Venting for Battery adequate?

[tim1970]

I am about to replace my 12volt with 4 6volt batteries. Currently my 1 battery is inside a plastic vented box which is inside of the front storage on my 5th wheel. (2017 Jayco 29.5 BHDS) The inner compartment where the battery is is enclosed on all sides except the front, so when my large storage compartment door is shut it is basically isolated (but not air tight) from everything else in that storage area. Then on the left and right hand sides of the storage compartment there is about a 3 inch space at the top of the wall, which leads to my side storage compartments. Then, on each side door there is a circle vent to the outside.

To make a long story shorter, will this be adequate for venting my new 4 6 volt batteries if I keep each one of them in a vented box, without having to actually run a tube vent all the way to the side doors?

Hopefully this makes sense. If not, I can try and get some pictures tonight.

[BFL13]

time2roll wrote:
So just cut a hole near the top and apply a vent grill.
My front compartment is so unsealed I skipped the whole vent tube thing 12 years ago.

Me too. Here is one of my set-ups with the 5er a while back. Cable hatch I put in the front cargo door was also for venting if the door was closed. Never had any issue with battery fumes.

[SoundGuy]

SoundGuy wrote:
This would be an ideal application for AGM batteries.

tim1970 wrote:
I am seriously considering this to avoid all of the headaches about proper venting. I should be perfectly fine doing this. Which AGM battery do you recommend? Also, how much more cost am I looking at? 2X, 3X, or even more?

Mine is a DEKA G31 12 volt AGM but many manufacturers offer AGM deep cycle batteries, 6 volt or 12 volt. I'm in Canada where pricing is no doubt different than where you are but for AGM I suspect you'd be looking at 2X the cost of flooded.

[tim1970]

SoundGuy wrote:
This would be an ideal application for AGM batteries. For sure more costly but they do eliminate the venting issue and need no servicing at all, other than proper recharging of course. Exactly why when I replaced my aging tongue mounted flooded battery I instead mounted an AGM in the trailer's front pass through cargo compartment where I could connect to the inverter with short, heavy gauge 18" cables for minimal voltage drop, even under heavy load. :B

I am seriously considering this to avoid all of the headaches about proper venting. I should be perfectly fine doing this. Which AGM battery do you recommend? Also, how much more cost am I looking at? 2X, 3X, or even more?

[tim1970]

Here are some pictures to help explain my situation better. This might not be vented perfectly, but am I in danger with running my 1 battery the way it is now? (Now that I think about it, the battery I have is maintenance free, so maybe it is an AGM battery?)

This is exactly how it came from the dealer...

Here is my front storage compartment. You can see the smaller battery compartment inside of it.
IMG_1941 by Tim Richardson, on Flickr

This is the left side of the big storage compartment. You can see the space at the top leading to the side storage. If you look real close, you can actually see the top of the vent on the outside door.
IMG_1942 by Tim Richardson, on Flickr

This is below my battery compartment. there are 2 of these holes leading to the outside.
IMG_1944 by Tim Richardson, on Flickr

This is the door to one of my side compartments. Both side compartment doors have this vent.
IMG_1945 by Tim Richardson, on Flickr

[RoyB]

The problem I see is your 5th wheel bedroom is directly above your installed battery compartment - At least that is the way mine is... Probably not the best of circumstances haha...

Even LOWES has the vent tubes with hose assemblies... I'd try to rig up some positive venting...

Roy Ken

[SoundGuy]

This would be an ideal application for AGM batteries. For sure more costly but they do eliminate the venting issue and need no servicing at all, other than proper recharging of course. Exactly why when I replaced my aging tongue mounted flooded battery I instead mounted an AGM in the trailer's front pass through cargo compartment where I could connect to the inverter with short, heavy gauge 18" cables for minimal voltage drop, even under heavy load. :B

[CA_Traveler]

On my son's 5er we had a vent in the bottom of the box through the floor and a hose out the top of the box to the outside. We bought a new box but used the same ventilation.

OK Not sure how your compartments are arranged but it doesn't sound like the battery has adequate ventilation to the outside.

[time2roll]

So just cut a hole near the top and apply a vent grill.
My front compartment is so unsealed I skipped the whole vent tube thing 12 years ago.

[tim1970]

CA Traveler wrote:
Inadequate ventilation as you describe. Since you already have a vented battery box use the same ventilation for a new battery box for the new batteries.

This is what I am wanting to do. Use the same ventilation that is being used now. However, my current ventilated box does not have a hose coming from it. It just ventilates into the smaller compartment. (Which does have big holes cut in the floor to the outside world, but I thought hydrogen had to be vented upwards)

[CA_Traveler]

Inadequate ventilation as you describe. Since you already have a vented battery box use the same ventilation for a new battery box for the new batteries.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

I can visualize it and IMHO it lacks a lot as far as adequate ventilation is concerned.

Here is a not so improbable scenario...

Battery or cell ages and goes bad. Battery emits a lot of corrosive fumes -- anything in that compartment will get saturated including wood and cloth. Metal will corrode.

Hydrogen gas goes straight up then vigorously wanders around on the ceiling looking for a way out. If it doesn't find a way then overhead a pocket of hydrogen is formed. H2S and H2SO4 are heavier. Battery boxes with inch and a half single vent exiting the box at the top will stop explosion and corrosion hazards.

[Sam_Spade]

tim1970 wrote:
I am about to replace my 12volt with 4 6volt batteries.

Wow. That's quite an upgrade. Wonder if your converter/charger will handle that much capacity ?

IF.....you get AGM type sealed batteries you won't have to worry about venting at all. Yes, that will be expensive but they should last longer AND you never have to check the water level.