Question About Venting Batteries Again

[WhiteleyB]

A dumb question: Since my batteries are located in the galley area near electrical circuits, I have decided to put two vents on each side of my TD for cross ventilation to eliminate battery gases. In order to put my vents at the best location, does anyone know if battery gases are lighter than air (then I would locate my vents above the batteries) or heavier than air (then I would locate my vents near the bottom of the batteries)?

[bdosborn]

Batteries vent hydrogen gas. So its lighter than air.
Bruce

[larryl]

Whiteley B:

First, sounds like we are neighbors. We live in the Occoquan/Lake Ridge area. My wife is from Manassas.

Second, I'm at the same place you are with the battery venting problem. I decided to build a weatherstripped box and place one 2" round soffit alum. vent on the side and another on the floor all within this sealed box area. Based on a battery installation I have in my camper van, I believe this will be enough ventilation.

LarryL

[Woody]

Batteries only gas when charging and discharging. Like I said in a previous post on this, I doubt very highly that you will have a "Hindenburg" type experience, not that I would not recommend venting it though I did mine. I found that propane poses a greater danger, I had a leaky cylinder once that I had removed from a Coleman stove and If I had not heard the slight hissing sound from the bottle before I had put it away. Well lets put this way, I might have been on the news one way or the other and it probally was not a human interest story

[ceebe]

I looked today at the battery installation in a nearly new Piper Seminole airplane. (i had to, it was part of the inspection). The battery box has a drain/vent out of the bottom of the box and overboard. Not too complicated.. Just put a 1/4 in spacer under the battery to give any nastiness a place to go and you'll be ok.