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Panel battery swap on a hot roof in Phoenix back in 2011...
Client called saying their system kept beeping low battery. Took the ladder up, opened the can, and the battery was swollen so bad the lid barely came off. I was about to clip the leads when the old one just cracked and started hissing. Sulfur smell hit me right away. I grabbed the whole can, set it in the parking lot, and let it vent for an hour. Told the client this was why we push the 3 year replacement schedule. He asked if it could have caught fire. I said honestly, maybe. Now I always check the date stamp before I even pull the lid. Anyone else had a battery go like that on a service call?
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williamd7011d ago
Man, that hissing sound is the worst part. Once you hear it you never forget it. I had one do the same thing maybe two years back, swollen case and all, and the smell stuck in my nose the rest of the day. The thing people don't get is those sealed lead acid cells can cook off way easier in a hot attic or on a roof when they're already on their way out. After that call I started keeping a cheap face shield in the van and I won't lean over an open can anymore, I stand off to the side and crack the lid slow. Checking the date stamp first is smart too, saves you from even touching the ones that are way past due.
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