We've all heard tubular or SMF batteries explode more frequently in inverter and UPS applications.

People are generally unaware that these explosions can kill them, as the explosion causes sharp plastic and lead nails mixed with acid to hit people with force, causing burns, amputations, or even death.

A lot of accidents have occurred; some are reported in the press, and others are not.

What causes these accidents needs to be understood very clearly.

1. The Inverters used with Tubular batteries can cause a blast if the inverter charging circuit overcharges the battery beyond its charging limits or the charging limit of the Inverter and UPS is set at higher limits than the battery can take. All tubular or SMF battery has the limitation of charging voltage being cut off. Suppose that setting is not done in Inverter or UPS according to the battery installed with that particular voltage. In that case, the battery can bulge initially and can explode ultimately.

2. Most UPS and inverter manufacturers give switches at the back of their products for settings of different types of batteries, but this is not sometimes known to the customer and seller. They don't care to set the switch before installing the battery and Inverter/UPS, which leads to the overcharging or undercharging of the battery. The overcharging causes bulging and blasts and undercharging reduce the backup time of the inverter and UPS. Also, the local UPS and Inverter manufacturer is making the product without much awareness, which also become one reason for battery blast.

3. The proper distilled water is to be used when refilling the battery as this also causes the problem for the storm as the charging takes place, the chemical reaction takes place in the battery which creates various types of gases in the battery which can become the cause of significant explosion in the storm.

4. The Vent Plugs cleaning also becomes one of the significant causes of explosions as people who have installed batteries in the vicinity are not aware that when the battery is charged or discharged, the vent plugs are meant for evaporation of those gases. If those get choked, then these can cause an explosion. These vent plugs need to be cleaned regularly, and if possible, the battery vent plugs are to be removed once in 6 months. After cleaning, they can be installed again, but this has to be done by the battery professional only so that no untoward accident happens.

5. Temperature to be maintained around the battery placement as high temperature also becomes one of the reasons for battery explosion as the battery being charged and discharged the battery is getting heated inside. If the temperature outside is also very high, it can cause the bulging of the battery or explosion at times.

6. Proper ventilation where the product is placed is also essential, as the gases are released in the atmosphere when the battery is charged or discharged. Hence, one has to see that those gases are removed in the open air rather than accumulated in a closed-door space, as these are poisonous gases and can be hazardous to the health of human beings.

7. Time-to-time servicing of the Inverter/UPS is also essential by the technical people so that they can check that proper charging voltage is maintained by the Invert/UPS and can check the battery voltages and adequate cleaning of the battery and other routine maintenance of the product.

8. No cigarettes or burning of any material around is allowed as the inverter/UPS batteries emit a lot of poisonous gases, and the lighting of cigarettes or any kind of flames around them can cause an explosion, so one should keep these away.

Conclusion

Tubular or SMF batteries are exploding more often in inverter and UPS applications. This causes sharp plastic and lead nails mixed with acid to hit people hard, causing burns, amputations, or even death. Inverters with tubular batteries can cause a blast if the charging circuit overcharges the battery beyond its charging limits or if the charging limits are set higher than the battery can take. Additionally, the local UPS and inverter manufacturers are making the products without much awareness, and the proper distilled water should be used when refilling the battery. Explosions in batteries are caused by a chemical reaction inside the battery that makes different gases. Vent plugs must be cleaned regularly and removed every 6 months, and temperatures must be maintained around the battery placement. Proper ventilation where the product is placed is also important, and technical personnel must regularly service the inverter or UPS. Smoking or burning any kind of material around the batteries can cause explosions, so one should keep these away.