Battery box vented inside camper?!?!

[brockeverly]

I just found that the battery box in my 19H is vented inside the camper. Batteries are relocated to under the dinette and upon initial inspection I did not really think too much about it. After someone asked a question on another forum I started thinking that I did not recall seeing an exterior vent. I called the previous owner who told me he has had it that way for two years and never smelled fumes or had an issue, but I think I want to vent it outside. What are the repercussions of leaving it as is, and what is the best way to vent it outside while retaining the battery box currently installed?

--will post photos on the next post, browser keeps crashing--

[brockeverly]

[Rustic Eagle]

I'm sure the experts on the subject will chime in on venting options..., but all the discussions that I have seen over the years conclude that the battery box should be vented to the outside because of the type of battery.

Bob

[Rustic Eagle]

Here is a purchased product that may give you an idea to modify your existing battery box.., but you would have to make your box lid so it would seal tight (hydrogen is lighter then air).



Bob

[edowsfamily]

Our Eagle 12UDK had this set up to vent outside

Originally Posted by Rustic Eagle

Here is a purchased product that may give you an idea to modify your existing battery box.., but you would have to make your box lid so it would seal tight (hydrogen is lighter then air).



Bob

[RoyBraddy]

You can find all the parts you need including a plastic box for the battery at LOWES...

Venting into the trailer area has it hazards from explosive gas to corrosion of anything metal the fumes comes in contact with. Look around you car battery area to get an idea of what to expect over time. Also the battery can boil out these fluids if over charged for a long period of time. That could be messy as well.

Having said all of this you will always find that one guy that says "Well I have been doing this for years and nothing ever happened" Then one day a mouse will run through the area and the static charge spark will blow up the whole trailer...

Roy Ken

[Panhead]

I wouldn't do it, nope, not me, no way, aint gonna happen!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now if you had sealed gel batteries they don't emit hydrogen fumes so you would be safe with them in the living space.

Steve

[brockeverly]

I am thinking I could take the vent in the link below and put a hole in the top of the existing box and run this through the camper wall, what do you guys think?

http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Vent-H...ttery+box+vent

[Rustic Eagle]

Sounds like a plan to me!

[Bob Landry]

I've been dealing with deep cycle batteries in the marine industry for years and have seen numerous battery installations inside cabins. There is a lot of battery venting hub-bub on the Internet and most of it is "feel good" opinions. In order to present a hydrogen explosion possibility, you would need a ppm concentration that far exceeds a single or dual battery setup. A colleague, who also was a submarine sailor, once told me that it would take a room full of batteries all gassing at the same time to even come close to causing an explosion.

That being said, everyone is going to have their own opinion about it, created largely by the Internet, but it's really up to the owner how he wants his rig set up. Just do it based on some actual research, facts and what you are comfortable with and not something that has been constantly parroted online.

[Grumpy]

The original battery was probably located on the front "A" frame and it was a single 12volt. I wouldn't be as concerned about the hydrogen gas as I would be with corrosion of the items in the same compartment because of the acidic vapors.

[tnchuck100]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

I wouldn't be as concerned about the hydrogen gas as I would be with corrosion of the items in the same compartment because of the acidic vapors.

I gotta disagree with Grumpy here. The corrosion is destructive but not explosive or dangerous. Hydrogen gas is highly explosive very dangerous.

[Jagiven]

The issue I see with installing the tube/vent as you indicate is that your current battery box is a vented style. AKA it vents into the trailer as the lid just sits there with big openings. I would recommend installing a sealed box with a vent. Possibly installing the vent through the floor, but I would have to think about that as hydrogen is lighter than air.

[tnchuck100]

Originally Posted by Jagiven

Possibly installing the vent through the floor, but I would have to think about that as hydrogen is lighter than air.

Installing the vent through the floor won't cut it. As you said, hydrogen is lighter than air. Hydrogen gas would be trapped in the box. Very dangerous. The vent MUST provide a CONTINUOUS rise from the box. No dips or sags in the line.

[Rustic Eagle]

Originally Posted by Bob Landry

snip...... Just do it based on some actual research, facts and what you are comfortable with and not something that has been constantly parroted online.

A battery OEM would be a good source, and they have been warning about safety when handling/using flooded/wet cell batteries long before the internet:

http://www.trojanbattery.com/pdf/MSD....May132010.pdf

Bob