I know that this is a newbie question, but it is my understanding that people like to put their batteries and gas tanks as far forward as possible to achieve better weight distribution. I have a raised platform at the bow of my boat full of foam. If I chose to leave this intact, then I could still extend the platform back a couple of feet. If I left the side facing aft open then I would have a nice covered storage area without the hassle and expense of having a hinged access panel. It would be a handy place to put the battery and gas tank but I am a bit concerned about the safety of this. Would being open on one side provide adequate ventilation for the gas? If not then I could partition off a compartment for the gas can and put a mesh top over it in addition to one side being open. I am also concerned about the battery being in close proximity to the gas. Is this a legitimate concern? If the battery is in a marine battery box would it be dangerous having it close to the gas?
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Do you need to separate your battery from the gas?
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thudpucker
Well-known member
Sparks!
I put the battery up front, held in place, and cables firmly attached.
Then the Tank (when I used a motor) sat on the same shelf.
You take the tank out when you monkey with the Battery.
No problems at all.
Captain Ahab
Well-known member
I would strongly suggest that you do NOT store your battery and gas tank as close as what thudpucker has done!!!! That is crazy dangerous
bcbouy
Well-known member
if you do put them close together I strongly suggest you put neoprene battery terminal covers over your battery cables/clamps.any auto parts or boat supply will carry them.
Agter seeing whats happens after a battery blows up I would no set a battery that close to a gas tank. I had one blow up out of one of my tractors when I set it on the pole barn floor and was charging it. I wasn't in there at the time and I thank god for that. There was acid and plastic all over the barn and I had to pressure wash everything in the barn. I still find plastic once in a while. What was left of the battery fit in a small box. My boat wasn't in there at the tiime. Now when charging a battery it is done sitting outside
thudpucker
Well-known member
A little straight talk here.
Batteries rarely Blow up at all.
When they do, it's right when the first Lightening bolt goes through the Cells. When you connect that last Battery cable and the circuit is completed!
WHAP! Until you've had the pleasure you wont know the thrill!
NEVER LOOK EM' IN THE EYE!
So when you connect the battery, keep the load (Circuit) open until you can make the connection a bit away from the Battery and keep your eyes covered when you do.
Remember what Sawmill said. The Charger can make the Battery cell explode AFTER it's been connected for awhile. There are Circumstances that must be met or that wont happen though.
About the close relationship of the Tank and the Battery.
Gas fumes go down, not up.
So having the Gas can sitting (like mine is) is pretty safe in open air. You'd never close in the gas anyway. Not without an outside vent and filler.
The reason the gas can goes in last (in my boat) is because the Sparking is all done by the time the Gas Can goes in.
Here's a short tale about a small boat with a Home Made integrated tank.
A Coastie in AK told me this.
A guy used some Poly Stuff to make an integrated fuel tank in a 17' Wood boat.
Maybe it was two 25 Gal tanks.
The point of the story is a leak. It saturated the wood in the Hull and Bilge of the wood over some time.
This guy was out on the water with people in the boat. Luckily it was during Salmon Season and lot's of Boats were nearby.
What ever the Spark was, it was slow to ignite at first and the folks tried to put the fire out.
Soon, in a large loud "WHUFFF" the whole stern of the boat was in Hi Flames.
No way of saving the boat, but the people were rescued.
The Coastie suggested we always have a friend to Rap with when doing modifications.
Batteries rarely Blow up at all.
When they do, it's right when the first Lightening bolt goes through the Cells. When you connect that last Battery cable and the circuit is completed!
WHAP! Until you've had the pleasure you wont know the thrill!
NEVER LOOK EM' IN THE EYE!
So when you connect the battery, keep the load (Circuit) open until you can make the connection a bit away from the Battery and keep your eyes covered when you do.
Remember what Sawmill said. The Charger can make the Battery cell explode AFTER it's been connected for awhile. There are Circumstances that must be met or that wont happen though.
About the close relationship of the Tank and the Battery.
Gas fumes go down, not up.
So having the Gas can sitting (like mine is) is pretty safe in open air. You'd never close in the gas anyway. Not without an outside vent and filler.
The reason the gas can goes in last (in my boat) is because the Sparking is all done by the time the Gas Can goes in.
Here's a short tale about a small boat with a Home Made integrated tank.
A Coastie in AK told me this.
A guy used some Poly Stuff to make an integrated fuel tank in a 17' Wood boat.
Maybe it was two 25 Gal tanks.
The point of the story is a leak. It saturated the wood in the Hull and Bilge of the wood over some time.
This guy was out on the water with people in the boat. Luckily it was during Salmon Season and lot's of Boats were nearby.
