By Wayne Canning, AMS®
Batteries are the heart of your boat’s electrical system. They can also be a very dangerous part of your electrical systems if not correctly installed. Batteries contain a large amount of energy along with some not pleasant chemicals, which can leak, and every now and then a battery may explode. Given this, it is important to make sure they are properly installed to remain safe.
As a surveyor, I get to see a lot of battery installations, some better than others. Based on what I have seen, many owners do not fully understand what makes for a safe installation. Properly installed batteries are not only safer but will last longer, saving money in the long run. A poorly installed battery, on the other hand, can become a hazard and may not provide the dependable power needed. Many owners, and even some boat builders, do a poor job of properly installing batteries so that they will provide safe, dependable power.
Fortunately, there is a set of guidelines that can help ensure the batteries are properly installed, to avoid any problems. The American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) has developed a set of common-sense recommendations on how to install batteries to ensure they remain safe, and will provide the power needed when it is needed. Now I know many get defensive when they hear talk about meeting “rules” and I get that, but I think most will agree these rules make sense. Before you lose interest thinking I am going to recite a bunch of regulations, fear not, I am just going to focus on the how and why’s of a good battery installation. In the end, your installation will be in “code” if you follow these recommendations.
Most marine batteries are the lead acid, wet cell type commonly associated with car batteries. They are heavy and filled with an acid solution. Most are vented on the top to allow hydrogen and oxygen gases to escape during charging. Yep, they produce Hydrogen gas, a highly explosive gas, the same stuff that brought down the Hindenburg Zeppelin. These gases are what cause batteries to explode when things go wrong. Many boaters will also use gel cell or AGM batteries, and although many of these are sealed, they can and do release gases when over charged and these batteries have also been known to explode.
Regardless of the battery type, the installations should be the same. Batteries work by a chemical reaction, and these chemicals can be a hazard, if spilled. Batteries also contain a large amount of electrical energy. The bigger the battery or battery bank, the greater the energy potential they will have.