I am in the process of changing insurance. My inverter and batteries are in a closet in my house ,with an extractor fan blowing into the roof. According to them my batteries are not allowed in the house. Where should i put them or where did you put yours ?

10 minutes ago, vulgrim said:

I am in the process of changing insurance. My inverter and batteries are in a closet in my house ,with an extractor fan blowing into the roof. According to them my batteries are not allowed in the house. Where should i put them or where did you put yours ?

Hold on a moment. Who is the insurer?

What does the regulations say on batteries inside a house?

I'm asking for depending on what what, this has major implications OR your insurer is wrong, and no-one needs to revert to the Ombudsman to sort out a disagreement. 🙂 

EDIT: And if one has a CoC for the install, incl the batteries?

Edited June 26, 20197 yr by Guest

It was stated that my batteries are a fire hazzard because they are in the house. It is AGM 150A  Shoto batteries.

1 minute ago, vulgrim said:

It was stated that my batteries are a fire hazzard because they are in the house. It is AGM 150A  Shoto batteries.

So can faulty wiring, a match, a heater, a wall plug bug removal thingy ... 🙂

The part I'm asking about: 
1) Who is the insurer? Drop me a PM if you don't want to name them here, for I would really like to know for my own insurance.
2) Do you have a CoC that included the batteries and if so, ask the Sparky who gave the CoC to give you the regulations that you can forward such to your insurer, with the CoC.

You have to have at least a CoC if you want to make sure all the T's are crossed and I's dotted when there is a claim.

A insurer cannot autocratically go against regulations unchallenged and if they do, find another insurer. Maybe they just got it wrong?

16 minutes ago, vulgrim said:

fire hazzard

It is a fire hazard if they are vented (but these appear to be sealed lead acid, SLA). So under normal conditions an SLA battery is not a fire hazard, but I don't know what the rules say about that. Under unusual conditions the safety vent will open and they will vent and then you have hydrogen sulphide everywhere and that will explode if you add a spark. So I'm afraid I don't know.

1 minute ago, plonkster said:

It is a fire hazard if they are vented ...

Yes, very very true!!!

All makes of batteries are risky.

But there must be rules and regs as their are ways to mitigate the problem quite easily, for any battery type, that if there is a claim, all has been done to mitigate the risk.

Am asking because of all the installs of vented lead acid Trojan batteries in houses today all over SA, and that is just on this forum.

Batteries in garages:
With paint and other flammables.
Fuel tanks ito cars / lawns mowers / generators / spare fuel kept in plastic containers.

There must be regulations to help us mitigate the risk generally speaking, more than just "fused and keep in well ventilated area".

I am in the process of getting a sparky for a coc because my house is older than 30 years this is also 1 of their findings.

My insurance broker has not raised this concern, but he did urge me to get the COC updated. Partly so that I send him a copy and then it's on file if I need it but can't find it. Also because if there is a fire, and a loss adjuster comes out and can find evidence of wiring not shown on the COC, then it can be grounds to void a claim. But he did not say I couldn't have the batteries.

He also said that roof-mounted panels would automatically fall under homeowner's insurance, so what is necessary there is to make sure you're not underinsured. 

You should be able to specify the inverter and any other electronic items. This may effect your premium but will ensure that you have adequate cover. But probably the small print will say that there is no cover in case of faulty supply from Eskom/municipality or in case of lightning strikes.