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Old 09-24-2017, 11:47 AM   #1
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Battery box.

Where is the battery placed on the boler? is it on the frame or underneath the front storage bin.
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Old 09-24-2017, 12:48 PM   #2
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Batteries should be placed outside the trailer in order to prevent the build of of highly explosive gases inside your trailer! You can however buy specially vented battery boxes to enable placement of said battery under your storage bin or anywhere else inside your trailer. This tends to be more work and more difficult to get right for the uninitiated so that you don't create a major hazard to your health.

I am guessing that your boler never had a battery box and you are trying to add one. Save yourself a lot of extra work and mount it on the tongue of the trailer. Just my opinion.
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Old 09-24-2017, 01:19 PM   #3
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Again you can place the battery anywhere you like the only issue is making sure the battery vent itself is clear so so gas can leave the battery itself.
Hydrogen does not explode it detonates.

Hydrogen escapes rapidly there is no way you would ever get the kind of buildup in your trailer that you would need to be a problem. Even in a controlled environment trying to get enough would be a serious task.

Mine is not an opinion but comes from thirty years manufacturing H2.
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Old 09-24-2017, 01:51 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Daniel A. View Post
Again you can place the battery anywhere you like the only issue is making sure the battery vent itself is clear so so gas can leave the battery itself.
Hydrogen does not explode it detonates.

Hydrogen escapes rapidly there is no way you would ever get the kind of buildup in your trailer that you would need to be a problem. Even in a controlled environment trying to get enough would be a serious task.

Mine is not an opinion but comes from thirty years manufacturing H2.
Perhaps my reply was too fast and not in depth enough. I was just trying to stress the need for proper venting of a lead acid battery. I have worked with automotive and marine batteries for years and have seen the damage done when a battery explodes (sorry - detonates). Most times all it takes is a small spark near the battery (especially when the battery is warm from just being charged). I have also seen where an internal battery problem caused massive damage to equipment. Placing a battery inside a trailer is not typically what I would recommend to anyone if they have any other option. I have seen the back seat of some Buick Lucernes destroyed by exploding (detonating) batteries because of venting problems and improper installation. Luckily no one was seated on top of those batteries at the time. It most likely would never happen but it can. I have seen it. Other automotive mechanics have seen it.
How to Avoid Battery Explosions (Yes, They Really Happen) - latimes

Marine mechanics have seen it.
How batteries can explode - and how to avoid it - Yachting Monthly

It's not a common problem but it is always possible. Just something to think about when you have a choice of mounting location.
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Old 09-24-2017, 02:31 PM   #5
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In my 79 Boler it was under the rear street-side bench. the first year I got it 20+ years ago, I put it in a sealed (Vented to the outside) box and the next year I had a square frame box welded to the front hitch just in front of the 20# LP tank.
This is also a vented box held on with some screws into the angle iron bottom for the frame.
The top is held on with the strap that came with battery box.
I re-wired entire inside of Boler so making sure the charge wire and hot wire going to the new converter was all routed in chase way under front dinette.
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Old 09-24-2017, 02:52 PM   #6
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I've done some testing with an explosive meter and connected right to the vent hose the meter picks up the H2 but once moved a few inches away nothing just about what I would expect.

The vast majority of battery issues involve an internal short some of us understand just how much power a battery has and what can happen.
Yes I've seen a red cable go white from a major short probably very lucky the battery didn't go off.

Even with Lithium batteries I'm sure most are aware of the issue that can happen with so much power in a little unit. Batteries need to be respected.
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Old 09-24-2017, 02:53 PM   #7
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detonates....

yep that's the correct term alright....I have had two "detonations" within 3 feet of me. One was a set of 6 six volt batteries (in both occasions the batteries had just been fully discharged...and a spark was allowed to happen near the top of batteries)

nothing "explodes" except for maybe the caps go flying....but the noise is probably the loudest thing you'll ever hear in your life!....like you won't hear ANYTHING for the next 10-15 minutes! Batteries detonating is not as big a deal as it's often depicted (the Hindenburg?...not)...it is certainly LOUD and you have to buy new one(s)

yeah venting is a good idea and it's real easy as hydrogen is FOURTEEN times lighter than air.

having said all that, a spark is NEEDED....I have run batteries unvented (like a TON of boaters do every day) but guarding against the possible production of a spark was paramount

my batteries are inside, in a box, vented AND under a dinette seat....I think that qualifies as a kind of a "belt and suspenders" thing
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Old 09-24-2017, 04:55 PM   #8
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Parasitic loads, detectors, fridge controls, anything that's hardwired with no on-off switch can cause a spark when you connect or disconnect your battery. After seeing s spark with a 40 mA (0.04 A.) parasitic load, I added a disconnect, away from the battery.
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Old 09-24-2017, 05:10 PM   #9
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Franswa jus to be clear not that anyone has the ability to do this but H2 if you could capture it in a container any light source even day light will set it off as will air mixing. When we compressed it through piping it was only at 6-7 psi just because it is so unstable.

And yes it has quiet the crack in sound.
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Old 09-25-2017, 07:07 AM   #10
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oh yeah...100% Raz...

if you could only do or were allowed ONE THING to safeguard against a battery "event"....a disconnect switch would be it (no spark, no problem)...mine is 5 feet away

lots of very good info in this thread
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