Battery in the ER Bilge ok?

[Nopistn]

Right now my boat has no house bank. 2 lehmans and one battery for each engine. Each battery is in front of each engine. For now I'd like to install a dedicated generator battery, with only a backup bilge pump on it.

In these pics the floor between the engines is removed (painted it) and I was wondering if there is anything wrong with putting a battery or 2 under the floor, but spaced off the bottom so water could pass, and possibly secured to the stringer on the side. Of course it would be in a box and secured. That black/grey tote is just there for size but I normally don't keep anything down there.
the space is 42x17x12

Bounus question: can yall confirm that this is a through hull sounder that's been glued in on the last pics... that's what I think it is.
Thanks!

 

[AusCan]

Nopistn,
It's hard to advise without knowing your complete bilge layout, but I'd be a bit wary of putting the the battery for the backup bilge pump in such a low spot.

For the bonus question, my bet is a speed log paddlewheel.

 

[Nopistn]

Nopistn,
It's hard to advise without knowing your complete bilge layout, but I'd be a bit wary of putting the the battery for the backup bilge pump in such a low spot.

For the bonus question, my bet is a speed log paddlewheel.

It's definitely a B744v transducer.... but to me it looks like the blue part shoud be on the outside of the boat?
Just put a new pic up of the tag on it.

 

[Mr. Blu]

A speed log paddle wheel. With the ring you can pull it out so that you can clean the paddle wheel without swimming under the boat or having the boat put ashore. It should be accompagnied by a dummy which you can place in the hole when the paddle wheel is removed. There will come some water in the bilge when you pull the transducer out. It will probably be stuck when you have never removed it. My advice is to try it when the boat is on land so you can make everything work properly and you avoid panic situations. On You tube there are several demonstrations. I will look them up.

 

[Mr. Blu]

 

[Mr. Blu]

I think that you can place the batteries with no problem in the bilge. I had 5 in the bilge of my President 385 Sundeck. They worked fine. It is a cool place.

 

[Mr. Blu]

I see on the tag that it it a Tri ducer (Autohelm, Raymarine) It sends information about temperature of the water, speed and depth.

 

[angus99]

I have the same transducer. The techs installing it cut the blue fairing you’re seeing on an angle to fit the contour of the hull. One piece fits on the outside and the other provides a fair surface on the inside for the tube hardware to tighten down on. The hull, in essence, becomes the meat of a sandwich and the halved fairing is the bread.

 

[Russell Clifton]

We have three 8D batteries below the floor, between the Lehman engines on our Defever.

 

[Comodave]

I think that you could put the batteries there. Just glass in a good structure that is up off the bottom so bilge water can flow through. Glass it very well because the weight of the batteries will want to move them around. ABYC says batteries should not move more than an inch, but I like to secure them so they don’t move at all. Good luck.

 

[Codger2]

Nopistn,
It's hard to advise without knowing your complete bilge layout, but I'd be a bit wary of putting the the battery for the backup bilge pump in such a low spot

:I agree:It would sure make me nervous!

 

[kchace]

I have the same transducer. The techs installing it cut the blue fairing you’re seeing on an angle to fit the contour of the hull. One piece fits on the outside and the other provides a fair surface on the inside for the tube hardware to tighten down on. The hull, in essence, becomes the meat of a sandwich and the halved fairing is the bread.

I have exactly the same setup and it was cut and installed the same way.

 

[Nopistn]

I have the same transducer. The techs installing it cut the blue fairing you’re seeing on an angle to fit the contour of the hull. One piece fits on the outside and the other provides a fair surface on the inside for the tube hardware to tighten down on. The hull, in essence, becomes the meat of a sandwich and the halved fairing is the bread.

This makes sense, thanks!

 

[BruceK]

I would not put batts where I know there will be water, especially enclosed water. If there is nowhere else and you proceed,think about the need to service them, they are under floor panels.
Best avoid flooded lead acid types which need topping up, sealed modern batts, like AGM etc are more practical.I`m not so keen on sealed deep cycle LAs for house batts.

 

[Nopistn]

I would not put batts where I know there will be water, especially enclosed water. If there is nowhere else and you proceed,think about the need to service them, they are under floor panels.
Best avoid flooded lead acid types which need topping up, sealed modern batts, like AGM etc are more practical.I`m not so keen on sealed deep cycle LAs for house batts.

they would be fairly easy to get to. I'd just have to remove the junk between the engines and pull the floor up, I generally set the floor panels on top of the generator to clean down there.

 

[AusCan]

they would be fairly easy to get to. I'd just have to remove the junk between the engines and pull the floor up, I generally set the floor panels on top of the generator to clean down there.

If you do install the batteries down there, I'd recommend reconsidering using them to power your backup bilge pump. When you REALLY need the bilge pump, the batteries would be under water.

 

[dhays]

Not being familiar with the layout of your boat, I'd go along with the others and say use the space, but probably not for an emergency bilge pump. By definition, an emergency bilge pump is for an emergency. What is the emergency that a bilge pump will help with? Water incursion. Since water tends to run to the low point, and since salt water and batteries don't mix well, I'd not put the battery for that pump in that location. Kind of like keep the spare key to your safe, inside the safe.

Now, not all of us have emergency bilge pumps. We have normal bilge pumps designed for more standard water issues. I certainly don't have an emergency pump.

 

[BruceK]

Depending on type the batteries may give off hydrogen gas when charging, some ventilation of the floor panels to allow it to rise and escape would be a good idea.

 

[koliver]

you have a very deep bilge. There is plenty of room to put in a support for your battery box that will put the top of the battery box up above the level of the top of the stringers. Your battery box lid should be strong enough to step on without stepping on the cables or terminals, so you won't lose any stepping space. I have one 4D in such a location. That is my start battery. My house batteries are at the same level, but on the outside of the centre stringers, so the rise of the hull puts the side of the box on the hull, the other side of the battery box is on a support so the top of the battery box is above the stringer.