What ever the Spark was, it was slow to ignite at first and the folks tried to put the fire out.
Soon, in a large loud "WHUFFF" the whole stern of the boat was in Hi Flames.
No way of saving the boat, but the people were rescued.
The Coastie suggested we always have a friend to Rap with when doing modifications.
JMichael
Well-known member
How many of you smoke while sitting in close proximity to your gas tanks? A calm day, you hold your cigarette down to your side and the next thing you know you're singing pop goes the weasel. I'd say that's certainly more dangerous to have open flames and glowing ignition sources in the same general area as the gas tank. And how many of you have your switch panels near your gas tanks. Another source of sparks. A battery does not just produce a spark at random intervals. It generally takes a loose connection or an action like connecting/disconnecting a wire from the battery to produce a spark. And a battery on it's own produces oxygen and hydrogen when it's gassing, and that's a much more volatile combination than gas fumes. Look at the number of times you hear about batteries exploding and the damage they do. So if your battery is going to produce a spark shouldn't you be worried about that as well?
My point is, it doesn't mater if they're stored near each other as either one can be dangerous by it's self if the fumes are not ventilated and an ignition source is present. The simplest solution is to prevent the fumes from building up. Looking at the pic that Thudpucker posted makes me think you don't get much better ventilation than that. I'm not suggesting everyone go out and stuff their battery and gas tank into the same small area but if it's adequately ventilated, I don't see a problem with it.
I've had a close up personal experience with an exploding battery and prefer not to repeat that. Many many years ago when I was working in a garage, I went to remove a charger from a battery. The battery was still in the car and unknown to me at the time, the chargers manual on/off switch failed and the charger did not actually turn off. When I disconnected the charge cables I gave that hydrogen it's ignition spark. Let me tell you that was loud. Luckily the bulk of the exploding force was out the sides of the battery. It vaporized every bit of acid that was in it and produced a fog that covered me. I was instantly blinded and my eyes were burning like matches had been inserted into them. I felt my way along the wall to the bathroom and opened my eyes under a running faucet and an eye wash station a few minutes later. After the burning subsided enough for me to see, I discovered I was rapidly on my way to becoming a nudist. The acid that covered me was eating the denim jeans/jacket and shirt I was wearing at a feverish pace.
My point is, it doesn't mater if they're stored near each other as either one can be dangerous by it's self if the fumes are not ventilated and an ignition source is present. The simplest solution is to prevent the fumes from building up. Looking at the pic that Thudpucker posted makes me think you don't get much better ventilation than that. I'm not suggesting everyone go out and stuff their battery and gas tank into the same small area but if it's adequately ventilated, I don't see a problem with it.
I've had a close up personal experience with an exploding battery and prefer not to repeat that. Many many years ago when I was working in a garage, I went to remove a charger from a battery. The battery was still in the car and unknown to me at the time, the chargers manual on/off switch failed and the charger did not actually turn off. When I disconnected the charge cables I gave that hydrogen it's ignition spark. Let me tell you that was loud. Luckily the bulk of the exploding force was out the sides of the battery. It vaporized every bit of acid that was in it and produced a fog that covered me. I was instantly blinded and my eyes were burning like matches had been inserted into them. I felt my way along the wall to the bathroom and opened my eyes under a running faucet and an eye wash station a few minutes later. After the burning subsided enough for me to see, I discovered I was rapidly on my way to becoming a nudist. The acid that covered me was eating the denim jeans/jacket and shirt I was wearing at a feverish pace.
thudpucker
Well-known member
"...rapidly on my way to becoming a nudist!"
As a Lad in a Gas station, We rebuilt Batteries.
From the Acid, there was nothing left of any tool or structure in that Cememt walled Bunker.
There's nothing wrong with the way my boat is done. The battery is up high, on a secured wood shelf.
The Cables connect there, but all the other switching is in the stern in an insulated HDPE Swithing assembly I made from Old Barells.
It's good to be cautious. If you worry about the way I do it, then do something different. I like having logical reasons for the things I do.
As a Lad in a Gas station, We rebuilt Batteries.
From the Acid, there was nothing left of any tool or structure in that Cememt walled Bunker.
There's nothing wrong with the way my boat is done. The battery is up high, on a secured wood shelf.
The Cables connect there, but all the other switching is in the stern in an insulated HDPE Swithing assembly I made from Old Barells.
It's good to be cautious. If you worry about the way I do it, then do something different. I like having logical reasons for the things I do.
earl60446
Well-known member
I have not seen it mentioned here but many times out fishing / boating and here on this board I have seen people install batterys in there boats without using a plastic battery box. In my opinion, that is asking for trouble, especially on a metal boat or near a metal gas can.
Tim
Tim
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