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canasync
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Location: BC
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 Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2014 11:22 pm Post subject: Auxilliary Battery Venting |
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I just want to shed some light on something that many people that add aux. batteries to their vans seem to miss.
Rather than explaining it myself, here is some info direct from an auto parts website:
"Never install any type of battery in a completely sealed container. Although most of the normal gasses (oxygen and hydrogen) produced in an SVR battery will be recombined and not escape, oxygen and hydrogen will escape from the battery in an overcharged condition (which is typical with any battery type).
For safety's sake, these potentially explosive gasses must be allowed to vent to the atmosphere and must never be trapped in a sealed battery box or tightly enclosed space!"
This is why in the RV industry you always see batteries on the tongue of a trailer in a vented box, in an outside compartment that isn't sealed, or in a battery box with a hose to the outside.
Some AGM batteries, like the ones I use, have a vent on the top onto which a small hose can be attached and vented to the outside.
More battery info:
http://www.carquestprofessionals.com/batteries/faq_myths.html
_________________
1987 Syncro
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Cruise Control
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djkeev
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PDXWesty
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djkeev
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canasync
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Location: BC
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| Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2014 7:17 pm Post subject: |
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Just like living near power lines or drinking reverse osmosis water, there are arguments for both sides.
My post was intended for people that may be concerned about such things but aren't aware of the potential risks and therefore may not search for the info.
From experience a sulfated battery can give off a rotten egg odor, a smell which is usually not associated with good things  Should this happen to a battery contained inside the vehicle, venting would make the rest of a camping trip far more comfortable.
| djkeev wrote: |
Very good "public service announcement"
If you choose wisely, your new battery will have a built in gas collection system and a port to hook a hose to thus venting the fumes to the outside.........
Dave |
Those are the batteries that I am using now. Western Star (big rig manufacturer) uses these since the trucks have their batteries under the passenger seat. As you mentioned, they vent to the exterior using hoses.
_________________
1987 Syncro
3 knobs
PumpeDüse TDI (17mm Garret Turbo, bigger injectors, stage 4 malone tune, intercooled)
Cruise Control
Remote Start/locks
Custom Lift
Custom Bumpers with receivers
Coast Mountain Hightop - Comming Soon
1985 2wd Vanagon Pre-runner in the making
soon to be powered by 2.5L Subaru
Custom Lift |
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jstar89crx
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Joined: September 19, 2005
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Location: Bellingham WA
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| Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2014 7:50 pm Post subject: |
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As djkeev mentioned, the corrosive gas attack from an overcharging battery is what causes most of the damage. In marine applications I have had to replace inverters, chargers, navigation equipment, computers, thermostats, and various other electronic components that were mounted above or in the same compartment as overcharging batteries. AGM batteries aren't a solution to this either, you overcharge an AGM far enough and it will swell, crack, and off gas.
VW thought that the hydrogen from a charging battery was enough of a concern that all of the the Westys got sealed battery boxes vented externally since they were in a 'living space' instead of the flip up lids that the tintops have.
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86 Syncro, weekender carat interior, the rest is bone stock for now
SOLD:91 Westy, BEW TDI with VNT17 Turbo, water cooled intercooler, Malone Tune, taller 3rd and 4th. |
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crazyvwvanman
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| Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2014 8:13 pm Post subject: |
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I don't know. The Westy models without a stove got unsealed flip up box lids, even models with 2 batteries. So a dining table area and sleeping space for 4 people with batteries in both boxes and no external battery box vents. Not much sign of concern there.
Mark
| jstar89crx wrote: |
.....
VW thought that the hydrogen from a charging battery was enough of a concern that all of the the Westys got sealed battery boxes vented externally since they were in a 'living space' instead of the flip up lids that the tintops have. |
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jstar89crx
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| Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2014 8:36 pm Post subject: |
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Great observation Crazyvw, I have never owned a weekender. So it must be an ignition source (stove) that dictates if the battery was in a sealed box or not.
