9v battery safety

[chazm 413]

Found this interesting, something I never thought about   

 

[19richie66 17,498]

When I had my mobile DJ business, I was in the middle of a wedding and my wireless mic started to die. While a song was on, i switched out the 9 volt battery and tossed it in my pocket real quick until I had the next song going. It shorted out on some change I had in the pocket. That was a true "hot pocket". Talk about emptying your pocket out quick. I tossed the battery over behind my stand and kept going like nothing happened while I had a nice hot quarter burning my leg.

Also was told in an electrical safety class not to touch it on your tongue to see if it has any power. The instructor said low voltage like that can go to your heart and cause major problems.He said high voltage likes to get out and low voltage wants to go in. Just passing on what I was told. Be safe!

Edited January 28, 2014 by 19richie66

[shallowwatersailor 3,213]

I always put a piece of tape across the terminals on a 9V battery before disposing it.

[Stormin 9,981]

Must admit I've never thought of that. Going to be more carefull in future.

[JC 1965 1,530]

Wow !!  I had no idea this could happen. Thanks for sharing this info.   

[AMC RULES 37,125]

Aww c'mon...      

you gotta put your tongue on it. 

[nylyon-(Admin) 7,240]

Old boy scout trick was to use a 9v battery and steel wool to start a fire.  

[neil 2,409]

Thanks for posting this video , you could have just saved me & my familys life

Thank you

[bmsgaffer 2,043]

I worked in theatre in high school. We worked one show at a local college theater and they kept all their old 9V batteries from the wireless mics. I will never know why, but we found probably 10 one gallon size paint cans full of them. We also figured out (all being bored electrical engineers doing the lighting) that 9V batteries hook to each other very well. You take the (+) on one and snap it on the (-) of another and then add another one to the + side of that one and so on.

 

We created a large C shape about 10' in diameter of 9v batteries all hooked in series. (Worked out to be 600 some odd batteries). Considering all the internal resistance and the fact the batteries were dead, we were probably pushing 2500V. (5400v if the batteries were new and internal resistance didn't exist)

 

We took some steel aircraft wire that was used as safety for hanging lights, some very thick rubber gloves, and decided to see what would happen touching one side of the C (+) to the other side of the C (-).

 

We melted nearly an inch off the end of the aircraft wire (we would only touch for a brief moment at a time). And had one hell of a light show.

 

Looking back on that, there were probably better ways to spend our time. DO NOT TRY THIS. It was stupid and very dangerous, if we had let that voltage go through us we would have been dead. But you donlt think about that much in high school, especially when working with 'harmless' 9v batteries.

[JC 1965 1,530]

Thanks for posting this video , you could have just saved me & my familys life

Thank you

I totally agree with Neil. I had no idea 9 volt batteries could be dangerous. We usually purchase a large pack so we can change batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and have some left over for whatever we need them for. After i remove several batteries from the pack the rest of the batteries turn all sorts of direction. It would be very easy for the batteries to touch contacts. I will make sure that they are stored properly from now on.

[Ed Kennell 37,998]

Just taped all my loose 9vs.