Sulphurous Gas from Battery

Crazy Dazz · 18-02-2019, 10:43 PM

I have been trying to charge a flat Calcium battery. It's not all that old, a few years, and was a "premium" battery. However it has been sitting (disconnected) for around 18 months.

Put a "smart" charger on it, capable of 20A and 5 or 6 different stages.
Normally this charger will react to even a flat battery by throwing a fault and stopping, but there was no such problem.

However it started making a very strong sulphurous smell. Like a mixture of HS and SO2.
And when I say strong, I mean it flooded the garage and that end of the house.

I haven't tried starting the car, but according to the lights on the charger, the battery is ok.

Its sealed, and I haven't been able to get the top off to check fluids.

b0son · 18-02-2019, 10:50 PM

Its overcharged. Probably toast.

Itsme · 18-02-2019, 10:52 PM

Sounds like you cooked it or you have a bad cell, toss it and get a new one.

Cheers

Electrolyte Burns · 19-02-2019, 08:26 AM

Agreed. It's toast.

Junkyard-Dog · 19-02-2019, 04:30 PM

100% fubar

malazn mafia · 19-02-2019, 09:23 PM

Straight in the bin. Had this happen once, the battery terminals were smouldering and the battery had expanded in size and was releasing sulfurous gas. Threw the bin straight into a trash can, drove off without a battery and installed a new one, and was all good.

Electrolyte Burns · 20-02-2019, 01:39 PM

60c/kg scrap value. About to take in about a ton and a half.

Crazy Dazz · 21-02-2019, 01:04 PM

Obviously there's something wrong with it, my nose told me that much.
I'm more interested in WHAT went wrong and WHY

**FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0** · 21-02-2019, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

Obviously there's something wrong with it, my nose told me that much.
I'm more interested in WHAT went wrong and WHY

Perhaps that would have been worthwhile putting in your original post then.
As it stands, your original post is just a statement, and people are taking a guess at what information you want.

malazn mafia · 21-02-2019, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

Obviously there's something wrong with it, my nose told me that much.
I'm more interested in WHAT went wrong and WHY

I gather that one of the cells within the battery has perished, hence diminishing the capacity of the battery itself. Hence overcharging has occurred as the charger keeps trying to force it to hold more electricity than it can physically hold, given the dead cell.

OLDBLOKE · 21-02-2019, 07:23 PM

you can't just leave a battery for 18 months and expect it to just charge up to normal. that's why they make maintenance chargers.

Fordblue1000 · 21-02-2019, 11:09 PM

Might also pay to check your charger output voltage/ current in case that is the cause as well, before you fritz a second battery.

Sent from my SM-G928I using Tapatalk

Junkyard-Dog · 22-02-2019, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OLDBLOKE

you can't just leave a battery for 18 months and expect it to just charge up to normal. that's why they make maintenance chargers.

I've seen my dad leave batteries for years, then charge them up to capacity.

Not something I would do but he reckons its fine.

Vesper Martini · 22-02-2019, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fordblue1000

Might also pay to check your charger output voltage/ current in case that is the cause as well, before you fritz a second battery.

Sent from my SM-G928I using Tapatalk

It would need a slow charge to be safer (for the battery that is)

Peter B - CV8 · 22-02-2019, 07:20 PM

Was the battery in the car - or sitting on the garage floor ??? Just curious....

Itsme · 22-02-2019, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter B - CV8

Was the battery in the car - or sitting on the garage floor ??? Just curious....

If you thinking of battery sitting on floor is harmful well that does not apply to batteries that have manufactured for the last 30 years or more.

Cheers.

Crazy Dazz · 21-06-2019, 02:02 AM

Yeah, I went through and charged/tested a couple of "spare batteries" I had, and pretty much all toast. So I stacked em next to the bin, and somebody collected them.

Not 100% sure what happened with this one. It still ran at 12~13V, but couldn't even get close to turning over, so it got tossed also.

I suspect "sealed" batteries can't handle this kind of abuse and dry out.

**X-AHH** · 21-06-2019, 01:59 PM

its sulphates that build up on the plates over time that kill the battery, hence the sulphurous gas smell given off when attempting to charge them.

Perhaps the OP should invest in a Battery Desulfator charger.

Now there's a good range on the market, perhaps people can rate them and share their success or failure stories for the benefit of all members?

This thread may be a better one to add your comments please.

https://www.fordforums.com.au/showth...ery+Desulfator

Franco Cozzo · 21-06-2019, 09:27 PM

That's also how batteries explode - it's venting hydrogen as it boils and is a serious safety issue.

'smart chargers' my *** - I had this fancy workshop charger in my workshop with a zillion stages and electronics that were going to save us from the second coming of Christ and it boiled more batteries then I can count on all my hands and feet.

https://www.centurybatteries.com.au/...plosionsv3.pdf

This also applies to people with garage queens that spend weeks on end on float charge with lead acid batteries.