Graham_Wright
Well-Known Member
Accepting that batteries need to be prevented from moving, if they are sealed, what is to be gained by boxing them in?
Battery boxes - are they necessary?
- Thread starter Graham_Wright
- Start date
sarabande
Well-Known Member
putting a box around them, with a removable lid (and some ventilation holes for hydrogen) prevents metal objects falling on the terminals and allows the lid to be used for e.g additional storage or a bunk mattress.
Graham_Wright
Well-Known Member
Very good point but should have said - they are covered by sole boards.
BrianH
Well-Known Member
On my Trapper 500 the batteries were under the quarter berth on molded GRP platforms - meaning they were level sections on the curve of the bilge - and securely retained by belts screwed into those platforms. So no boxes there.
The important point is that they should be immoveable in a seaway - or worse. I suppose wet cell batteries could lose electrolyte at extreme angles and a box could contain that spillage. My present boat has boxes for all batteries, two service, one motor start and one anchor winch, despite all being closed cell. It clearly is the best solution and not difficult to build out of exterior grade ply, the resultant box needs little more space than the battery itself.
The important point is that they should be immoveable in a seaway - or worse. I suppose wet cell batteries could lose electrolyte at extreme angles and a box could contain that spillage. My present boat has boxes for all batteries, two service, one motor start and one anchor winch, despite all being closed cell. It clearly is the best solution and not difficult to build out of exterior grade ply, the resultant box needs little more space than the battery itself.
VicS
Well-Known Member
I wish my battery had been in a box of some sort! A deep tray at least.
I would not have had to wash the locker out with washing soda after it leaked if it had been !
I would not have had to wash the locker out with washing soda after it leaked if it had been !
KellysEye
Well-Known Member
In addition to the box and lid they should also be strapped down. The damage they could do flying around doesn't bear thinking about.
D
Deleted member 36384
Guest
Protection. A secondary barrier against some future possible event. For example: -
Restraint should the straps fail.
Containment of fluids.
Protection from sloshing water.
Protection from dropped objects.
Mine are on a tray, with 6" high edging and the securing straps. They are exposed at the top. There is a risk that they could be ejected if the straps failed. Extending the edges above the batteries and fastening a lid down would give that additional security. I would do this if I was venturing into the Oceans, but not the Coastal sailing that I do; very much a fair weather sailor.
Restraint should the straps fail.
Containment of fluids.
Protection from sloshing water.
Protection from dropped objects.
Mine are on a tray, with 6" high edging and the securing straps. They are exposed at the top. There is a risk that they could be ejected if the straps failed. Extending the edges above the batteries and fastening a lid down would give that additional security. I would do this if I was venturing into the Oceans, but not the Coastal sailing that I do; very much a fair weather sailor.
Jamesuk
Well-Known Member
We have lots of batteries at 24Volts, we dont have them in boxes but we have them bolted down.
We put Perspex down over the bank then the floor boards. The Perspex is great as it drops out a need to lift the boards that were below it before when needing to simply eye ball the terminals for corrosion. It also made it easier drilling the holes required to fit them.
Just make sure they are all bolted down so if you do go free diving unexpectedly you wont be swimming with batteries.
(in short)
Stu Jackson
Well-Known Member
If a battery goes bad on you, you'll regret not having boxes.
Graham_Wright
Well-Known Member
Tray it is then (deep).
ricardio
Member
Does anyone know what the best sort off webbing is to use to tie down the battery/battery box? I was brought up to believe that battery acid was instant death to (nylon) climbing rope. Does the same go for polyester?
Lodesman77
Well-Known Member
+1 - same for me, split casing, a big nasty mess. New one went in a box straight away...
VicS
Well-Known Member
I think you will find that polyester is fine with sulphuric acid at normal battery acid concentration.
Perhaps not if any spills or splashes are allowed to concentrate.
I use a battery clamping device obtained from a car parts shop. Halfords did have them but I cannot find them on the website now
Graham_Wright
Well-Known Member
I will be using a plastic at probably acetal but HDPE or nylon should be fine. Just needs enough section to be rigid and strong.
VicS
Well-Known Member
Nylon and acetal are not resistant to strong acids
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Graham_Wright
Well-Known Member
So HDPE? Or GRP?
It would be nice to use an insulator rather than increase the shorting opportunities.
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ricardio
Member
A car battery clamp is a good idea - probably free from a scrapyard but I agree with Graham Wright that the less opportunity for shorts the better so I will find some polyester strapping.
Richard10002
Well-Known Member
I think you will find that polyester is fine with sulphuric acid at normal battery acid concentration.
Perhaps not if any spills or splashes are allowed to concentrate.
I use a battery clamping device obtained from a car parts shop. Halfords did have them but I cannot find them on the website now
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330758649163#ht_531wt_689
Captain Haddock
Well-Known Member
All my batteries are bolted down via these
http://www.bainbridgemarine.co.uk/Variants.aspx?Item=PRD-000618 one of the cupboards on my boat is reserved exclusively for the batteries. I couldn't fit battery boxes in and this was the next best thing. The cross bracket is made from very strong plastic.
You can use the screw down metal posts and there's room to use straps too. I've bolted the trays down too.
http://www.bainbridgemarine.co.uk/Variants.aspx?Item=PRD-000618 one of the cupboards on my boat is reserved exclusively for the batteries. I couldn't fit battery boxes in and this was the next best thing. The cross bracket is made from very strong plastic.
You can use the screw down metal posts and there's room to use straps too. I've bolted the trays down too.
John the kiwi
Well-Known Member
DIY Battery Box
Having looked at commercial offerings, I spent a winters day making my own battery box out of ply and fully epoxy coated in and out.
I routed a groove in each side for a sliding lid also of ply. There are just two small holes in the end for cable entries, so battery is fully protected from possibility of things being dropped on it. The battery is not strapped in as i am confident that the sliding lid would hold the battery in the box in the event of a complete rollover.
I made the box internals about 20 mm bigger all round than the battery and just use some plywood spacers to stop battery moving inside the box.
It makes it easier to lift in and out with spacers removed than if the box was a very neat fit.
The whole box is screwed in place so if i had a burst battery or spillage, it would be easy to unscrew and lift the whole thing out.
Easy and cheap project that has given me peace of mind compared to the previous flimsy arrangement that allowed the battery to fall over on a major knockdown. (I knew i should have reefed sooner!)
Having looked at commercial offerings, I spent a winters day making my own battery box out of ply and fully epoxy coated in and out.
I routed a groove in each side for a sliding lid also of ply. There are just two small holes in the end for cable entries, so battery is fully protected from possibility of things being dropped on it. The battery is not strapped in as i am confident that the sliding lid would hold the battery in the box in the event of a complete rollover.
I made the box internals about 20 mm bigger all round than the battery and just use some plywood spacers to stop battery moving inside the box.
It makes it easier to lift in and out with spacers removed than if the box was a very neat fit.
The whole box is screwed in place so if i had a burst battery or spillage, it would be easy to unscrew and lift the whole thing out.
Easy and cheap project that has given me peace of mind compared to the previous flimsy arrangement that allowed the battery to fall over on a major knockdown. (I knew i should have reefed sooner!)
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