mountaintraveler
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Hello. I'm trying to understand why I got fireworks of sparkles while trying to tighten the terminal nut on the house battery.
I shut off battery switch, then opened the compartment to check on the batteries, disconnected, cleaned and reconnected one negative terminal, which was loose and dirty.
I was standing on rubber type mat and wearing non-conductive gloves.
Next, I tried to tighten positive terminal on that battery, without disconnecting it. I used a ratchet wrench, its handle was not touching anything exposed metal. Suddenly lots of big sparkles flew from positive terminal.
I left it alone and turned on battery switch, things seem to be still working and battery gauge still showing the same charge as before.
What can be the cause of it?
On my car, I usually tighten both terminals while they are still connected with no issues, wearing non conductive gloves.
I guess best to disconnect negative terminals on both of my house batteries before even touching positve terminals?
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edited 11/13/23 10:39am by mountaintraveler *
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TenOC
On the road -- Full time
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ALWAYS disconnect the ground lug/wire before touching the positive lug.
Please give me enough troubles, uncertainty, problems, obstacles and STRESS so that I do not become arrogant, proud, and smug in my own abilities, and enough blessings and good times that I realize that someone else is in charge of my life.
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opnspaces
San Diego Ca
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The sparks definitely mean there was still a connection that goes outside or around the shutoff switch. The sparks can happen if the cable is loose and the ring terminal is making intermittent contact such as when it slides down and skips off the threads of the battery post.
* This post was
edited 11/13/23 11:16am by opnspaces *
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opnspaces
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Also the safest thing to remember is the negative cable is the first you should disconnect. The negative cable should also always be the last to reconnect.
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mountaintraveler
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opnspaces wrote:The sparks definitely mean there was still a connection that goes outside or around the shutoff switch. The sparks can happen if the cable is loose and the ring terminal is making intermittent contact such as when it slides down and skips off the threads of the battery post.
The cable was firmly attached to the terminal, I just wanted to tighten the nut even better
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mountaintraveler
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Negative and ground mentioned above, I assume the same thing was meant, the wires that go to the negative terminals of the batteries
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mountaintraveler
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opnspaces wrote:The sparks definitely mean there was still a connection that goes outside or around the shutoff switch.
I can't think what that connection might be. Battery cut off switch shuts off things like propane detector and everything else connected to that battery set. Nothing inside the motorhome can be powered by DC from house battery with battery switch off.
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Krusty
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Either that cable connection was loose and there was something drawing a fair bit of current from the battery or your tool shorted out on something metal. Not really anything else it could be. Unless maybe your battery is connected backwards?
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mountaintraveler
mountains
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Krusty wrote:Either that cable connection was loose and there was something drawing a fair bit of current from the battery or your tool shorted out on something metal. Not really anything else it could be. Unless maybe your battery is connected backwards?
I'm going to test both batteries with a multimeter within the next couple of days but if it was connected backwards I'm sure thete would be other signs of trouble?
Cable connection was solid. Battery shut off switch off/current not possible. There are a few wires running there and a connector may be somehow the wrench came close to something exposed, not sure if it could go through the air if close enough.
I assume I do not need to disconnect negative/ground before testing with multimeter.
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mountaintraveler
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The reason I checked on batteries was mouse crunching I heard from that area. There was a nest getting started, cover (which is entry step) perimeter seal chewed and end of one wire conduit chewed, but wire intact. I covered up that wire part with electrical tape before tightening the terminals. Didn't see any other damage from that mouse.
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