Battery charge light glass popped out

[AlexandriaUK]

Hi all, hope your enjoying the sunshine and ready for some excellent holidays in your vans.
Today we were fitting a Halfords trickle charge solar panel and when we opened the battery box the battery looked as though it had been soaked in water and the little glass charger light thing had popped out.
My partner cleaned it all and pushed it back in but I'm worried as to why it came out in the first place.
Have sent the retailer a message and he's asked for photos, what that will tell him I do not know
Any ideas please

 

[Dustydog]

Unusual. Hard to understand why a solar panel could overheat or overcharge a leisure battery.
Did you notice a smell of rotten eggs, a swelling or distortion in the battery casing? Is the ‘flood water’ actually acidic content from the battery is dilute sulphuric acid?
The fact the ‘magic eye’ has blown out makes me think an internal pressure has built up in the battery but why ,I’m not sure. Others will have some ideas.
Please let us know the final outcome in due course.

 

[otherclive]

Know it may sound a bit basic but have the small red plugs been removed from the battery. These are usually inserted after charging by the supplier and prior to transit. They seal the battery vents and are mostly fittted on the two ends and towards the top.

 

[AlexandriaUK]

Can't have anything to do with the solar panel as we didn't actually get round to putting it on after seeing it covered in acid water, well looked like water but obviously acid as it made partners hand itch

 

[AlexandriaUK]

I will get my partner to go and have a look, I have no idea and can't remember seeing them when it arrived, will let you know, thank you for your replies both

 

[LG57-UPS.]

Know it may sound a bit basic but have the small red plugs been removed from the battery. These are usually inserted after charging by the supplier and prior to transit. They seal the battery vents and are mostly fittted on the two ends and towards the top.

Just a quickie Question!
Should those plugs be thrown away,once the battery has been bought? Or are they meant to be left on?

 

[LG57-UPS.]

Know it may sound a bit basic but have the small red plugs been removed from the battery. These are usually inserted after charging by the supplier and prior to transit. They seal the battery vents and are mostly fittted on the two ends and towards the top.

 

[AlexandriaUK]

Good question

 

[otherclive]

I will get my partner to go and have a look, I have no idea and can't remember seeing them when it arrived, will let you know, thank you for your replies both

They will be easy to spot and any battery sent via online, or sold by a local where the customer transports the battery should have them. If you have to send an internet battery back you will need them inserted. You will then find it incredibly difficult to find a carrier as a used battery is classed as hazardous waste and very few carriage companies are licencedvto carry them. After an experience I now buy my batteries locally.

 

[AlexandriaUK]

Hi just checked the battery and ooops 2 little red plugs one each end, have removed them, do you think this could have caused the bung thing to come out

 

[otherclive]

Hi just checked the battery and ooops 2 little red plugs one each end, have removed them, do you think this could have caused the bung thing to come out

when you connected it to EHU or charger it would have generated hydrogen gas which should vent through the holes closed by the red plugs. Pressure would build up as the gas had nowhere to go until it popped out the green indicator.

Edit. You reported liquid around battery area. It was most likely acid. So you will need to check the level and refill as required but just adding deionise water may not be sufficient as you have lost some acid. So a visit to a battery specialist may be needed to get the specific gravity brought back to spec.

 

[otherclive]

Know it may sound a bit basic but have the small red plugs been removed from the battery. These are usually inserted after charging by the supplier and prior to transit. They seal the battery vents and are mostly fittted on the two ends and towards the top.

Just a quickie Question!
Should those plugs be thrown away,once the battery has been bought? Or are they meant to be left on?

Keep them in case you have to transport your battery back to the supplier. Assuming you can find a carrier licenced to carry a used lead acid battery.

 

[AlexandriaUK]

Thank you for your reply, I will take the battery to a dealer near abouts and get them to check it for me, will it have ruined the battery completely

 

[otherclive]

Thank you for your reply, I will take the battery to a dealer near abouts and get them to check it for me, will it have ruined the battery completely

It could have deformed a plate(s) but best to get a specialist advice.

 

[AlexandriaUK]

Does that mean it's rubbish now and I have to take it back to retailer in Luton grrr LOL it's called a magic eye I'm told by Halfords and he said in 30 years he's never known one to pop out, he didn't have any idea why it would do that eitherr, will it stop it charging as well because I have it on a trickle charge at the moment

 

[otherclive]

Does that mean it's rubbish now and I have to take it back to retailer in Luton grrr LOL it's called a magic eye I'm told by Halfords and he said in 30 years he's never known one to pop out, he didn't have any idea why it would do that eitherr, will it stop it charging as well because I have it on a trickle charge at the moment

If you had the battery on charge either whilst on the van or from a stand alone charger then it would credibly have built up the pressure to pop out the green plug. The red plugs are to blank the vents and prevent over pressure. I can’t say whether the plates may have been damaged but you would need to make sure the electrolyte is brought back to the correct level and specific gravity too. This would best be done by a battery specialist. Then they could put it on charge and test it to see if it rises to the correct voltage for a fully charged battery and then to test its discharge characteristics.
I wouldn’t expect the seller to be too sympathetic as blowing the plug can only be by over pressure and batteries don’t do that on their own. Over pressure can’t exist if the two vents are clear. If the plug had come out of its own accord the battery wouldn’t have ejected electrolyte.

 

[AlexandriaUK]

I went into Halfords and spoke to the chap and he said it cannot blow the magic eye no matter what, he even checked for me from their battery supplier, nope magic eye should not Pop our under any circumstances, he said also those little red bits of plastic would pop out if the gasses built up and he said even that would be incredibly rare, so I rang quick fit, they also said it shouldn't Pop out and it's a sealed battery as well, taking it back to supplier next week and hopefully he will change it

Also it wasn't on charge and hadn't been since I brought it that's why I brought solar panel

 

[otherclive]

Still puzzled then as to what caused it to pop out and eject electrolyte. Anyway good luck with the enquiries can you keep us posted please.

 

[AlexandriaUK]

I'm puzzled as well, but both retail outlets said it was/is a faulty product, on their site they have sold hundreds but they have had a couple who also had the same problem and they complained, it is about fully charged so it's not having a problem there, I'm going to leave bathroom light on and see what happens as I'm wondering if it will actually work ok, we are going to my sister's next week and she is about half an hour from Luton so will take it back, have to say I'm really impressed with the solar panel for that money