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How can a battery charger burn down your garage?

Started by Monsterlover, February 02, 2009, 06:36:00 PM

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Monsterlover

February 02, 2009, 06:36:00 PM
Well, I'll tell you.

First off, my garage did not burn down.  A friend is using space in my garage/shop to rebuild a motor for his single turbo 5.0 mustang and he was there to put it out.

If he had not been there, i would have lost my garage.

And my roadrace mustang.

And my friend's 94 mustang.

And my boss's supercharged original rust free 77 Celica.

And my 900ss.

And my 07 KTM SMR with 525 miles on it that i just bought.

And my TIG welder, metal cutting chop saw and every hand tool I own.  And I own a lot.

Im guessing more than $125,000 in loss once you add the cost of the contents to the cost of the structure.

I consider this a close one, and it would have been ENTIRELY my fault.

Im in the process of making a 750ss into a 900ss.  Well, the 900 won't run with the 900ecu plugged into the 750 harness.  Things are different.

I plugged the 750ecu in (left the 900ecu bolted in) just to see if I could get it running to verify the engine was put back together correctly.  I grounded the 750ecu case to the 900ecu case with a jumper (alligator clips on each end) as these are metal case ECU's and they need to be grounded.

This is fine on it's own.  That let me crank the bike over at least.  But my battery was low so I put the charger on it.

Then i went in the house for dinner.

Dan turns around and sees fire on my bike, directly under the propped up fuel tank that has fuel in it.

Thank god or allah or whoever that it was small and Dan snuffed it out with a rag and unplugged the charger.

The 750ecu had slid down the back of the air box and came to rest against the + positive clamp of my battery charger.

The path to ground was over my tiny jumper cable.  The insulation melted and lit.

You know the rest.

Moral of the story goes- when using a charger, make sure nothing can ground out on it.  If something can, don't leave it unattended.

I got lucky.  Really lucky.
"The Vincent was like a bullet that went straight; the Ducati is like the magic bullet in Dallas that went sideways and hit JFK and the Governor of Texas at the same time."--HST    **"A man who works with his hands is a laborer.  A man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman.  A man who works with his hands, brains, and heart is an artist."  -Louis Nizer**

DesmoDiva

#1
February 02, 2009, 06:39:05 PM
 :o :o

Glad to hear it didn't get out of hand.   [clap]

I believe you now owe Dan beer of life when ever at your house.

'01 ST4 Yellow
'02 ST4s Yellow

Oldfisti

#2
February 02, 2009, 06:40:27 PM
Quote from: Sinister on November 06, 2008, 12:47:21 PM
It's like I keep saying:  Those who would sacrifice a free range session for a giant beer, deserve neither free range time nor a giant beer.
Quote from: KnightofNi on November 10, 2009, 04:45:16 AM
i have had guys reach back and grab my crotch in an attempt to get around me. i'll either blow in their ear or ask them politely to let go of my wang.

Monsterlover

#3
February 02, 2009, 06:44:36 PM
First thing tomorrow I'm picking up a fire extinguisher.

The one I have is in the house, where it would have done no good.

Phew.  <wipes brow>
"The Vincent was like a bullet that went straight; the Ducati is like the magic bullet in Dallas that went sideways and hit JFK and the Governor of Texas at the same time."--HST    **"A man who works with his hands is a laborer.  A man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman.  A man who works with his hands, brains, and heart is an artist."  -Louis Nizer**

swampduc

#4
February 02, 2009, 07:26:01 PM
Wow. Amazing escape. I'll keep that in mind.
Respeta mi autoridad!

derby

#5
February 02, 2009, 07:33:36 PM
Quote from: Monsterlover on February 02, 2009, 06:44:36 PM
First thing tomorrow I'm picking up a fire extinguisher.

The one I have is in the house, where it would have done no good.

Phew.  <wipes brow>

second thing should be call your insurance agent and make sure everything in your garage is covered on your current policy.
-- derby

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Retired rides: '05 Duc Monster S4R, '99 Yam YZF-R1, '98 Hon CBR600F3, '97 Suz GSX-R750, '96 Hon CBR600F3, '94 Hon CBR600F2, '91 Hon Hawk GT, '91 Yam YSR-50, '87 Yam YSR-50

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Monsterlover

#6
February 02, 2009, 07:34:34 PM
Yeah, i already thought of that too.
"The Vincent was like a bullet that went straight; the Ducati is like the magic bullet in Dallas that went sideways and hit JFK and the Governor of Texas at the same time."--HST    **"A man who works with his hands is a laborer.  A man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman.  A man who works with his hands, brains, and heart is an artist."  -Louis Nizer**

He Man

#7
February 02, 2009, 09:26:56 PM
wow, im really glad you got out of that one!

Drunken Monkey

#8
February 02, 2009, 09:48:43 PM
Also, next time get a charger with an inline fuse to prevent this from happening.

And  [thumbsup] to your buddy. I believe beer for life (as long as he's in your garage) is an acceptable offering to appease the angry garage gods  [laugh]
I own several motorcycles. I have owned lots of motorcycles. And have bolted and/or modified lots of crap to said motorcycles...

Big Troubled Bear

#9
February 02, 2009, 10:30:44 PM
You are so lucky,  [thumbsup]

Get the fuse type charger ;D
Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.

Speeddog

#10
February 02, 2009, 10:43:43 PM
Examples of fused-type charger?
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~~~ "We've rearranged the deck chairs, refilled the champagne glasses, and the band sounds great. This is fine." - Alberto Puig ~~~

Monsterlover

#11
February 02, 2009, 10:51:59 PM
it wouldn't have helped. The battery was still connected and was happy to provide the juice after the charger got unpluged.
"The Vincent was like a bullet that went straight; the Ducati is like the magic bullet in Dallas that went sideways and hit JFK and the Governor of Texas at the same time."--HST    **"A man who works with his hands is a laborer.  A man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman.  A man who works with his hands, brains, and heart is an artist."  -Louis Nizer**

Drunken Monkey

#12
February 03, 2009, 12:06:54 AM
Quote from: Monsterlover on February 02, 2009, 10:51:59 PM
it wouldn't have helped. The battery was still connected and was happy to provide the juice after the charger got unpluged.

Ouch.

Yeah, no fuse can prevent that.
I own several motorcycles. I have owned lots of motorcycles. And have bolted and/or modified lots of crap to said motorcycles...

duclvr

#13
February 03, 2009, 03:38:45 AM
Wow, glad to hear it didn't get out of control.

Oldfisti

#14
February 03, 2009, 05:06:54 AM
Put that new extinguisher (Can't believe you didn't have one. Shame on you!) in a hi vis location so that visiting friends will have no trouble finding it.

After reading this I was thinking of getting a second one for my shop!




+3 on beers for life.  [thumbsup]
Quote from: Sinister on November 06, 2008, 12:47:21 PM
It's like I keep saying:  Those who would sacrifice a free range session for a giant beer, deserve neither free range time nor a giant beer.
Quote from: KnightofNi on November 10, 2009, 04:45:16 AM
i have had guys reach back and grab my crotch in an attempt to get around me. i'll either blow in their ear or ask them politely to let go of my wang.
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