That time I tried building a backyard hydrogen generator and nearly blew my shed off the foundation

Last August I set up a DIY electrolysis rig in my shed using stainless steel plates and a 12v battery charger. I was trying to separate hydrogen from water to run a small burner, but I forgot to add a bubbler backflow preventer. After about 20 minutes the flame traveled back up the hose and the whole thing popped with a loud bang. Scared the crap out of me and melted the terminals on my charger, but at least the shed is still standing. Has anyone else messed with HHO gas and lived to tell about it?

3 comments

3 Comments

ivanbell21d ago

My uncle lost his eyebrows doing the exact same thing in 2018. Water electrolysis without proper safety gear is basically a homemade bomb. At least you learned the lesson without needing a trip to the ER.

lily_torres3121d ago

My buddy lost his phone to a spark doing this, @ivanbell.

claire_young7620d ago

Whoa holy crap, good thing you didn't get hurt worse! I tried something similar back in 2015 with a old car battery and some copper wire. The whole rig started smoking and I panicked and threw it in the driveway where it cracked the concrete. Still makes me nervous just thinking about it. You're lucky your shed survived, seriously.