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05-24-2018, 07:04 PM
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#1
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Guru
City: Quebec
Vessel Name: Bleuvet
Vessel Model: Custom Built
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 4,374
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Batteries box
I am about to build a box for y 4 gc2 batteries.
Is it better to separate the 4 batteries within the box or is it fine to put the 4 side by side?
L
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05-24-2018, 07:43 PM
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#2
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Guru
City: Gig Harbor
Vessel Name: Kinship
Vessel Model: North Pacific 43
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 9,046
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lou_tribal
I am about to build a box for y 4 gc2 batteries.
Is it better to separate the 4 batteries within the box or is it fine to put the 4 side by side?
L
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I think side by side is just fine.
I am very busy and inherently lazy. Building your own box is great, but have you considered simply buying one? I bought boxes for my L16 batteries made by Century Plastics. I chose to get two dual boxes instead of one quad box to make it easier to move. However, for GC2 batteries I’d probably go with a quad box. The Century Plastics boxes are very sturdy with a strong lid.
http://www.centuryplastics.ca/images...ment_Boxes.pdf
I think I bought them from All Battery Sales and Service out of Everett.
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05-24-2018, 08:08 PM
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#3
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Guru
City: Quebec
Vessel Name: Bleuvet
Vessel Model: Custom Built
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 4,374
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dhays
I think side by side is just fine.
I am very busy and inherently lazy. Building your own box is great, but have you considered simply buying one? I bought boxes for my L16 batteries made by Century Plastics. I chose to get two dual boxes instead of one quad box to make it easier to move. However, for GC2 batteries I’d probably go with a quad box. The Century Plastics boxes are very sturdy with a strong lid.
http://www.centuryplastics.ca/images...ment_Boxes.pdf
I think I bought them from All Battery Sales and Service out of Everett.
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Thank you very much for your input.
In my case the room for the batteries is quite limited. The box I want to build will have a removable front face and cover to ease batteries insertion/removal, this is the reason to build my custom one.
Trying to make the install as clean an easy as possible
L
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05-24-2018, 10:19 PM
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#4
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Guru
City: Adelaide
Vessel Name: Kokanee
Vessel Model: Cuddles 30 Pilot House Motor Sailer
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 3,218
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Lou,
It may be worth leaving a little bit of air space around each battery to allow cooling as all batteries decrease in performance as temperature increases. I built my battery box to fit 5 X 120 amp hour AGM batteries leaving about 20 mm of air space between each.
The air space may not be critical in your cooler climate but if you have room, I'd suggest leaving a small gap just so they aren't hard up against each other.
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05-24-2018, 11:29 PM
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#5
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TF Site Team
City: California Delta
Vessel Name: FlyWright
Vessel Model: 1977 Marshall Californian 34 LRC
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 13,728
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Side by side.
The shorter the cables, the less the loss and more equal the bank. Cooling shouldn't be a problem.
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05-25-2018, 05:17 AM
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#6
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Guru
City: Seaford Va on Poquoson River, VA
Vessel Name: Old Glory
Vessel Model: 1970 Egg Harbor 37 extended salon model
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,264
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I built one large box to hold up to 4 batteries, but not 8D or 4D sized ones.
So all batteries sit together in the box. I only have 2 in there, plan to put a third one again this summer.
I coated the battery box with a rubber like coating. I have no top, the box sides reach to the battery tops and I have a board screwed down across the batteries to hold them in place. The box and top hold down board has been lasting great, I tried rope ties and webbing and it just was not as secure to hold batteries so they dont move. For spacing and so they can not slide, I cut some wood and they sit in the box bottom.
All batteries eventually fail and may spill some acid, so put a layer of baking soda in the box bottom and sit the batteries on that, or around that to neutralize any spills and preserve your box.
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05-25-2018, 05:34 AM
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#7
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Guru
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 22,553
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With a good sized alt and a smart V regulator the battery temperatures will be monitored , and shut down if they get too warm.
Little 55A alt, and 1 wire V reg , pack em in a box..
Cruising sized alt with smart V reg,, space will keep them cooler , so the charge time will be quicker.
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05-25-2018, 11:20 PM
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#8
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Guru
City: East Coast
Vessel Name: M/V Maerin (Sold)
Vessel Model: Solo 4303
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 886
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If you're required to have a survey, a box constructed from material (like wood) that's not resistant to acid won't meet ABYC standards, nor will a box that won't contain the liquid content. So there's potential for that to be called out in a survey, FWIW.
If the batteries are AGM, there's less potential since they can't spill. The box for my 6 - L16 house bank can be disassembled to ease battery changes. It's not fully ABYC compliant, but it's not been dinged on a survey because the bank is AGM.
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05-26-2018, 05:57 AM
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#9
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Guru
City: Fort Myers, FL... Summers in the Great Lakes
Vessel Name: Slow Hand
Vessel Model: Cherubini Independence 45
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 12,818
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I would build the box so there's a 1/2" gap between the batteries for cooling. The gap can be achieved by sliding a 2" strip of Starboard down to the bottom between the batteries. The gaps won't make the box appreciably bigger or the cabling between batteries significantly longer.
Ted
__________________
Blog: mvslowhand.com
I'm tired of fast moves, I've got a slow groove, on my mind.....
I want to spend some time, Not come and go in a heated rush.....
"Slow Hand" by The Pointer Sisters
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05-26-2018, 06:02 AM
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#10
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Guru
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 22,553
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"Trying to make the install as clean an easy as possible"
Make it strong enough to hold the batts after dropping off a big wave at a 45 deg angle a few times.
You never know.
