Battery Acid spill, help!!
Discussion
Someone gave me a spare battery from a diesel vehicle, said it had plenty of kick, so I put it in the boot to keep for emergencies.
I noticed that it had tipped over yesterday. I saw wetness, removed it from the boot, noticed a bottle of RainX (windscreen water repellent stuff) had lost its cap and assumed the leak was the rainx.
Woke up in bed with a T-Shirt with a hole big enough to stick a box of matches through (sideways) the edges all bleached. Ran down to car, tasted the spill which burnt my tongue. It must be battery acid, which is what ate my shirt!
Trouble is the boot is sodden with the stuff :'( all in one place fortunately.
Please chaps, tell me what I need to do. It MUST be cleaned off properly. how do I get battery acid out from the carpets, will it eat fibreglass, who do I go to and what do I do?!?
I noticed that it had tipped over yesterday. I saw wetness, removed it from the boot, noticed a bottle of RainX (windscreen water repellent stuff) had lost its cap and assumed the leak was the rainx.
Woke up in bed with a T-Shirt with a hole big enough to stick a box of matches through (sideways) the edges all bleached. Ran down to car, tasted the spill which burnt my tongue. It must be battery acid, which is what ate my shirt!
Trouble is the boot is sodden with the stuff :'( all in one place fortunately.
Please chaps, tell me what I need to do. It MUST be cleaned off properly. how do I get battery acid out from the carpets, will it eat fibreglass, who do I go to and what do I do?!?
I'm sure an expert will be along in a minute, but if it were me I would be looking to remove the carpets if possible and give them a good soaking with water since diluting the acid should reduce it's corosive effect. If it had soked through then I should also try and rinse down the boot interior also.
Of course, you would have to think of how to dry the thing out again...but that's my two penneth. Very best of luck!
Of course, you would have to think of how to dry the thing out again...but that's my two penneth. Very best of luck!
Second the water idea Bob. Trouble is if it's been there overnight the damage may have begun (sorry to be a doom-monger) If it was me I'd empty the boot and flood it with water. There are holes either side of the tank underneath it so the water should drain away OK.
Edit>> Thought you had a Chimaera, not sure if the Cerb has the holes in the boot.
*Note to self - Must keep up.
>> Edited by .Mark on Thursday 21st July 09:24
Edit>> Thought you had a Chimaera, not sure if the Cerb has the holes in the boot.
*Note to self - Must keep up.
>> Edited by .Mark on Thursday 21st July 09:24
I suggest you start by sponging out as much of the liquid as you can, disolve a couple of spoons of sodium bicarbonate in a pint of water and use that to wash the acid out of the carpet (the bicarb will tend to neutralize the acid).
It will almost certainly leave a stain.
If the carpet was vulnerable to acid you would probably already have a hole in it by now. The main goal is to neutralize and remove the acid to stop it burning everything else you put in the boot.
Battery acid is not harmfull to fibreglass.
It will almost certainly leave a stain.
If the carpet was vulnerable to acid you would probably already have a hole in it by now. The main goal is to neutralize and remove the acid to stop it burning everything else you put in the boot.
Battery acid is not harmfull to fibreglass.
Thanks chaps! Can I drill a hole in the boot (cerbera owners??) in the middle of the boot. if the boot were 5 feet wide, in the center (of the floor of the boot) there are two raised ridges, with a cavity of sorts in the very centre of the boot, about a foot wide. This is where the spill is. Without harming wires etc, can I drill a hole in this area, fill with 50 gallons of water, a cup of bicarb, and spend an hour gently filling, adding bicarb, scrubbing...
Or should the boot carpets be ripped out totally?
Or should the boot carpets be ripped out totally?
UKbob said:
Baking soda IS the same as sodium bicarbonate, isn't it?
Yes.
As for drilling holes, up to you but look underneath to see where they would come out. I imagine that it would be very likely to damage the exterior paintwork by doing this, and it would be a real shame to do this anywhere visible. Also check for fuel lines, exhaust etc on the outside level with your 'target area' for the hole.
Personally I would stick with the neutralizer and then sponge it to clean, rinse and dry.
GreenV8S said:
Baking soda IS the same as sodium bicarbonate, isn't it?
Yes.
As for drilling holes, up to you but look underneath to see where they would come out. I imagine that it would be very likely to damage the exterior paintwork by doing this, and it would be a real shame to do this anywhere visible. Also check for fuel lines, exhaust etc on the outside level with your 'target area' for the hole.
