12 Volt Safety

[Capt. Bob]

Safety Issues<br /><br />12-volts is too low of voltage to give you a shock. Touching exposed 12-volt wires or connectors will cause no harm to people or animals. <br />Wear no watches or jewelry while working around batteries. Large lead-acid batteries can supply enough current to turn a bracelet, watchband or ring white hot instantly upon contact. Many people are critically burned each year by just a momentary contact of their metal watchband or other jewelry across the 12-volt battery under the dash, the hood of their car or in their boat. If that isn't a good reason not to wear jewelry around batteries, the acid in and on a battery may attack and discolor your jewelry. So play it safe and take it off! <br /><br />A 12-volt car/boat battery can supply enough current to overheat wires and start a fire. Never short 12-volt wires together. Never run 12-volt wires in such a way that the protective covering can become abrased or cut so as to expose the bare wiring. Use a flexible wire conduit to protect wires that you add/replace on your boat. <br /><br />Be careful when working around a car/boat battery. Lead acid batteries produce hydrogen gas and can explode if a flame or spark comes too close. Never connect anything to a car/boat battery while the load is connected, this could cause a spark. Disconnect any load and remove the negative battery cable when working on the electrical system. Remember to do the sniff test for gasoline fumes prior to working with the battery or wiring and remove the fuel tank from the boat if you can. If you have a bilge blower, run it, even if you don't plan to start the engine to clear the compartment of fumes before going to work.<br />Since some still choose to use batteries with fill caps and not the maintenance free type.....<br />Be sure your battery is in an enclosed battery box to protect your boat from battery acid leaking from the battery as well as covering the battery posts so that accidental contact can be made with the battery posts. Attach the battery box to the boat so that the battery can not turn over or shift.<br /><br />Keeping a battery fully charged when the battery is not in use will prolong the life of your battery.<br /><br />Please add your ideas and experiences too.

 

[martinwinte]

Re: 12 Volt Safety

This one SHOULD be common sense but, never smoke near a battery. <br /><br /> When charging (if not the sealed kind) pop the vents off (that way if you overcharge it, it won't blow them and spray acid).<br /><br /> When loosing a terminal to remove the battery COVER the other terminal so the wrench (screwdriver, pliers, ect) can not touch it and arc.

 

[Ross J]

Re: 12 Volt Safety

May I respectfully add to Capt. Bob's great post.<br />Keep the battery/wireing compartment closed and ventilated so you're wife's cat/s can't get in and use as a scratching post!!<br />Ross

 

[crab bait]

Re: 12 Volt Safety

good man & great post, BOB..that's what we need.. you get twoo smiley faces for that<br /> ... <br /><br />i was atta air show once & had the good fortune to talk to a 'trouble man' in the air corp in WWII.. he told me that when the B-17 was first invented,, they'd be flyin' along & B O O M .the plane would just blow-up...!!!for no reason & no cause.. <br /><br />after this went on ,, it was HE that rode along to see WHAT DA HECK WAS HAPPENIN'..<br /><br />stop rite here for a second ...<br /><br />imagin' the courage of him & the flight crew.. these things are wacky & they blow up at will..<br /><br />continue::<br /> well he figured it out before KABLUEEE!!<br />( i guess he had incentive )<br /><br />what was happenin' the radio room was in the middle of the plane where the wings connected to the fuselage..<br /><br />the engines were on the wings .. 4 on each with major battery banks to start 'em <br /><br />while flyin' the batteries were chargin' & the gases traveled inward to the radio room where radio tubes ,arcs, telegraph dot-dot-dash-dash maker &<br />B O O O O M M M M ..<br />the problem was quickly fixed...

 

[RICKRICK1]

Re: 12 Volt Safety

Great post, YALL are to be commented, sometimes we do things so many times we get forgetful. Post like this make it very informative to everyone of us. I personnally had the smoking around a battery during charge go BOOM, luckly was not sprayed with acid, but did ruin the paint job on new roll around tool box not to mention several other things in the shop.

 

[blifsey]

Re: 12 Volt Safety

Interesting Crab Bait.<br /><br />Another battery caution, when removing the terminal from post (talking car type posts, but guess this could be for ring terminal/wing nut type), be sure the torque you are applying to loosen bolt/nut doesn't cause post to go side to side and break loose from battery. If nut is too tight to easily loosen, use some WD-40 instead of more muscle.<br /><br />BL...

 

[CalicoKid]

Re: 12 Volt Safety

While working on your electrical system, disconnect the ground lug on the battery to eliminate the possibility of arcing, burning, and welding in the event you accidently touch some bare wires to a grounded surface. Especially important in cars where the entire chassis and motor is bonded to ground.

 

[JB]

Re: 12 Volt Safety

Excellent post, Bob. Good additions, too.<br /><br />If you have a computer controlled engine, never mess with the electrical system with the key ON. This is probably a good rule for electronic ignition systems, too.

 

[ungodly]

Re: 12 Volt Safety

Great topic...<br /><br />Don't forget, it's the amps that'll get ya, not necessarily the voltage. Think of the CCA rating of your battery, and whether or not you'd like to be connected to the starting circuit during start up.<br /><br />Be safe, boat happily.<br /><br />Rich