[Rivers]

I have a 900 cranking amps deep cycle marine battery. When charging it, and for 15 to 20 minutes after I removed the charger on it, it makes a noise like a fly fighting in a spider's web. The sound last for 15 to 30 minutes. I have a dozen of batteries here for my 4 vehicles and 10 tractors, it's the first time a battery is making a sound... I have little knowledge on that... Is it dying, is there a risk here of fire or explosion? The battery manufacture date is 2011.

I'm using that battery to lift my garage door vertically with a winch, and to jump start my small engines when testing them when I'm back from the junkyard with new tractors. Any thoughts?

 

[wally2q]

It may be out-gassing.... what was your charge current, and charge voltage?....

If the battery is full, and you attempt to overcharge it (ie - drive voltage beyond 14.5V), you begin to what's called "boil the battery"... except it's not actually boiling - it's actually electrolysis that breaks up the gel or liquid (both contain varying concentrations of water), into hydrogen and oxygen. The gasses build pressure, and eventually will start blowing by the pressure relief valve - which every battery has as a safety mechanism against overcharging.

If you do it for long enough, and enough times, the process will destroy the battery - especially if it's a gel cell. For liquid acid battery, if it's serviceable, you can add distilled water to it to bring it back to normal - but it's still not healthy for the battery if you do it all the time.

 

[Tractor-Holic]

Many of the Die-Hard batteries I've had in the past made a noise that I assume was the vent caps releasing built up gasses in side--sounded like someone passing gas!..
They did it even more while being charged too,and I never had any issues with them until they finally died of old age or a dead cell..

 

[Rivers]

It may be out-gassing.... what was your charge current, and charge voltage?....

If the battery is full, and you attempt to overcharge it (ie - drive voltage beyond 14.5V), you begin to what's called "boil the battery"... except it's not actually boiling - it's actually electrolysis that breaks up the gel or liquid (both contain varying concentrations of water), into hydrogen and oxygen. The gasses build pressure, and eventually will start blowing by the pressure relief valve - which every battery has as a safety mechanism against overcharging.

If you do it for long enough, and enough times, the process will destroy the battery - especially if it's a gel cell. For liquid acid battery, if it's serviceable, you can add distilled water to it to bring it back to normal - but it's still not healthy for the battery if you do it all the time.

Voltage was 12.5V charged with 2A intelligent charger. When the battery is full charged the charger stops by itself.

 

[Bill Kapaun]

I'm totally not up on the "newer technology" vs lead acid, but-
Could a "Smart Charger" for one be an IDIOT Charger for the other?
Sounds to me you're "boiling the battery" (overcharging)

 

[wally2q]

Voltage was 12.5V charged with 2A intelligent charger. When the battery is full charged the charger stops by itself.

Well it may very well be outgassing even charging. It may also be the introduction of ripple current on top of the DC - which is often used to "rejuvenate" batteries. Some smart chargers put that out to keep the battery as good as new. But for you to hear the battery make noise, would mean there is mechanical movement inside - which is generally considered to be not a good thing... because if things move, they may eventually break. No parts inside the battery are supposed to move - except for the itseee-bitsee ions....