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Battery storage enclosure/shed etc.
By wpowokal, Section Storage Posted on Thu Mar 1st, 2007 at 01:59:29 PM MST
Are you happy with yours?

I have been wanting to post this question for some time but time restraints and fear of board police have restrained me, but here goes.
I built my battery shed over 5 years ago, concrete floor, plasterboard lining( 1st big mistake) fiberglass insulation custom orb sheeting outside. It has a seperate area for the inverter, which is just fine, the battery side has worked so far but has many short commings.
I obtained my batteries 2nd hand, some 120 plus of them, a semie load actually. I measured them beforehand and made racks out of steel with construction ply as a top, they all fitted but...
Allan did not weigh these beasts, 60+ Kg/battery, right at the extreem of my lifting capability. The racks have two lower groups and two upper, there being two racks so 8 banks. Oh and the I moved in another set along one wall, and the spares at one end.
They were about 13 years old when I obtained them so I reconed if I had two years out of them I would be happy. Here we are 5 years on and still going strong, albiet not without some ongoing maitenance, in particular the casings fretting and allowing acid to escape. So I have a perminante rotation of batteries for repair, but you get that on the big jobs.
So what would I do differently.
Well I would not line the shed as here we have a very moderate climate so if it got down to 0 deg. C I would be worried, yea it gets hot but...
I would give myself much more room, bit hard carrying a 60 kg battery full of acid and tripping over things.
I am not sure if I would have future batteries at floor level (most probally) or elevated for ease of checking. As any future battery sets will be new I guess ther will be much less maitenance needed so on the deck makes sence.
If I had second hand batteries again (flooded lead acid) I would seriously concider having plastic trays made. But that can not happen as the government in their wisdom have decreed that only licenced dealers can buy second hand batteries, among a range of other dangerous goods. Though shall not reuse batteries!!! got that, we in government know best whats good for you.
So what if anything would you do differently?
allan down under
Moved to "storage" where it seems you wanted it and where it should be.
Your bored board police .

Battery storage enclosure/shed etc. | 4 comments (4 topical, 0 editorial)

Re: Battery storage enclosure/shed etc. (3.00 / 0) (#1)
by wpowokal on Thu Mar 1st, 2007 at 07:21:16 AM MST
(User Info)

I actually selected storage as section! and as stupid as I am I know that because I made a special effort as I usually miss that point.

allan
A life lived in fear is a life half lived.

Re: Battery storage enclosure/shed etc. (3.00 / 0) (#2)
by DanG on Thu Mar 1st, 2007 at 09:35:34 AM MST
(User Info)

I was sweating moving 1000kg of 100lb AGMs around in snowy -20C weather so enlisted some wire rack shelving as track to make inserting batteries into root cellar nearly painless. The plastic cases slid near effortlessly once they started moving so Trish easily kept the conveyor-belt train feeding into basement - when batteries are to be removed I will fabricate a ramp to get them back to cellar window height & out...

If going with larger batteries than these I would be tempted to make their racks over sized enough to provide room to lay in 2 or 3 'rails' of something to scoot batteries back and forth between active & repair bank areas on, 1/2" PVC water pipe split lengthwise would be a low friction and non-conductive rail to slide batteries around on if one provides the extra table top depth for sorting on. A few counter sunk screws to attach each split-pipe down and it would be classy, the extra depth providing a shelf area for maintenance products when servicing them.

Re: Battery storage enclosure/shed etc. (3.00 / 0) (#3)
by nick1234 on Thu Mar 1st, 2007 at 06:34:40 PM MST
(User Info)

DanG I have seen a few battery rooms with holy walls do your self a favor make a sealed room with proper ventalation to the out doors any (light switches sealed) (no brush moters)( induction moter fan sealed) lights sealed enjoy
nick123

[ Parent ]

Re: Battery storage enclosure/shed etc. (3.00 / 0) (#4)
by Ungrounded Lightning Rod on Fri Mar 2nd, 2007 at 07:01:51 PM MST
(User Info)

I built my battery shed over 5 years ago, concrete floor, plasterboard lining( 1st big mistake) fiberglass insulation custom orb sheeting outside.

The drywall is a firebreak. It keeps fire on one side of itself from getting to the other side and igniting the wall frame or the vapor barrier over the insulation for a considerable time, giving you a chance to escape and/or extinguish the fire before the building structure starts to go. Without it you could be in trouble very quickly in case of a fire or electrical mishap. With it you may just have a cleanup job after you extinguish the flames.

If you have fiberglass insulation you probably have a craft-paper vapor barrier on the side toward the batteries. This is very important for keeping the insulation working and the building intact (in the absence of a fire) - especially when it's warmer inside than outside.

It does two jobs: Keeps moisture out of the insulation (which both reduces the insulating capacity and feeds mold that eats wood) and blocks air infiltration (which carries heat or cold) from one side of the insulation to the other. Batteries put out a bunch of moisture, so you want the vapor barrier in place to keep the winter cold from "distilling" it onto the boundary between the insulation and the outside wall. You want a small amount of air going CROSSWISE - like in from an outdoor vent near the floor, up through the insulation in the space between the studs, and out through vents near the ceiling or under the roof. This scavenges the small amount of moisture that gets past the vapor barrier or comes out of the walls, and the fiberglass lets this air pass, though slowly.

But the vapor barrier will be tarred kraft paper, polyethylene, or something similar. Without a layer of drywall over it, tarred kraft paper is called "tinder" and polyethylene "thick napalm". An overheated wire in your battery shack can turn into a conflagration within moments.

If you have enough ventilation in a standalone shack to get the moisture out you can take off the vapor barrier and have a safe condition - though with considerably reduced effectiveness of the insulation. (And you'll be constantly getting bits of fiberglass into your skin while working with your sulfuric-acid spraying batteries. B-( ) But if the battery shack is inside, or connected to, a house or garage, you NEED that drywall. Otherwise the first time you have a bad short you might find yourself kissing your house AND your fire insurance payoff goodbye.

Battery storage enclosure/shed etc. | 4 comments (4 topical, 0 editorial)

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