The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Equipment => Topic started by: Penninehillbilly on May 16, 2017, 02:12:56 pm
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Didn't know how else to describe it.
Charged a car battery over the weekend for use on electric fence. 2 lights on charger, charging/ready.
Went to it Monday morning both lights off. Unusual. Charger warm, unplugged it and left.
Tried battery this morning, fence energiser showed low battery.
Took battery back to shed, checked water levels. Needed topping up, just showing metal bits (can't remember name for them). On 4th cell, as I took screw top out, there were wisps of smoke/steam?
Put top back, not screwed down, and left it.
Can't get hold of husband to ask him, so any advice please? Never seen it do that before, so is it normal?
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Sounds like your battery is dead , car batteries cant stand charging then going flat multiple times you need to buy leisure batteries or a small solar panel to constantly charge the battery
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Sounds worse than just a degraded battery, it seems like the cells have started to collapse into each other or there is a short circuit inside the battery.
I would put it outside carefully and use another battery.
As shep says they don't like going dead flat so if you are using car batteries better to keep them topped up regularly.
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Ooops, Husband said it would be OK, I've left it on charge again, light on charger came on OK.
I'll go and check it now.
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Just use a charger with auto cut outs - if you use a beast of a charger (which is what I do for the knackered batteries that cant hold any real charge) they may catch fire or just meld into the garage floor spilling acid everywhere
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Light on charger had gone off, as opposed to 'ready', put it on energizer and light that should flash with pulse just remained on, bright.
Charger was just a standard cheap? Halfords, came from my dad's so don't know cost, but usually works OK.
Any thoughts please?
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Without testing the battery and knowing/checking the charger it is difficult to say, the lights on charger probably mean something if you can find a manual or info somewhere.
As for the battery do the cells look ok, plates not collapsed or badly bent, have all the cells got distilled water about 1/4" over the top of the plates, any cells especially low on water?
Have you got a multi meter to see what voltage is in it now?
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Could you take the battery to your local garage , im sure they would put meter on it and tell you in a minute that it is dead or not
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OH was going to look at it tonight, but not home yet. He has a multimeter.
Hopefully I've attached picture of charger. Only a basic one.
Water was low in the cells, not used it since last year, it was when I was checking saw the wisps of smoke coming out of one cell. Unfortunately I should have checked BEFORE I charged it on Sunday. Just presumed it would still be OK.