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8D Battery Explodes

Discussion in 'Technical Discussion' started by Trak, Oct 1, 2018.

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  1. Trak

    Trak Member

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    Went to do a routine start on the port engine today and one of the two Power King 8D batteries exploded. Battery was visually inspected 2 weeks ago. Looked perfect and was not getting hot while charging. The batteries are AGM so it did not spray acid everywhere. Blew the top right off the battery. Will have to replace battery box also.

    What do you guys know about Power King. I have never heard of them. What should I replace with? What do you know about Northstar thin plate pure lead AGM?

    Dont know when the batteries were installed. I bought boat in December.
  2. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    East Penn makes a great 8D AGM battery. You may see several different decals on the same Battery. Consider this the Cadillac of these brutes. One year replacement, pro rated 3 more after.
    The Rolls Royce of 8D AGMs would be LifeLine. One year replacement, pro rated 3 more after.
    NorthStar makes great batteries. Their 8D is 3 x G27 in a 8D case. It works well till one of the to many cells fail. 2 Year replacement, pro rated 2 more years after.

    We install them all. So far, the East Penn batteries have proved the best value.
    It will take some shopping to find them directly, IM me if you can not find a shop in your area.
  3. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    I ve had many AGMs deform and stink up the boat over the years but never explode. Yikes. I ve seen power king batteries, I think it s just a brand probably manufactured by the same factory as the other ones.
  4. Trak

    Trak Member

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    So... My charger is a Sentry FR2460/3XJ that charges both port and stbd. banks. It is designed for flooded or gel batteries. AGM batteries were installed by PO. From what I can see, the difference is 0.5V in charge and float voltage. Does this matter?
  5. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    The final float from flooded batteries and AGMs are the same. Micro differences in the charge profile.
    I suspect a bad cell in one of the batteries caused a charging/discharging problem. Imagine this; One bad cell shorted, all the rest has to absorb the charger in put, beyond their charge limit.
    Try to draw current thru a gas filled and stressed cell full of hydrogen??? Boom..

    Ship happens.
    On a boat, the hard environment for ANY device,, sometimes does die or go boom. Replace all battery banks as a set, purchase the better brands (ouch $$) and enjoy Aqua Space.

    Scotty never got the Dilithum crystals to preform 100% did he?
  6. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    The charging profiles for flooded and AGM are the same.

    I've had a few batteries grenade over the years when trying to start an engine, a few were AGM's . It sounded like a bomb going off. The ONLY cause of this and in every situation is that the battery charger leaked AC voltage into the batteries. Check the batteries with a multimeter with a setting for AC voltage with the charger on. If you're getting an AC voltage reading, the charger has a bad diode and leaking AC voltage into the batteries which causes them to explode when you hit them with a big draw. One of the boats I measured 67 volts AC on the batteries.

    Deka's are a good compromise for the money. AGM Lifelines are great, NorthStar are very good also, Interstate are better than DEKA in my experiences and about the same money as Deka.
  7. ranger58sb

    ranger58sb Senior member

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    FWIW, the charge profiles for Odyssey (13.5-13.8V) and Lifeline AGMs (13.3V are different enough that it suggests checking a battery manufacturer's specific recommendations.

    -Chris
  8. Trak

    Trak Member

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    So, I was wrong. The Power King battery that blew up was a flooded maint free battery. All black with a flat top. Not sure on the year because I have only owned boat since Dec.

    Since the charger is a gel/flooded charging profile, maybe I should replace with gel or flooded. Obviously flooded or flooded maint free would be the lowest price. 1/3 cost of gel.

    A little leery of maint free now. Can’t check the inside. Are you guys replacing batteries on a schedule, or waiting till you have a reason to replace?
  9. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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    I had a 8D blow apart last winter while stored in the water. Only thing I can figure is that it went try from the charger, even though it wasn't getting any real use? Don't recall the manufacturer.
    I usually wind up replacing one 8D a year....
  10. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    I usually replace them all at once. Usually when the first bank shows any signs of weekness. You can cut the label on the "maintenance free" flooded batteries and add water to them. Deka's anyways.
  11. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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  12. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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    So I test the remaining batteries and they are strong. Why change them all?
  13. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Because they all tend to last about the same length of time on the same boat. Other boats,when I've had owners just change the bank that fails, it ends up being a battery changing circus. You change this bank now, then 2-3 months later the other bank goes, then another month later the generator batteries, then another month or two later the house bank. etc. etc. and the cycle just keeps repeating itself. Nobody seems to know how old each bank is. And, a bank almost always seems to go bad on a trip when it's seeing the most demand. Then you end up frying the battery charger because one of the older banks is always taking more juice. In order to test the batteries you have to break the battery bank apart and test each battery individually. You tend to have constant disruption and battery issues and batteries going in and out of the engine room. If you get a hole in one shoe, do you just replace one shoe or buy a set of shoes.
  14. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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    I have been successful in changing only the bad battery. I have a date of installation on each and they seem to fail chronologically. I can almost pick the next one to go, and it's 4 years old. Do you know a place were I can buy one shoe at a time? Buying a pair is a marketing gimmick....
  15. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    In a bank when all batteries are the same age, they charge and discharge as a single bank. They age and all usually carry the same aging process.
    Replace one of the bank and now the new battery and the surrounding batteries are charging and discharging at different rates.

    Against my own rules, a couple of months ago I replaced one of four 8v batteries in one bank that I felt failed early.
    The new battery has been reading low hydro reads. The older bats are consuming more current in the bulk/absorption phase and taking longer till float mode.
    Long after float does the new battery hydro reads come up. Carbon pile load testing shows the new battery stronger only after a full charge cycle.

    The new battery will have to be replaced with the rest of the bank when the rest of the bank starts its 3 - 4 year failure curve, maybe next summer.

    Yes, the engine on that bank starts. Ships options work. But there is a problem that I am keeping a track of.
    AND prepared for the final bank failure that is coming.

    An usual boater would be surprised when the next failure occurs.

    Beau may have a handle on it. Dated batteries and in a 4 year curve.
    Possibly over batteried a lil and living a good life on under abused but still used batteries.

    Luck is with some, others;; ship happens..
    Last edited: Oct 2, 2018
  16. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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  17. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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    Don't know what the heck I did wrong on the above so I'll just repeat what I wrote.

    2 batteries per bank, 2 banks per side, genny has its own battery. My system has been working, dunno. Should I be changing both batteries in the bank when one battery fails? I have a separate charger for each bank. Been using my system for the wonderful 19 years I have owned her.
  18. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Yes, you should always change all batteries in the same bank when 1 in that bank fails as they work together. Whether or not you want to change all of the banks is up to you, but you should always change 2 at a time.
  19. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Beau
    You have 2 x 12 batteries for a 12v bank or 2 x 12 for a 24v bank?
  20. Beau

    Beau Senior Member

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    I've never examine that. I assumed they were independent 12/24 per side. 24 for the starters?