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Photo by Sean Howman,
The Pamir highway in an unseasonably
cold late October, Tajikistan



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  #1  
Old 14 Feb 2011
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Charging a battery indoors
After many weeks of not being out on the bike, the battery has gone flat. In the past when this has happened I've perched it out on the windowsill to charge it, but a) it won't fit on the windowsill in my current flat and b) it's raining.

How much ventilation does a charging battery actually need to be safe? I know plenty of people who leave theirs on charge in their garages, which presumably aren't particularly ventilated.

It's a sealed battery, if that makes any difference.

Laura
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Old 14 Feb 2011
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If it's a sealed unit it doesn't need venting.

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Old 14 Feb 2011
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Check if it really needs charging
If it's a newer model sealed battery which is delivered dry and you add the acid and then seal it then these batteries usually only need to sit for 30mins to 1hour and then they are ready to use. They shouldn't need charging. Check the instructions.

If it's an old battery and you need to charge it then it may let of some smells if you charge it indoors. I have charged many a battery in my laundry and left the window open without any serious consequences.
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Old 14 Feb 2011
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I've charged wet batteries with the vents removed in the house for years(must be charged by now) without any problems.
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Old 14 Feb 2011
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Excellent, thank you all! If the worst comes to the worst there's a fire station at the end of the road, and one of my friends living across the road is a fireman, so I'm sure any random explosions will be quickly responded to.

Laura
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Old 14 Feb 2011
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A sealed battery will not need any ventilation. Just put it on trickle charge overnight and by morning you will have a fully charged battery again. Plus it will charge further in the bike if you drive a distance.
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Old 14 Feb 2011
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If you're trickle charging a modern battery, it should be okay indoors.

I once charged a lead-acid battery with a regular charger without first removing the caps. To compund my stupidity, myself and a friend then started angle grinding steel nearby, the sparks caused the built up acid fumes to ignite(?) and the battery exploded, showering the pair of us with acid - a lesson well learnt.
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Old 15 Feb 2011
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The worst thing is when you're taking the battery off and the spanner accidentaly drops across both contacts.
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Old 19 Mar 2011
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Warnings against charging batteries indoors is that they can emit gas that can be very explosive. However, after owning a boat for several years, with constant need to charge many very big batteries, I just figured that the warnings must be vastly excagurated when it comes to motorcycle batteries.

However, I did stain a kitchen counter charging a battery. The battery had a small hole to vent the battery when it got hot, as they do when you charge them. Vapour condensated and dripped onto my synthetic counter and left a small stain that did not clean out. I no longer charge my batteries indoors, much like I don't service my bike indoors.

I wouldn't be tto conscerned about charging batteries indoors though, but I would put something underneath it, like an old tray or something.

That much said, I'm not an expert on the matter, it is just my novice opinion when I say "go ahead".
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