2011 13:45:39 -0500, Tony Miklos wrote: On 1/8/2011 11:20 AM, wrote: On Sat, 8 Jan 2011 08:58:30 -0500, "Stormin Mormon" wrote: I can easily imagine exploding a golf cart battery. They need a LOT of amperage to charge in a reasonable time. It would be ideal for them to charge at about 5 amps for three or four days. But no golf course is going to want a cart to be idle for three days. So, they get higher amperage rate chargers, and hydrogen vapor. Typical golf cart chargers put about 18-20a into the battery. That is pretty modest compared to a car and about what you get from a big outboard. Are you talking about an electric golf cart with a bank of about 6 batteries or a gas or propane one with one battery to start the engine? If it's an electric cart, are you saying 18 to 20 amps into each battery or to the whole bank of batteries? I am talking about an electric. The charger feeds the bank but they are in series so Mr Kickoffs says they all see the 18-20a. These can be 36v or 48v OK, that makes sense. And yes if the charger shows 18 amps, that's 18 amps at each battery. I was thinking they were parallel, that would need a lot more current. I never worked on a golf cart, mostly just curious. Now I know a little bit about them. My friend manages a ministorage. Her golf cart is gasoline, but the other location, a couple hundred yards down the road, has an electric one. I finally got to see how they vary. They're just like you guys say. Years ago a friend of mine had a gasoline golf cart just for riding around their property. They told me to take it for a ride so I got in and looked. And I looked and looked and asked them how to start it. They all (their was a party going on) told me to step on the gas. I said "I see the gas pedal but where do I start it?" Back and forth a couple times until I finally stepped on the gas, the motor started and I was cruising. I also found out that many of them run the engine the opposite way for reverse. Weird little machines. |
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