A battery is comprised of the most unsavoury material you can imagine. You should avoid sulphuric acid and lead in different forms wherever possible, which is why spark free and well-controlled voltage is vital for a battery charger. A good recommendation is that you always wear protective goggles and gloves when you are in the vicinity of batteries. Despite this, accidents happen, including explosions. Why?
The precondition for an explosion is that energy is present, often in the form of a spark, that may ignite the oxy-hydrogen gas that is frequently present in the battery. Three possible causes:
- The most likely cause for new batteries is static electricity. Simply pulling off a label is sufficient to generate voltage above 10,000V. If, when carrying a battery, you rub it against certain types of clothing and then place it on a plastic pallet, discharge may result between very high voltages. If gas is present on such an occasion, for example, a plug that is not completely tight or a leak caused by damage, the risk of an explosion is great.
- The second cause is defective soldering or welding of the terminals, i.e. a manufacturing fault. Here you can clearly see the difference between quality batteries and others. In both cases a low level of acid is required to form a spark.
- The third scenario is that the battery charger may emit sparks. This is why all CTEK battery chargers are spark free. Never use battery chargers that emit sparks!