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86 Syncro, weekender carat interior, the rest is bone stock for now
SOLD:91 Westy, BEW TDI with VNT17 Turbo, water cooled intercooler, Malone Tune, taller 3rd and 4th. |
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Merian
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| Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2014 8:58 pm Post subject: |
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| where is the aux. battery vent on a Westy? |
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crazyvwvanman
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| Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2014 8:58 pm Post subject: |
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All I can figure is that it relates to the stove. The parts installed into the battery box to create the seal and vents are pretty crude and my speculation is that Westfalia did that part as part of the camper gear installation. I wonder if European market camper models got the same sealed boxes? Any Europeans out there know about this?
Mark |
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djkeev
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PDXWesty
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| Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2014 11:10 pm Post subject: |
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Think about where the vent is located....at the bottom of the box. It's for and liquids to escape, not gasses. It's not for hydrogen. Hydrogen gets dangerous in concentrations above 2% and is lighter than air. The box would have to fill with hydrogen before it vented at the bottom of the battery box. It's much more likely the bottom vent is for spilt acids from the battery.
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djkeev
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kamzcab86
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| Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2014 1:52 am Post subject: |
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| jstar89crx wrote: |
.....
VW thought that the hydrogen from a charging battery was enough of a concern that all of the the Westys got sealed battery boxes vented externally since they were in a 'living space' instead of the flip up lids that the tintops have.
| crazyvwvanman wrote: |
I don't know. The Westy models without a stove got unsealed flip up box lids, even models with 2 batteries. So a dining table area and sleeping space for 4 people with batteries in both boxes and no external battery box vents. Not much sign of concern there.
Mark |
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My 1990 full-camper (battery boxes are factory original):
- Sealed starting battery box with annoying screw-on lid and external vent.
- Un-sealed aux battery box with flip-up lid and no external vent.
Call me an idiot, but I'm more concerned with battery acid leaking out than with my maintenance-free sealed batteries (one being an AGM) off-gassing.
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1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
 1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
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luVWagn
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| Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2014 2:13 am Post subject: |
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You'd also need quite a bit of liquid in there to get over the lip of the bottom-most "drain" / vent hole.
I wish we could find a crew of the Vanagon and Westfalia folks, retired of course, and ask them all kinds of interesting questions! 
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unplannedbbq
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| Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2014 6:42 am Post subject: |
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| djkeev wrote: |
| PDXWesty wrote: |
| Think about where the vent is located....at the bottom of the box. It's for and liquids to escape, not gasses. It's not for hydrogen. Hydrogen gets dangerous in concentrations above 2% and is lighter than air. The box would have to fill with hydrogen before it vented at the bottom of the battery box. It's much more likely the bottom vent is for spilt acids from the battery. |
You are correct, there is a vent hole at the bottom,
But......
There are vent gas holes at the top of both boxes. A vent hose directs the fumes out of the battery box, thus out of the passenger cabin.
Dave |
Wouldn't driving @ speed create negative pressure, "sucking" air out the vent hole? That removes any fear I have of hydrogen gas build up & why I kept my vents open & mouse-blocked w/ stainless scrubbers.
(plus the vents are raised a bit from the bottom of the pan - there would need to be a scary amount of liquid {acid} sloshing around down there to make it out the {paper} tube)
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djkeev
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jereandjess
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| Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2015 7:38 pm Post subject: |
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So what do people do to close up or stop the hole from taking on road debris/water?
That is from our 86 Weekender we just acquired from the original owners.
I don't like the hole there, and don't like how it can trap water/dirt.
I opened up the Aux battery compartment and I am 99% sure I was the first person to ever do this. The original VW aux battery is in there!
I love finding unmolested VW's!
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Paulbeard
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| Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2015 8:59 pm Post subject: |
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| kamzcab86 wrote: |
My 1990 full-camper (battery boxes are factory original):
- Sealed starting battery box with annoying screw-on lid and external vent.
- Un-sealed aux battery box with flip-up lid and no external vent.
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Ditto my '87 with PO-added aux battery. It vents into the interior of the van which I can assure you is not a sealed environment. The starter battery is more tightly sealed.
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Vanagon Nut
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| Posted: Sat Aug 01, 2015 9:15 pm Post subject: |
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The aux. battery box under drive seat on my '81 Westy has a partial flip up lid. It clearly vents to the bus interior. I am not concerned about this.
That hole shown in jereandjess image likely had a hood over it at one point. I recall that my '88 Westy starter battery box had that hood. It was close to falling off. I painted it up and everything but never did get around to putting it back on.
shame on me.
Neil.
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