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Old 04-21-2015, 10:49 PM   #1
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Inverter / battery proximity (AGM)

I see all sorts of photos of installations where inverters and batteries are placed very close to one another, but there are all sorts of warning on each that would suggest they should have some sort of separation. The batteries clearly have warnings on them that says not to place near sparks, and the inverter has a warning suggesting that it components may cause sparks/arcing and that it should not be placed near flammables (ie, off-gassing batteries).

What is a good real world rule of thumb for this? If I separate the batteries and inverter using a piece of sheet good (plywood, plastic, etc) would that be considered acceptable?

FYI, this is the configuration I am thinking about - inverter mounted on the wall with the battery bank just underneath.


I will probably build some sort of cover that goes over the batteries so that the terminals are not exposed, but you can see the proposed clearances will be fairly close.

FWIW, the inverter is a Xantrex HF1000 and the batteries are AGM's. Any input is appreciated!

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Old 04-22-2015, 06:23 AM   #2
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Re: Inverter / battery proximity (AGM)

Quote:
Originally Posted by rockbender
If I separate the batteries and inverter using a piece of sheet good (plywood, plastic, etc) would that be considered acceptable?

FYI, this is the configuration I am thinking about - inverter mounted on the wall with the battery bank just underneath.

I will probably build some sort of cover that goes over the batteries so that the terminals are not exposed, but you can see the proposed clearances will be fairly close.
I would say yes, quite acceptable. I probably wouldn't even worry about the barrier, but that's me. If you're building cabinets/etc. then maybe so. Anyway, I think most of the hype between battery and inverter spacing has to do with being too far away, not too close, so the you don't put too much load on your cables. Inverters do pull a LOT of juice at full load, so size your cables accordingly. I went to a lot of trouble in my last build to have no more than about 2-3 feet of cable from battery to inverter, with my inverter right inside the side barn doors just above the frame-mounted battery box. It worked out for that build, but on my current SMB the electronics were already set up on the driver's side mid-ship and I needed to use the passenger side again for a battery box, so I now have about 6' of 2 gauge cable. So far no problems at all, and I do run a microwave.

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Old 04-22-2015, 08:49 AM   #3
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Re: Inverter / battery proximity (AGM)

My inverter is mounted about a foot from my batteries in an enclosed cabinet......

The upside is very little voltage drop from the batteries to the inverter since the run is so short.

My batteries are AGM (valve regulated), so they won't vent unless something really bad happens lilke a charging malfunction or a discharge short, so I'm not too worried about that. I've also added some passive vents at either end of the cabinet (box), one set down low and the other set (by the batteries) up high.

I would not do this arrangement with wet cells........
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Old 04-22-2015, 10:49 AM   #4
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Re: Inverter / battery proximity (AGM)

Thanks for the input, guys. Also slightly related, after I mounted the inverter in this configuration I read through the installation guide and for some reason the 'regulations' only allow it to be mounted on its side in a horizontal fashion, not vertical as I have shown it. The only reason I can think of is because there is a fan opening on the bottom and outlets on the top that something could possibly fall into? I would think that you could mount this in just about any configuration without worry.
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Old 04-22-2015, 01:19 PM   #5
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Re: Inverter / battery proximity (AGM)

If the fan is blowing out that would also potentially be a cooling problem......you want to blow hot air up.....
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Old 04-22-2015, 06:06 PM   #6
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Re: Inverter / battery proximity (AGM)

OK, I will take the other side of the discussion. First you are making a compromise by having you batteries inside of the van with no apparent venting. I say compromise only because if they wet cell we would all pretty much agree that you should not do that. With them being AGM, you are probably going to get a equal amount of people on each side of that discussion.
The second compromise is installing the inverter/charger in the same cabinet, clearly a panel between the batteries and inverter would help this, but now we are getting back to a vented battery box.
The third compromise is the installation position, I believe you are correct that it is mainly so things do not fall inside, but in this case your intake cold be right over the top of the batteries. So now what if your batteries do vent? the fan could be sucking hydrogen in and pushing at around the hot components. Are all those compromises worth it?


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Old 04-22-2015, 08:36 PM   #7
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Re: Inverter / battery proximity (AGM)

As a small passenger vessel inspector, I have seen the results of many electrical fires from inside a battery charger and a few batteries explode from overcharge. There is always a risk it could spark and arc with a short or other failure of the equipment, especially since most chargers are probably not designed for washboard roads. Adding even a small amount of hydrogen to that mix could ruin a perfectly good van interior.
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Old 04-23-2015, 12:12 PM   #8
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Re: Inverter / battery proximity (AGM)

In a perfect world, I would not have batteries inside the van. I would much prefer to have them underneath, but there doesn't seem to be enough real estate under the express without relocating the spare, and I'm not ready to go that route yet.

Trying to get everything mounted up securely while taking up the least amount of real estate is always a challenge. There is good advice about evaluating where the venting air will be coming from on the inverter, and I agree that the layout as I have previously shown is certainly less than ideal. My new plan I think will turn the inverter 90 degrees and include some sort of positive separation between the batteries and inverter. I'm debating whether I will vent the battery compartment to the exterior - to be effective it would need to vent out the upper end which would require a vent out the side of the van.

Tildadog - that is a good PSA to make sure to have a fire extinguisher mounted in a readily accessible spot as well as know how to disconnect your system too!
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Old 04-23-2015, 01:15 PM   #9
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Re: Inverter / battery proximity (AGM)

One upside to inside batteries is that you don't really need the solar battery temp sensor, since the controller and batteries are at the same temp.
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