Newbie question: new battery sparks!

[Ethosb]

It is just 12 volts. It sparking will not cause an injury. But as with any kind of electrical, make sure there is nothing flammable(fumes) near by.

[JesseS]

Every coach has vampire loads that draw power all of the time, so a small spark when connecting the B+ is normal, turn off the battery dis-connect prior to connecting the cable, this will turn off most loads, even ones you forgot.
Forgot to mention if you have an inverter in your system remember to take it out of circuit as charging the capacitors will cause a large spark. 12 VDC can not 'shock' you, but a direct short can burn you, I have seen a 7/16 wrench turn red hot in seconds when shorted across the terminals.

[tec]

When hooking batteries, neg always is the first off and last one connected

[berwin]

ALWAYS connect the positive terminal first! Same goes for jump starting.

Sometimes you get a spark from the negative as well if there is something pulling current when you connect. This is why when jump starting a vehicle, you are supposed to connect the negative cable to something away from the battery so the spark won't cause an explosion from the hydrogen gas that may be in the battery.

Another reason to connect the negative last is that if your tool contacts some grounded part of the RV while working, no problem. If your tool shorted the positive to a ground, it will light up your life. I have a nice Craftsman screwdriver with a chunk blown out of its shaft that reminds me of this every time I work around batteries or 110/220.

[sinnott4]

You obviously have something attempting to pull power in your 12V system. Make sure all 12V systems are turned off. You may still get a small spark because your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detectors will draw a little power. Hooking it up with a small spark should not be a problem.

[RetiredOne]

Originally Posted by Ethosb

It is just 12 volts. It sparking will not cause an injury. But as with any kind of electrical, make sure there is nothing flammable(fumes) near by.

Not totally sure about that. When I was a teenager, I had a battery blow up in my face, when a spark at the terminal post set off the hydrogen gas from the battery.

Let me tell you, that explosion will definitely wake you up (and you'll respect batteries afterwards....).

[thenne1713]

If so, I WOULD BE PUTTING SOME RED TAPE ON THE BLACK CABLE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE AND BLACK TAPE ON THE WHITE CABLE

[RetiredOne]

Originally Posted by thenne1713

If so, I WOULD BE PUTTING SOME RED TAPE ON THE BLACK CABLE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE AND BLACK TAPE ON THE WHITE CABLE

That is what I do before ever removing any cables. Since many aren't color coded, I wrap red electrical tape on all cables I know are positive before I remove them. Definitely eliminates the chance of crossing them up.

I also put a piece of red tape next to every positive battery post on all my batteries. This way, a quick look tells me which side is positive, and I don't have to search for the Plus sign stamped in the top of the battery case.

[mikegray]

Hook up Red (positive) first then the other one no matter the color(ground). Disconnect the opposite way.
Mike

[DocBrown]

The trouble with modern trailers is that the unless you put in a cutoff switch, you can't stop the draw. The CO/Propane detector is always on, as is the display of the entertainment center.