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I've had good luck with gravity systems in general. At present I
have an issue with wind compressing on the side of a building and forcing
cold air in through the vent, and out the intake holes of the battery
box, into the temperature conditioned space.<br><br>
The issue of cold air infiltration can compromise an otherwise well
insulated house. I'm looking at adding a vent fan and a dryer vent,
with a flap, to seal against air back flow. The lack of UL listing
of the battery vent has often been an issue. <br><br>
Drake<br><br>
At 08:24 PM 2/25/2011, you wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">Ben,<br><br>
I would prefer to rely on gravity rather than forced circulation.
The<br>
former has not failed to date. Check out Allen's recent article
in<br>
Home Power magazine. He offers some good suggestions on battery
box<br>
design and ventilation ( all passive or gravity activated)
solutions.<br><br>
Cheers<br>
Carl Adams<br>
SunRock Solar<br>
Cinci, OH<br><br>
<br>
On Fri, Feb 25, 2011 at 7:49 PM, Allan Sindelar<br>
<allan@positiveenergysolar.com> wrote:<br>
> benn,<br>
> I'm not aware of any listed battery vents. Given the cost of
listing, and<br>
> the size of the market, it's unlikely there ever will be. Wanna pay
$300 for<br>
> a listed vent? I have never had an issue with an inspector about
them.<br>
><br>
> You might consider a standard AC squirrel cage fan from Grainger or
some<br>
> such, controlled by a 12V-coil relay on an FM60 or similar
controller's<br>
> auxiliary vent fan circuit. It would then only run when the
batteries are<br>
> nearly full.<br>
><br>
> Other ideas? Try the approach that if there is no listed product,
the<br>
> inspector is allowed to allow a reasonable alternative. Most likely
the<br>
> batteries are also unlisted - compared to that, the vent fan is
minor.<br>
><br>
> I use intake vents; otherwise how can the exhaust fan work if the
box is<br>
> well sealed? The objective is to draw the hydrogen gas up and out,
not just<br>
> suck on it while it accumulates inside the box.<br>
><br>
> Allan Sindelar<br>
> Allan@positiveenergysolar.com<br>
> NABCEP Certified Photovoltaic Installer<br>
> EE98J Journeyman Electrician<br>
> Positive Energy, Inc.<br>
> 3201 Calle Marie<br>
> Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507<br>
> 505 424-1112<br>
>
<a href="http://www.positiveenergysolar.com/" eudora="autourl">
www.positiveenergysolar.com</a><br>
><br>
> On 2/25/2011 4:55 PM, benn kilburn wrote:<br>
><br>
> Good Afternoon Wrenches,<br>
> In recommending for a client, the materials and plans for
constructing a<br>
> battery box for a 48V, 2400Ah battery, it came to my attention that
the only<br>
> battery box vent fan that i am aware of on the market (the Zeypher)
is not<br>
> UL listed, let alone approved for use in Canada. So now i am
in search of<br>
> such a product.<br>
> My plans thus far are to have a well sealed box (? at least
the upper<br>
> portion of the box ?) with vent holes in the upper-most part of the
box<br>
> piped together and connecting to one outside exhaust vent. I
was planning<br>
> on using (at least) two of the power vent fans at the top holes of
the<br>
> battery box, but after mentioning using this product to the
inspector, he<br>
> said that the vent fan would be required to bear the proper
approval<br>
> markings.<br>
> I am still trying to determine if there should be lower 'intake'
vents as<br>
> well.<br>
> If this power vent is not even listed, what are your feelings on
using them<br>
> in a permitted and inspected system?<br>
> Is anyone aware of an (approved) product or method for 'power'
venting a<br>
> battery box?<br>
> I have read some of the extensive threads here on battery boxes and
have not<br>
> found a definitive practice for venting a battery box. I'd be
happy for<br>
> someone to point me in the right direction if i have missed
something.<br>
> There seems to be quite a range of opinions on the need for
providing a<br>
> (lower) intake and (higher) exhaust vent.<br>
> Thanks,<br>
> benn<br>
><br>
> DayStar Renewable Energy Inc.<br>
> benn@daystarsolar.ca<br>
> 780-906-7807<br>
> HAVE A SUNNY DAY<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
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<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<font color="#0000FF">Drake
Chamberlin<x-tab> </x-tab>
<br>
Athens Electric<br>
OH License
44810<x-tab> </x-tab><br>
CO license 3773<br>
NABCEP Certified PV<br>
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