Watch out for loose alarm panel batteries - nearly lost a finger yesterday

I was swapping out a dying backup battery at a 24-hour diner off Route 9 when the terminal clip slipped and sparked against the metal casing. The whole panel started beeping like crazy and the owner came running over. Anyone else had close calls with those old lead-acid batteries?

2 comments

2 Comments

ericb662d ago

Dead batteries at 24-hour diners" - did you check if the clip was corroded or just loose?

benreed1d ago

Had a 1990 Ford Ranger that did this at a Denny's in Elko once. Checked the clip first and it was fine, but the wire had actually broken right where it crimps into the terminal. That's usually the real problem when they just go dead sitting still. Felt like an idiot wrestling with jumper cables at 2am when all I needed was a pair of pliers and five minutes. Worth prying the rubber boot back and looking before you assume it's the battery.