Personally I would stick with the neutralizer and then sponge it to clean, rinse and dry.
I found some baking powder in the cupboard, I assume this is also the same as baking soda
? re: the sponge dry, I would, but Im worried that after watering the boot, during the sponge dry process I'll spill a drop on the paintwork. It could take 2 hours of wet, sponge, wet down, sponge up, wet down, sponge up
re: holes in the boot, you would never see them, the holes would go into the boot, through the boot floor. I dont see any fuel lines
... are there any adverse effects from having a few small holes in the boot floor for drainage purposes? pebbledash said:Erm... possibly.
can you not create a syphon, to get the bulk of the water out. fill the tube with water don't suck it to start.
as long as the drain is lower, then it should work
How high can one fill a cerbera boot with water? Where is the wiring? Is it ok to fill up 6 inches with water, drill holes and drain. Id rather take this approach, just not sure if its safe re: wiring etc
how about just sprinkle lots of baking soda in the boot, scrub with a brush and a little water, to work it into the carpet etc, leave for a while for it to neutralise the acid. then use buckets of clean water and a sponge the remove the residue.
At least this way, the acid should be neutralised. before you start trying to remove it.
as for filling the boot with water, is the GRP in the boot strong enough to hold 50 gallons of water ????????
>> Edited by pebbledash on Thursday 21st July 10:11
At least this way, the acid should be neutralised. before you start trying to remove it.
as for filling the boot with water, is the GRP in the boot strong enough to hold 50 gallons of water ????????
>> Edited by pebbledash on Thursday 21st July 10:11
UKbob said:
I found some baking powder in the cupboard, I assume this is also the same as baking soda
Nope, baking powder is baking soda and cream of tartare - so its acid powder and alkali powder. When mixed with water it produces bubbles allowing cakes and stuff to rise [gruff voice] so women tell me, I know nothing of cooking as I'm manly[/gruff voice]
You need an alkali, such as baking soda, or milk (I seem to remember milk is alkali - do you have any litmus paper to test it with?)
jimothy said:Cheers. I assumed it would be the same. I'll pop out and see if the corner store has any baking soda then!
I found some baking powder in the cupboard, I assume this is also the same as baking soda
Nope, baking powder is baking soda and cream of tartare - so its acid powder and alkali powder. When mixed with water it produces bubbles allowing cakes and stuff to rise [gruff voice] so women tell me, I know nothing of cooking as I'm manly[/gruff voice]
You need an alkali, such as baking soda, or milk (I seem to remember milk is alkali - do you have any litmus paper to test it with?)
Right,
This is simple....mix up your baking soda or whatever solution,
Drill a hole of 3/4 mm in the centre of the lowest point in the boot floor.
Fill boot with enough solution to just cover the exhaust recesses, and leave until it all drains through, as you have a small hole it will drain away slowly.
There are no electrics that low in the boot, unless you have any extras, such as amps etc.
There is NOTHING under the boot except the zorsts.
Then, as my Head and Shoulders bottle says...."Simply rinse and repeat!
You then may have to leave it a couple of days with the boot open to fully vent, or if you go to any decent caravan/camping place, you can get silica gel packs, which will suck out all the moisture.
Good luck and don't blame me if it all goes wrong
Cheers
This is simple....mix up your baking soda or whatever solution,
Drill a hole of 3/4 mm in the centre of the lowest point in the boot floor.
Fill boot with enough solution to just cover the exhaust recesses, and leave until it all drains through, as you have a small hole it will drain away slowly.
There are no electrics that low in the boot, unless you have any extras, such as amps etc.
There is NOTHING under the boot except the zorsts.
Then, as my Head and Shoulders bottle says...."Simply rinse and repeat!
You then may have to leave it a couple of days with the boot open to fully vent, or if you go to any decent caravan/camping place, you can get silica gel packs, which will suck out all the moisture.
Good luck and don't blame me if it all goes wrong
Cheers
Bummer! Found this for ya; hope it helps:
www.ibiblio.org/pub/academic/environment/alternative-energy/energy-resources/homepower-magazine/archives/27/27p69.txt
www.ibiblio.org/pub/academic/environment/alternative-energy/energy-resources/homepower-magazine/archives/27/27p69.txt
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