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05-26-2018, 07:45 AM
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#11
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Guru
City: Quebec
Vessel Name: Bleuvet
Vessel Model: Custom Built
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 4,374
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Maerin
If you're required to have a survey, a box constructed from material (like wood) that's not resistant to acid won't meet ABYC standards, nor will a box that won't contain the liquid content. So there's potential for that to be called out in a survey, FWIW.
If the batteries are AGM, there's less potential since they can't spill. The box for my 6 - L16 house bank can be disassembled to ease battery changes. It's not fully ABYC compliant, but it's not been dinged on a survey because the bank is AGM.
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Indeed that is why I am also trying to meet these requirements. Core will be wood but sealed in fiberglass and epoxy, should contains battery content, vented at the top with a protective cover.
L
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05-26-2018, 07:48 AM
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#12
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Guru
City: Quebec
Vessel Name: Bleuvet
Vessel Model: Custom Built
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 4,374
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Quote:
Originally Posted by O C Diver
I would build the box so there's a 1/2" gap between the batteries for cooling. The gap can be achieved by sliding a 2" strip of Starboard down to the bottom between the batteries. The gaps won't make the box appreciably bigger or the cabling between batteries significantly longer.
Ted
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This is what I was panning to do but was not sure it was necessary.
Thank you Ted
L
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05-26-2018, 07:49 AM
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#13
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Guru
City: Quebec
Vessel Name: Bleuvet
Vessel Model: Custom Built
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 4,374
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FF
"Trying to make the install as clean an easy as possible"
Make it strong enough to hold the batts after dropping off a big wave at a 45 deg angle a few times.
You never know.
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For sure I will make it strong, knowing the number of time I am severely waked by idiot cruisers here, it better be strong!
L
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05-26-2018, 08:50 AM
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#14
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Guru
City: Annapolis
Vessel Name: Ranger
Vessel Model: 58' Sedan Bridge
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 7,068
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lou_tribal
Indeed that is why I am also trying to meet these requirements. Core will be wood but sealed in fiberglass and epoxy, should contains battery content, vented at the top with a protective cover.
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Would Starboard be worth considering?
-Chris
__________________
Chesapeake Bay, USA
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05-26-2018, 09:35 AM
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#15
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Moderator Emeritus
City: Au Gres, MI
Vessel Name: Black Dog
Vessel Model: Formula 41PC
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 21,131
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Love Starboard, but it takes a special glue to glue it together. I am not sure what the strength of a glued joint would be. It needs to be glued so any battery spill would be contained. I would go with the plywood and fiberglass method. I do use Starboard for spacers between the batteries. ABYC says batteries should not move more than 1”. I use the spacers so that the batteries do not move at all. 1” of movement hundreds of times a day can’t be good for the battery or the connections.
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05-26-2018, 10:36 AM
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#16
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Senior Member
City: Chesapeake Bay
Vessel Name: Patty Ann
Vessel Model: Mainship 34 MK1 1980
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 409
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" Core will be wood but sealed in fiberglass and epoxy, should contains battery content, vented at the top with a protective cover." Going to construct a box to hold 4 GC2 using same method.
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05-26-2018, 11:10 AM
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#17
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Senior Member
City: Florida
Vessel Name: Chez Reagan
Vessel Model: Cargile Cutter
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 280
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I have a basic question about battery boxes. I get the impression that the primary purpose of a box for FLA batteries is to contain acid? Is anyone concerned about Hydrogen? Boat I recently purchased had 2 FLA batteries in the engine compartment under the fantail. They were unboxed, setting on the hull against the transom and no venting dedicated to the batteries. Even to my uneducated eye it did not look good. My plan is to expand the house bank to 2 and move all 3 batteries forward, approximately 7 ' to just inside the cabin. I will build/buy containment boxes for them but will Hydrogen discharge be an issue? As I do not have access to ABYC standards (I understand it is a closed club). If anyone has input about my first question that would be appreciated. Then if anyone knows how I can get my hands on the ABYC standards please let me know. Sorry if this is thread creep. I thought I was creating a new post but apparently not. Mia Culpa.
Thanks, Friz
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05-26-2018, 11:34 AM
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#18
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Guru
City: Palm Coast, FL
Vessel Name: Coquina
Vessel Model: Lagoon 380
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 2,570
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You won’t contain H2 in a battery box, since cables exit up high and light gas easily escapes.
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05-26-2018, 02:58 PM
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#19
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Guru
City: Gig Harbor
Vessel Name: Kinship
Vessel Model: North Pacific 43
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 9,046
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Fritz, as Dave said, the H2 gas will vent out of the boxes. Your ER is well ventilated to keep the engine intakes happy. The batteries where they would be just fine. The reason for the boxes is to contain acid and it keep the batteries secured. A battery tray works just as well for this. I like the boxes as it means I can set things on top of the batteries if needed.
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05-26-2018, 07:38 PM
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#20
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Guru
City: Fort Myers, FL... Summers in the Great Lakes
Vessel Name: Slow Hand
Vessel Model: Cherubini Independence 45
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 12,818
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The simple answer to hydrogen gassing during charging is as follows:
If charging off a running engine or battery charger off a generator, the engine will provide enough ventilation while running to eliminate the generated gas. While sitting at a dock the charge rate is usually low enough for it not to be an issue. If I were charging a depleted bank off shore power, I likely run the engineroom ventilation till reaching the float stage, just to be safe.
Ted
__________________
Blog: mvslowhand.com
I'm tired of fast moves, I've got a slow groove, on my mind.....
I want to spend some time, Not come and go in a heated rush.....
"Slow Hand" by The Pointer Sisters
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