Battery Storage

[Woltz]

So the idea is to place the batteries I get under the desk/bed combo. When the desk is up the batteries will be more open (in a wooden box) but when the bed is down the battery box would kind of act like a support. I also plan on adding more batteries to the area as time goes on so I can increase the amount of stored power. But my question is simple. Is there a specific type of condition that the batteries should be stored at?

 

[Almost There]

Some people will tell you that ALL batteries need to be in special boxes with vents and fans etc. etc. Others will tell you that only FLA batteries need special housing. Still others will tell you that they've lived with FLA batteries under the head of their bed for years, open to the inside of the van with nary a problem.

Me I have 4 FLA 6 V golf cart batteries where, if I wanted to, I could touch them while laying in bed. I don't worry about it.

BTW, it's not as easy as 'adding more batteries as I go along'. All the batteries in a bank need to be of the same age, etc.. Pairing older batteries with new batteries will have the new batteries acting as it they were old in no time flat. If you need to add more batteries to a bank then you'll be replacing them all at the same time.

If you're talking about 'storing' batteries as opposed to 'using' batteries, you want to make sure they're fully charged and then put a battery minder system in place, either solar or shoreline. You do not want to store batteries without looking after them.

 

[SternWake]

Store batteries fully charged, and kept as cool as possible.  recharge fully monthly.

As far as securing batteries under furniture,  flooded batteries offgassing will soften wood over time if recharged properly( fully)  Make sure a speed bump can't have them bump into lid.  Do not rely on Gravity to hold them in place.

Mixing older and new batteries to increase capacity works, but not nearly as well as buying all batteries at same time.  The new batteries quickly get degraded to the condition of the older and imbalances usually reduce longevity of all of them overall.

 

[DannyB1954]

Is there a specific type of condition that the batteries should be stored at?

If they are lead acid, the container should be vented. Even with AGM batteries there is a chance of releasing hydrogen gas. With AGM you have more storage options as you don't need to get into the top of the battery to check water level.

 

[BradKW]

Almost There's unusual desire to be able to touch his batteries while laying in bed aside, that pretty much sums it up. Personally, I smell a charging battery almost as soon as current is applied...which is odd, considering how bad my sense of smell is. But others say they never do.

I would say that the potential dangers involving hydrogen gas build-up probably only apply if the battery is in an enclose space...at which point proper venting is important. If the bank is out in the open, I don't see how hydrogen build up could possibly be an issue...

 

[Gary68]

Almost There's unusual desire to be able to touch his batteries while laying in bed aside, that pretty much sums it up.

it's a her not a him,and she apparently needs 4 6v batteries within arm reach of her bed for...


the low end torque they provide?

 

[TooManyDogs]

So say you put your FLA battery inside a vented box. Great but then you put that box in your van. Where's the gas venting to? Inside your van, right? Or am I missing a step somewhere?

 

[BradKW]

it's a her not a him,and she apparently needs 4 6v batteries within arm reach of her bed for...


the low end torque they provide?

wow  

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

. . . Is there a specific type of condition that the batteries should be stored at?

This is for batteries in a van:

1. your batteries should be tied down so they don't move in case of an accident.
2. have some way of restraining the vent caps so they will not come off in case of a roll-over.
3. your battery terminals should be protected from anything conductive falling on them (causing a short).
4. your positive battery cable(s) should be protected by a fuse as close to the battery as possible and sized for the cable size.
5. venting batteries are a personal decision.  Some people are sensitive to the smell of a charging battery and some aren't.  In a van that is lived in I don't think their is any appreciable hydrogen buildup (too much air movement).

So say you put your FLA battery inside a vented box. Great but then you put that box in your van. Where's the gas venting to? Inside your van, right? Or am I missing a step somewhere?

Battery boxes are vented to the outside.  Vent needs to be a high in the box as practicable (hydrogen is lighter than air).

 -- Spiff

 

[Almost There]

it's a her not a him,and she apparently needs 4 6v batteries within arm reach of her bed for...


the low end torque they provide?

Nope, needed them for the amp hours required for the deep freezer that I find essential to my lifestyle!

I didn't NEED them within arm reach, but that's where they ended up, over the rear axle, under the bed.

 

[SternWake]

That would be one heck of a 'toy' that required 464 AH of torque.

Might I suggest TPPL AGMs instead, higher Cold cranking amps to overcome high torque situations even at extremely low temperatures, but keep that toy away from me.

Man, those whom enjoy Sniffing Sulfuric acid mist, have some strange perversions

 

[ccbreder]

I have a bank of six GC2 batteries. They are in a box. The box is vented into the van. I have a 3 inch computer fan pulling air through the box. Been like this for over a year with out any problems.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I believe that venting batteries to the outside is indisputably "BEST PRACTICE" based on logic and a rational understanding that hydrogen gas and sulfuric acid fumes are really not desirable things to have inside the vehicle.

That said, there are numerous people who ignore Best Practice without suffering any apparent harm.  Indeed, the original Volkswagen had the battery under the back seat, and they only built a couple gazillion of them, without any apparent problem.  Well, if you ignore the occasional fire when people removed the shield from the positive post.

 

[ArtW]

Mercedes did that, too, and not that long ago (2000s). Might still be doing it for all I know

 

[Woltz]

You know my biggest regret was not picking up some deep cycle batteries I saw on Craigslist. 20 Batteries for $20.00 each. Those tall ones too.

 

[jimindenver]

Another reason to vent your batteries is the heat they create while being charged.

 

[BradKW]

You know my biggest regret was not picking up some deep cycle batteries I saw on Craigslist. 20 Batteries for $20.00 each. Those tall ones too.

Odds are fair that they wouldn't have been worth the effort to pick up, let alone the bad information an old battery will provide a new learner...

 

[SternWake]

Online prices of Sam's club gc-2s are 84$ a piece. These are apparently made by Eastpenn Deka, at least in my region.

Used batteries are a crap shoot. at 20$ a piece, one might only be able to get 15$ a piece for them on a trade in on a new battery as a core charge. Again dependent on the region of the country.

If one cannot test a used battery on the spot with a hydrometer or a voltmeter or an ammeter applying a load and or charging source, No way in hell would I ever consider a used battery, even if the price appeared excellent and the seller appeared honest.

Some people will judge the condition of a battery by the amount of dust on it, and claim it works just fine.

Just fine as a very effective paper weight.

 

[DannyB1954]

Too bad Sam's club and Cosco don't sell one day memberships. I live 60+ miles away, so would go there rarely.

 

[jimindenver]

You can go into Sams and pay a extra 10% for one day. Stop at the customer service desk and tell them you want to look around.