Quote:
Originally Posted by Piotrsko
If your hybrid batteries outgass you have a pontential battery death and an possible fire event...
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Flooded non-sealed batteries do best if you overcharge them from time to time, which causes them to off-gas. The reason is that as they charge and discharge, the heavier sulfuric acid will tend to accumulate on the bottom which causes you to use literally less of the battery and wear it out faster. An occasional overcharge causes the electrolyte to "boil" from the hydrogen and oxygen which mixes up the electrolyte. For this reason, you're also supposed to check your electrolyte levels from time to time and top it off with distilled water as keeping the electrolyte topped off is also important for battery life for the same reason.
Also for this reason, flooded lead acid batteries come with an explosion warning and is also the reason you should try to avoid any sparks near the battery such as placing the last jumper cable on the frame away from the battery when jumping. They have been known to have a mini explosion inside them which causes them to burst and spray acid everywhere.