240v output in battery box?

[oBladeo]

Just wondering why I have a 240v output in my battery box next to the caravan 240v input.

As it just incase I want to mow grass in the middle of the night? Or should I have something that plugs into it?

 

[otherclive]

Could it be power supply to external appliances in your awning?

 

[forestgump]

i have the same and run power to awning

 

[oBladeo]

Thanks allot
stange as the battery box is on the otherside of the van. Just glad it's not something else thats missign as this van is costing me a bomb

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

Do you have a 230v outlet actually IN the battery box, or is it in a sealed compartment to the side of the battery box? No socket is permitted IN the battery box itself due to explosive gases from the battery and sparks from the socket. If it is IN the battery box then it looks like a DIY fix and should be removed.

 

[RogerL]

Duplicate post

 

[oBladeo]

Yes the socket is in the battery box next to the 230v caravan input. There is a small bit of plastic that has been siliconed into place. I'm thinking about ripping it all out so i can fit a larger battery in there and also have a separate 230v input as i don't like the setup.

Most leisure batteries are sealed these days so the release of hydrogen gas as the battery is charging is not a issue anymore.

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

Yes the socket is in the battery box next to the 230v caravan input. There is a small bit of plastic that has been siliconed into place. I'm thinking about ripping it all out so i can fit a larger battery in there and also have a separate 230v input as i don't like the setup.

Most leisure batteries are sealed these days so the release of hydrogen gas as the battery is charging is not a issue anymore.

hi, it may not be an issue anymore but it is still a requrement, for the EHU input and external socket to be seperate, most vans have a compartment within the battery box seperated with a preformed wall and sealed when the door is shut.
fitting a new EHU input somewhere else on the van seems like a good idea as this could be sited for convience like at the back, or on the opposite side to the awning, ect just don't put it in the front locker with the gas!!!!.
if you are doing a full refurbishment then it,s a blank canvas plan ahead before cutting holes and drilling, perhaps putting the EHU, where the water inlet was, and moving this to the same side of the van as the awning to stop the water freezing in winter,
and ps, make sure all the holes left in the battery box that go through into the bunk are sealed.

 

[RogerL]

Most leisure batteries are sealed these days so the release of hydrogen gas as the battery is charging is not a issue anymore.

Most leisure batteries aren't sealed - they just have a cover over the cell caps !
But more importantly they also have a gas vent, usually at the end, to allow internal gases to escape - even expensive Valve Regulated Lead Acid (VRLA) batteries which really are sealed with Gas Recombitant Chambers still have a vent to allow excess gas pressure to escape which can occur if the wrong type of charger is used, or even a faulty correct type.
When batteries have a gas vent fitted, it's possible to use the correct sized tube connected to the vent and then going out through the caravan floor to atmosphere.

 

[otherclive]

Surely a sealed battery is one where the electrolyte vapour recombines and then drains back into the cells thus obviating the need to keep topping up. But when charging hydrogen will be produced and has to be vented and sealed batteries still have vent holes otherwise there would be a pressure build up. When you buy an on line battery it will have two small red plugs inserted into the vents and these must removed before use.

 

[oBladeo]

Thanks colin-yorkshire i'm not up to date with all the regs on vans atm but i'll have a look for all the info and make sure the van complies with them once finished. It looks like the previous owner tried to get around the issue by using a thin sheet of perspex and a silicon gun.

 

[forestgump]

sorry have to say mines in the box on awning side not battery box ?