batteries in garages [RE-wrenches]

[Joel Davidson]

Between 1970 and 1972, building inspectors in the San Francisco and East
Bay area had to take the course that I taught at Laney College to get
certified. Teaching these "students" was a real eye-opener to their
construction skills (ranging from 30 years in the trade to apprentice
carpenter), their rule interpretation (ranging from reasonable to super
tight-ass) and their people skills (ranging from the kind of guy you want
to be friends with to someone who needed an escorted trip behind the tool
shed). Way too often dealing with the building inspector feels like being
stopped by a cop for speeding. You know you are in trouble but you just
don't know how bad it is going to be...and they you meet his uncle, the
judge.

Jerry Caldwell wrote:

> The inspector's boss responded well to a little
> diplomacy and an explanation that no arc would occur
> at the battery terminals since a technician would
> first throw the battery disconnect breaker, which is
> about 40" above the floor, before disconnecting the
> battery cables.
>
> I didn't mention all the outlet plugs in the garage
> that were below 18" that could possibly draw an arc.
>
> Now all I have to do is meet with the same inspector
> one more time and hope he's sufficiently asserted his
> dominance.
>
> Jerry Caldwell
> Light Energy Systems
>
> --- Jeff Yago <jryago at erols.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> >  "He said the battery terminals had to be at
> > least 18" above the garage floor because they might
> > generate a spark where there could possibly be
> > flammable fumes."
> >
> > Most building codes require gas hot water heaters to
> > be up on an 18"
> > high stand or base because testing has shown that
> > leaking gasoline and
> > related fumes from a car in a closed garage will
> > "layer" across the
> > floor below 18" in elevation.  Water heaters are
> > elevated now as tests
> > have shown they will NOT ignite this gas layer at
> > this height even if
> > the gas vapors are present.
> >
> > You may argue that if the batteries are protected
> > from physical
> > shorting of terminals such as dropped tools, a spark
> > is un-likely.
> > However, he may counter with "what if  a battery
> > terminal is loose and
> > overheats?".
> >
> > Most battery boxes we have built for garages have
> > insulated bottoms
> > and using tall L-16's the terminals are easily
> > higher than 18" so we
> > never had this problem.   I would place your battery
> > stack or
> > enclosure up on some form of spacer blocks and leave
> > this possible
> > inspector fight for something later that will have
> > more of a "stupid"
> > factor.
> >
> > Jeff Yago
> >
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