Posted by Tug Boat Lonnie on Thursday, May 22, 2003 at 8:57PM :
In Reply to: Batteries are More Dangerous than Most People Realize posted by Marty on Thursday, May 22, 2003 at 5:33PM :
Marty,
Wow, scary stuff. I don't charge batteries indoors for that very reason. We always had them sitting on a rubber mat outdoors. Never had the gas ignite although we would often disconnect the leads "hot".
We always had a container of baking soda mixed with water to neutralize the acid in case of a spill. This also worked well for cleaning the corrosion from the outside of the battery case, just make sure it doesn't get into the cells and rinse well with water afterwords. This will prevent the holes appearing in your work cloths after the next wash cycle.
Batteries are much like an engine, if you keep the fluid levels at their correct level, 99 percent of your troubles are solved.
Best Wishes
Lonnie