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13kv surge from mains, while charging battery

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Wolvenar:
This was not fun!! But this image makes a great inside view of a battery.



I was charging this battery in the snow plow truck when a squirrel found a way
to short the 13kv side on our pole mounted step down transformer, to one of the two 110v.
Worst of all it happened as I was walking, err trudging, through 3 foot of snow
to get into the truck, and I was standing right beside ithe battery when it happened.

I wound up on the ground picking plastic out of me, completely disoriented, and couldn't hear squat.
When I got my wits about me again I realized I was full of acid too.. Thankfully I wear glasses.
I ran for the house stripped and jumped in the shower.
I didn't suffer and burns, but pretty much lost all the cloths I had on, they were already deteriorating by the time I got out of the shower.
I wish the fun ended there, but this also did nearly $6k of damages inside the house, even with a hole house surge suppressor and suppression strips
As far as the plow truck ( old Willies Jeep)
I tried to wash the acid off as best I could but it sure does show where there was acid.

Oh yeah almost forgot, the dead squirrel had a charred side on him ( but thats about it).
I had hoped that little %^& woulda gotten worse!!
We found him when the power co. came to replace the fuse in the transformer

A of J:
The main thing in your post is that you suffered no injury to your eyes, sorry to hear about the damage but it's only goods.

A of J

Wolvenar:
Sorry I forgot to mention this was many years ago

artv:
Looks similar to the battery that exploded on me last year.
I was trying to get an old artic cat sled going ,it had electric start, I had the battery connected to my battery charger ,set on 200amp boost/start setting...
It was ~5' behind me when it blew (scared the crap outta me)
I thought whew lucky that didn't hit me, but after my clothes went through the wash ...
apparently it had ....holes everywhere.........be careful....artv

Norm:
That acid is sure subtle I picked up a garden tractor battery
slipped and it tilted...I could have sworn I didn't get any on
me....but after my pants were washed a couple days later.
kinda washed out on one leg.
"you were monkeying around with batteries wearing your good
pants....weren't you? " , the wife says.
" Eh?...well they aren't my good pants anymore.....", I says.....
(not the right answer....I guessed.)
ah well another reason I'd rather use NiCads.....(so far so good with them....)
Norm

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