Battery Charger Safety

[Donald M.]

Yesterday (Thurs, 11/30) the local news channel here in SW Florida showed the result of a home garage fire started by a defective, shorted battery charger left unattended by the owner. The owner's "fully restored" '86 Corvette was a total loss.
Need we say, NEVER go off and leave a battery charger, either trickle or fast charge,running in your garage. The unit should be monitored frequently while in use and unplugged and disconnected if you must leave the premises.
Don

[Art B.]

Re: Battery Charger Safety

Don: Would this apply to the "automatic" chargers sold as "Battery Tenders"?

[Art B.]

Re: Battery Charger Safety

Don: Would this apply to the "automatic" chargers sold as "Battery Tenders"?

[Donald M.]

Re: Battery Charger Safety

Art, I'm no expert, but I would say no, only because of the low current at which these "maintenance" chargers operate and the "on/off" cycle for which they are are designed. I was only referring to leaving the premises with the two common types of charger working.
Don

[Donald M.]

Re: Battery Charger Safety

Art, I'm no expert, but I would say no, only because of the low current at which these "maintenance" chargers operate and the "on/off" cycle for which they are are designed. I was only referring to leaving the premises with the two common types of charger working.
Don

[Duke W.]

Re: Battery Charger Safety

The "battery tender" type chargers tend to fail open in my experience. I've never heard of one shorting, but I agree than you should not leave a conventional charger on the car unattended for any period of time, and it should be monitored frequently.

A typical household 110v circuit should be protected by a 15-20 amp circuit breaker, but there are plenty of cases where old cords or appliances shorted and started a fire without popping the breaker.

About five years ago, I was awakened a few days before Christmas at 0400 by crackling noises and faint blue flashes. I immediately realized it was the heater on my old fashioned "hippy water bed" and rolled out and pulled the plug. Both the mattress and safety liner were burned through, but the circuit breaker never popped.

If I had not been home the 200 gallons of water probably would have suppressed any fire, but made a hell of a mess.

If it was an old lamp cord and I wasn't around, the house may have burned down.

Duke

[Duke W.]

Re: Battery Charger Safety

The "battery tender" type chargers tend to fail open in my experience. I've never heard of one shorting, but I agree than you should not leave a conventional charger on the car unattended for any period of time, and it should be monitored frequently.

A typical household 110v circuit should be protected by a 15-20 amp circuit breaker, but there are plenty of cases where old cords or appliances shorted and started a fire without popping the breaker.

About five years ago, I was awakened a few days before Christmas at 0400 by crackling noises and faint blue flashes. I immediately realized it was the heater on my old fashioned "hippy water bed" and rolled out and pulled the plug. Both the mattress and safety liner were burned through, but the circuit breaker never popped.

If I had not been home the 200 gallons of water probably would have suppressed any fire, but made a hell of a mess.

If it was an old lamp cord and I wasn't around, the house may have burned down.

Duke

[Alan Drake]

Put Tender on GFI power just in case *NM*