Gas from Batteries / Carbon Monoxide Detector

[jim_thomsen]

Help....
We have been cruising the past 3 months and for the first time we are connected to shore power. So, wanting toasted bagels we got out the toaster and I took the smoke detector/carbon monoxide detector off the wall to avoid having the toaster setting off the alarm. And I put it back in the aft cabin.
Within a few minutes the carbon monoxide alarm was going off. No engines running and nothing I could think about that would cause carbon monoxide, but I called a plumber anyway. He came out with his good Carbon Monoxide detector and it went into the highest levels (almost 1000 ppm, when 30 ppm is considered the high safe limit.)
A little tracing and we found it was coming from the batteries. We have Trojan 105 lead acid batteries. It registers high when the batteries are charging and when they are not charging (but had been charged in the past 12 hours.)
Checking today I see our charger is not working correctly, but staying on absorbtion and putting in 14.5 volts even when the batteries are 100%. It isn't going to float.
So, is that the problem? Even though the plumbing guy said the detector only senses carbon monoxide I have to guess that it also somehow measures Hydrogen? Or can batteries produce other gases?
I went to another boat also with trojan batteries and used the professional detector and his gave a low 20 ppm.
Do you think this problem will go away when I get the charger fixed so it does not overcharge the batteries. Or can there be another problem?
For now we have moved to the foreward cabin.

Any other ideas or comments? Thank you very much...sorry for the long rambling message.

[Astrid]

If you had a MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Sensor) type CO detector, it would pick up other gases as well such as chlorine and probably hydrogen. These are becoming quite popular since they are useful for detecting more than just CO.

I should think getting the over charging problem fixed may cure the CO detector problem. At any rate, fixing your charging system should be of first priority as over charging batteries is very hard on their life expectancy.

[FlyingCloud1937]

Originally Posted by jim_thomsen

Help....
We have been cruising the past 3 months and for the first time we are connected to shore power. So, wanting toasted bagels we got out the toaster and I took the smoke detector/carbon monoxide detector off the wall to avoid having the toaster setting off the alarm. And I put it back in the aft cabin.
Within a few minutes the carbon monoxide alarm was going off. No engines running and nothing I could think about that would cause carbon monoxide, but I called a plumber anyway. He came out with his good Carbon Monoxide detector and it went into the highest levels (almost 1000 ppm, when 30 ppm is considered the high safe limit.)
A little tracing and we found it was coming from the batteries. We have Trojan 105 lead acid batteries. It registers high when the batteries are charging and when they are not charging (but had been charged in the past 12 hours.)
Checking today I see our charger is not working correctly, but staying on absorbtion and putting in 14.5 volts even when the batteries are 100%. It isn't going to float.
So, is that the problem? Even though the plumbing guy said the detector only senses carbon monoxide I have to guess that it also somehow measures Hydrogen? Or can batteries produce other gases?
I went to another boat also with trojan batteries and used the professional detector and his gave a low 20 ppm.
Do you think this problem will go away when I get the charger fixed so it does not overcharge the batteries. Or can there be another problem?
For now we have moved to the foreward cabin.

Any other ideas or comments? Thank you very much...sorry for the long rambling message.

Yes, at least many will.

Where and how are you bats installed, are they in boxes?

After you fix/replace the charger. Make sure you vent the battery boxes to the outside.

I have mine setup to turn an exhaust fan on when ever the voltage rises above 14.3 V.

Lloyd

[jim_thomsen]

Hi Lloyd,
The batteries are in a good box and there are 2 vent hoses, from the top of each end of the box (6 trojan 105 batteries, plus starter battery).

Using the detector I see where some gas is coming out of a lower seem so I plan to remove the batteries and fiberglass the inside of the box. I was thinking it may be good to install a fan too. The idea of having it come on at 14.3 volts sounds like a good idea. Do you think it is better to have the fan as an exhaust fan or should it blow into the box (as Nigel Calder recommends)?

Thanks for the information Astrid. Maybe I see if the manufacturer of the detector says what type of sensor it is. (Actually I having fun looking, after 3 months without internet.)

Thanks again for the information.

[Hud3]

Hi, Jim.

Well, you're not dead, so it must not have been CO!

Just kidding!

Good to see you posting again. Congrats on getting to NZ. Love your pics on your blog. Best regards to Katie.

[FlyingCloud1937]

Originally Posted by jim_thomsen

Hi Lloyd,
The batteries are in a good box and there are 2 vent hoses, from the top of each end of the box (6 trojan 105 batteries, plus starter battery).

Using the detector I see where some gas is coming out of a lower seem so I plan to remove the batteries and fiberglass the inside of the box. I was thinking it may be good to install a fan too. The idea of having it come on at 14.3 volts sounds like a good idea. Do you think it is better to have the fan as an exhaust fan or should it blow into the box (as Nigel Calder recommends)?

Thanks for the information Astrid. Maybe I see if the manufacturer of the detector says what type of sensor it is. (Actually I having fun looking, after 3 months without internet.)

Thanks again for the information.

I use an Atwood explosion proof, as a suction side. You also need to provide make-up air.

If you install it as a blower, then you have to have a complete air tight enclosure.

If you have it on the suction side you wont need to seal up the box/lid air tight.

Lloyd