Are powerstations Dangerous?

I've just bought a Einhell Power Station for my EQ6 Pro's field observations. This power station has a 12V 10A output. It is quite similar to the Celestron, Oirion and Skywatcher powerstations. While reading the instruction manual I found a troubling security warning. I checked with store and online manuals of the powerstations form other brands and in most of them the warning was there:

It was something like:
"Caution: when this unit is charging the acid/lead battery releases hydrogen gases that are explosive and poisonous. When operating it releases even more gases."

Now, although the specs say the battery is completely sealed I'm not sure about this and I'm afraid to charge it inside my home. And although I could charge it outside on my balcony, the instructions say that it shoud not be in contact with moisture and humidity.

I believe these powerstations have serious safety issues that are not being clearly transmitted to the public. And I know that many astronomer use, like me, these powerstations.

Anyone has insights on this?

Cheers

I wouldn't want to lock myself in a closet with a charging battery and stay there for 8 hours, but I've never had any problems charging batteries in the garage. Give the hydrogen space to dissipate.

As for operation, battery gas emission is notorious. Every year more than 2,632 people die as a result of exposure to batteries installed in their cars. Records indicate 14,000 people die annually from ill-considered use of their flashlights. Two years ago at the Texas Star Party, during the day, a coyote farted near a battery powered G11/C11 while an amateur astronomer was experimenting with an eyepiece to see if he could light a piece of paper on fire using a Nagler eyepiece (it worked). The resulting detonation of methane and hydrogen blew the entire rig sky high.

regards
Greg N

Paulo Mesquita said:



It was something like:
"Caution: when this unit is charging the acid/lead battery releases hydrogen gases that are explosive and poisonous. When operating it releases even more gases."

As do all batteries of this type undercharge, including the one in your car.

About any battery can explode, notably if shorted or punctured/otherwise mechanically damaged.

Many products' safety warnings are lawyer boilerplate that gets included even in some applications where it makes no sense. Such as instructions to drain the gasoline from an electric chainsaw, or a warning to unplug the power cord from a battery-powered drill .

Many if not most computer UPS, battery packs, and other lead acid devices meant for optional indoor use, are SLA-- Sealed Lead Acid battery. They will explode if you short them and if there isn't a fuse built in there to save you, but they do not ordinarily vent hydrogen. Unless they are broken.

AGM (glass matt) and Gel are two common kinds of sealed lead acid battery. The only time you would have hydrogen venting is if the little pressure-relief valve goes bad, or if the battery gets damaged, or gets real hot from over-discharge or over-current charging. That is the main reason the little valve is there, to handle unfortunate overheating.

You could carefully open your power station and read the text on the battery. If it says AGM or GEL or SLA or words to that effect, it is ordinarily safe to use in the house unless something goes very bad wrong with it.

If it is not a sealed type, you can expect it to vent under heavy use, and I would not use a non-sealed battery in a closed-up house. Only in a very well-ventilated 'semi open' area.

Absolutely......We have a licensing criteria for their use and since you obviously dont have one you must immediately ship it to our location where we can safely use it fully licensed to do so......Study for the test for a year and once you get your license we will happily return it to you (at your expense of course)

Just dont lock the kids in the closet with it while you charge it unless of course you want to start over with new ones

Greg