Few more jobs ticked off my long list...

[Damian]

Quote "
Am I right in thinking you are a caravan service engineer"

Yes you are right, a fully qualified and gas safe LPG certified.

Quote " If so, at annual service time and you came across a customers caravan with the battery issues discussed in this topic, what would you put on the service report and how would you tackle the issue with the customer?"

The service report would have a failure marked on it in relation to, and details of what is wrong with the installation.
As far as tackling the problem, after advising of the issue is to work out what if anything the customer wants to do to remedy it.
Unlike gas installations, unless the installation poses an imminent danger to life one can only advise.
Whereas with a serious gas issue I will remove the gas and seal the inlet until it is fixed.

 

[Thingy]

Thats what i expected. It is officially a failure. Im fully in your court on this one.

I dont understand why people take avoidable risks.
I was speaking to County Batteries yesterday getting a battery for my fathers car and i priced up their gel batteries. He told me that they dont give off fumes like trad batteries. Surprised me a bit that one.

 

[Dustydog]

JayTea
I've lost the thread here
You have fitted an inverter in the original battery compartment.
Where exactly are you now going to fit the battery?
A sealed battery box should not be that difficult to fabricate, providing it and the battery is securely fastened, properly vented and placed near the axle for safe weight distribution. You could even buy a full battery housing kit complete with new exterior door maybe? My Bailey battery compartment is cheap plastic. Ok it is isolated from the interior but hardly fire retardant. The spill tray is a cheap plastic too!
Maybe the solution is not as complex as you think

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Thingy,

Fumes are but one of several possible failure modes for batteries. The Gel batteries are just as capable of having a cell go down which can cause the battery to over heat, swell and even explode. Those are also issues where a a proper battery box will protect the occupants of a caravan.

There will be thousands of people who have unprotected batteries and will report they've had no problems, but that does not make a practice right or without a foreseeable danger. Generally it is better to prevent a hazard from becoming hazardous, rather that trying to clean up after the event. Think of it as insurance.

 

[Parksy]

Apologies if I'm missing something here or being unhelpful but all types of battery box, both internal and external are available on Fleabay

 

[Thingy]

Hello Thingy,

Fumes are but one of several possible failure modes for batteries. The Gel batteries are just as capable of having a cell go down which can cause the battery to over heat, swell and even explode. Those are also issues where a a proper battery box will protect the occupants of a caravan.

There will be thousands of people who have unprotected batteries and will report they've had no problems, but that does not make a practice right or without a foreseeable danger. Generally it is better to prevent a hazard from becoming hazardous, rather that trying to clean up after the event. Think of it as insurance.

Im totally with you and Damian on this one, and I beg to report my battery is in a sealed box with said breather pipe in place and effective.
I take the point about the Gels being as at risk as any other battery. It was just that the battery chap made a point about them not giving off fumes, and in all honesty, I have no idea whether he is right or wrong.

Apologies if I'm missing something here or being unhelpful but all types of battery box, both internal and external are available on Fleabay

Hes advertizing Fleabay, ban him B) B) B) B) B) B) B) B) B) B) B)

 

[JayTea]

Nothing to see here

 

[JayTea]

JayTea
I've lost the thread here

You're not the only one...

 

[otherclive]

I'm struggling to find a sealed box that I can fit a vent to, it looks like they are all snap tops which don't look to have any seal around the lid and bottom section of the box.

Another question is what diameter vent pipe would I need to fit to a battery box?

Damian in an earlier post said “10mm I’d” but you would need an adaptor to fit the battery vent outlet. Although using smaller bore tube from both battery vents would get you near or thereabouts.

 

[Parksy]

Hes advertizing Fleabay, ban him B) B) B) B) B) B) B) B) B) B) B)

I have to add to my sins by letting JayTea know that breather tubes are also available which could pass through a hole in the battery box to join another length to conduct any fumes out through the gas drop breather holes in the caravan floor.

 

[JayTea]

Nothing to see here...

 

[JayTea]

Nothing to see here

 

[Hutch]

I have still got to replace my Sargent alarm Battery, bought it two months ago, and fit my Tyre Pal kit that I got for Xmas, Anglian Water still have our road up and Cannot get the van down to the house. Plus Dental work for myself.
Really getting Itchy Wheels.

 

[Mandarin]

Just musing, and wondered how thousands of boat owners manage with batteries buried deep down below water level, not really practical to drill a vent hole. Often the batteries are just under the bunks.

I assume there are different regulations, but then why is it so dangerous to have an unvented battery in a caravan, but not in a boat?

 

[ProfJohnL]

Just musing, and wondered how thousands of boat owners manage with batteries buried deep down below water level, not really practical to drill a vent hole. Often the batteries are just under the bunks.

I assume there are different regulations, but then why is it so dangerous to have an unvented battery in a caravan, but not in a boat?

Exactly the same dangers are there, even potentially more because of the lack of ventilation, so different regulations must apply.

For your information, there have been plenty of boat fires some of which could have been battery related. I believe canal and other inland waterway boats are supposed to have both the gas bottles any batteries stowed in separate lockers above the waterline and adequately vented.

 

[Damian]

Boats must have gas alarms fitted where cylinders are below the waterline which cut off the gas supply when triggered by a leak,and have a venting system, much like a cooker hood acts. similarly alarms must be fitted in battery compartments to warn of problems.

 

[Thingy]

just musing, and wondered how thousands of boat owners manage with batteries buried deep down below water level,

AGM and Gel Batteries. Most, if not all don't require venting, or so the manufacturers claim.

 

[Guzzilazz]

With nearly 50 years on boats, there is only one area covered by regulation - and that is Inland Waterways and the Boat Safety Scheme (BSS). In my sphere (sea sailing) there is loads of good practice. Gas bottles are required to be stored in a gas proof locker which drains externally... There is no requirement for a gas or CO alarm, or for battery storage. We also never use absorption fridges, always compressor based (possibly water cooled rather than air cooled), and heating (if fitted) would be diesel (primarily Eberspacher or Webasto air)

Despite my enthusiasm for AGM batteries, I'm hugely in the minority, most use flooded lead acid. Sailors are famously parsimonious, and frequently buy stuff from caravan dealers as it's MUCH cheaper. AGM's do not need venting.

When I bought my boat it had no gas, being fitted with a very expensive Wallas Diesel cooker (about £2,300 +VAT when fitted) which finally crapped out about 3 years back. Installing gas, I also installed a dual gas/CO alarm, with the gas detector mounted in the bilges abeam of the cooker and the CO mounted on the deck head (ceiling) also near the cooker

 

[JayTea]

Nothing to see here...

 

[otherclive]

An interesting read on AGM batteries here... Click

Thank you that supports other sources that I’d found. Lead acid have been stalwarts of my caravanning over the years and unless I change my approach which is unlikely I will stick with LA.

 

[Guzzilazz]

I'm an AGM fan, because of my experience with their life. The set I installed in 2006 on my boat were only replaced in 2015, which was about twice the expected life of flooded LA's - and they're no longer twice the cost...

 

[Thingy]

The problem at the moment with AGM is wherever you look for advice, its always conflicting.

 

[JayTea]

Nothing to see here

 

[JayTea]

Nothing to see here

 

[JayTea]

Nothing to see here