Battery Box?

[Top Hatt Craig]

Do AGM and/or gel cell batteries need to be in a box?I assume all batteries should be enclosed in a proper enclosure, but sure could use the extra space if allowed.Thanks, Craig

[oscarvan]

The fact that they are sealed, and can in fact be shipped without restrictions, would make me say no.

But, I have been wrong before.

[GJH]

They need to be secured in place. Some guys use battery bracket type rigs to address that. Personally I think it is also a very good idea to have something covering the terminals to prevent inadvertent shorts. In my experience the box itself takes up little extra room, so I always opted to have all my banks in ventilated boxes, including the AGM used to start the generator.

[MikeP]

I was under the impression (perhaps incorrectly) that batteries have to be in a box and secured so that neither the battery or the box can move. FWIW, Hatteras battery boxes/lids don't meet the requirement since the box lids do not attach/lock in place. SO...the batteries can fall out if the boat rolls over. However, it seems to me that if the boat turns turtle, the fact that the batteries fell out will be pretty much off the radar when making up the list of immediate problems to be addressed!

Secure batt box lids was one of the needed "corrections" listed on the survey when we bought our 53MY.

[SEVEN]

Craig, it's not the battery box that is the issue. The terminals have to be covered just in case something metal drops on the posts. So if you have to have a top you may as well have them contained in the box.

[MikeP]

The requirements are:

FEDERAL LAW

183.420 - Batteries

(a) Each installed battery must not move more than one inch in any direction when a pulling force of 90 pounds or twice the battery weight, whichever is less, is applied through the center of gravity of the battery as follows:

(1) Vertically for a duration of one minute.

(2) Horizontally and parallel to the boat’s center line for a duration of one minute fore and one minute aft.

(3) Horizontally and perpendicular to the boat’s center line for a duration of one minute to starboard and one minute to port.



There is nothing about boxes so obviously, as originally mentioned, they are not required. ABYC has an extensive list that far exceeds the federal law and sounds like good stuff but ABYC recommendations are just that - recommendations. They have absolutely no legal "force" behind them.

[Angela]

Are AGM and/or gel batteries capable of exploding? Having had two battery explosions, the first being without a battery box, I can say battery boxes are GOOD! Thanks to Father Time and that first exposion, I now have a somewhat newly refuburished, re-glassed genny room. The acid from the explosion ate a lot of stuff away, despite my efforts to neutralize it and clean it up. Live and learn.

[Top Hatt Craig]

Our inverter batteries (eight 6v) are in a painted plywood box right between our gears, making sea strainer, shaft packings, and steering reservoir access very difficult.I could get to our starboard starting batts without moving furniture, rolling up carpet and pulling panels, if I could get past our inverter batts.Our surveyor pointed out the box is not water tight.I'm interested in downsizing to 3 or maybe 4 groupe 31 12v batteries because we are not interested in lengthy anchoring and don't mind running our gen daily if we ever need to.We've converted all lighting to LED and only need to run a 110v fridge overnight.I understand we don't want to run any battery below 50% and I'm under the impression that if three 12v batteries prove insufficient I could add a fourth if needed (I'm good with cabling) I like the heavy vinyl terminal covers as seen on Japanese cars and will have all terminals covered.So, are 12v deep cycle batteries an option for someone willing to sacrifice capacity for access?

[jrbrein]

Our 43' DC that we just bought has 4 - 8D wet cell batteries sitting in plastic boxes with flimsy tops that you get to step all over when going into the ER. They are not tied down. This is not good at all!

On previous boats that I have owned, I relocated the batteries to lockers made water proof in the main salon with long metal rods crossing over the tops of the batteries secured to the bulkheads or heavy duty straps to hold them in place an unable to move in any direction.

You do not have to be on the ocean getting rolled by a wave going turtle for batteries to go flying around. Years ago I met the owner of a large motor yacht who got caught in a freak storm right at the mouth of the Rappahanock River in the Chesapeake Bay and something happened where his boat got knocked on it's side briefly resulting in a lot of damage. Rough conditions can set these heavy acid spewing beasts to do cause great damage to people and boats.
I also would not place a lot of faith in any kind of box to reduce the damage caused by an exploding battery. I would use a water proof box only for collecting stray acid and water run off.

I plan to locate my batteries (all of them) where they are easy to get to and thus will be tended to often. Our boat used to have a dinette that was removed by the PO. My wife and I would love to have one and I am considering rebuilding it and using the seats to make water proof boxes under the seats for battery storage. The distribution of weight can be worked out elsewhere. Building another bench seat in the main salon without interfering with the existing hatches is another idea.

I would not sacrifice battery storage capacity due to lack of space. That extra capacity is like money in the bank!!!

Jonathan Brein
1981 43' DC

[MikeP]

If you are concerned with the fact that they can move vertically in the OEM Hatt boxes, why not just install the rods or straps in the existing boxes rather than move the batteries? Seems like you would gain the most with the least effort - the batts remain low in the boat AND they can't move.

I don't know about how easy the batts are to service in that model Hatt but heck, SOME boat maint is just a PITA. I think it's supposed to be that way for us to be considered real boaters!