Fuses not allowed in battery box ?
Comments
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I suppose what they are trying to say is that the wire from the solar panel is not protected by a fuse because the source of the power is at the other end. Perhaps they have been using to thin a wire. Easy fix though just put a simple inline fuse in the cable unless they are trying to make a JOB out of something really simple.
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It is because the battery box of a caravan is an "enclosure", albeit not a sealed one. In there the NCC guidance is there should be nothing like fuses that could cause a spark, and blow up any hydrogen & oxygen gases from the battery. They as operating under the trade body the NCC have no option but advise you; and possibly if working to the letter not work on your van. Automotive open fuses present more risk than sealed glass cartridge fuses, where the blowning can happen out of the way of any of the gases. That is what I have done, use an inline fuse holder with a 20mm x 5 D glass fuse.
There is a risk, arguably a small one but it is unarguably the best practice to avoid explosions. A normal vehicle has no similar "enclosure", the battery is well ventilated.
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You could use a solid state thermal trip. the sort of thing that you find in car electric windows
To be honest, its a bit daft as already said. you have a EHU socket in the same box ? Only takes a loose connection in that to arc ?
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Guidance, rules, regulations and laws change constantly but it is very rare for them to be required to be applied retrospectively. I suspect the dealer has either misunderstood the guidance or is simply trying to create work.
With a Valencia the guidance would have long been in place at time of build; it is not new in the sense of the last few years.
Re the EHU coupling it should not be in the battery enclosure though it is often in what is known as the "battery locker".
There ought to be a division between the battery side and EHU side with a seal against the locker hatch; though IMO a really pathetic excuse for a seal so making nonsense of the guidance. But it is the "leisure industry" where little is IMO done professionally.0 -
Having experienced a lesuire battery 'cook' in the battery box with no notice beforehand I think removing any fuses out of the battery box is sensible advice to reduce any risk. A small price to pay for a possible lifesaver.
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..... A normal vehicle has no similar "enclosure", the battery is well ventilated.
What's a 'normal' vehicle look like? The battery on my R Class lives under my seat & is ventilated by a small tube and there's a shed load of fuses in and around it. My Smart Fortwo's battery lives under the passneger's feet ... presumably vented in a similar
way ... I've not had need to look. My neighbour's Jag has its battery in the boot as do plenty of other MercedesAre these cars still lucky to be on the road or are they likely to explode?
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I was also informed of a similar instruction about my solar panel regulator being in the side area where the EHU plug goes. Just to make it easeier when I connected up my S/panel, the wiring from the panel came into the regulator via the same as the Orange
mains lead, then I attached the lead from my battery terminals to the regulator. This I was informed as per ANSUM was not correct. I have now made a small envelope style hole in the back of the same area, and put the solar panel wiring through to the inside
of the van. I have screwed the S/panel regulator to the floor and then connect the cables up accordingly.This also helps me when the van is not in use, as I put a 15watt S/panel in a side window to keep the battery topped up.At least I can view the regulator
lights by just lifting the side cushion up. Working OK. The fuses are then inside the van.0 -
So lucky you are to be able to fit things in the battery compartment. I can't even get another pair of wires in there.
For anyone who thinks that the battery box is a pleasant environment, just put an old face cloth in there and see what state it is in after a month. Might look fine but try washing it.
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..... A normal vehicle has no similar "enclosure", the battery is well ventilated.
What's a 'normal' vehicle look like? The battery on my R Class lives under my seat & is ventilated by a small tube and there's a shed load of fuses in and around it. My Smart Fortwo's battery lives under the passneger's feet ... presumably vented in a similar way ... I've not had need to look. My neighbour's Jag has its battery in the boot as do plenty of other Mercedes
Are these cars still lucky to be on the road or are they likely to explode?
You said one was vented with a tube so the gases don't leach out locally by the fuses.
Where the battery is a VRLA battery, that in theory does not gas-off then being adjacent to electrics is allowed; very much a current German practice in using AGM or GEL batteries.
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The battery is in a small enclosure. The electric hook up connection is usually in the next compartment separated by a sealed partition. The solar panel fuse doesn't have to be absolutely right on the battery, so can perfectly well function just outside
the battery enclosure.0
