viper_za Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 Hi All I'm looking for a extractor fan for the place I'm storing my batteries. Room size 40m3 I know the fan needs to be able to work in a lead acid environment just not where to get them and what price I can expect to pay. Thanks Thys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KLEVA Posted April 8, 2016 Share Posted April 8, 2016 Hi Viper, I know this is a bit late, not sure if still interested... What I did was: 1 x 20W panel (cheap enough, and a 10W is probably sufficient), then 4 x 120mm Computer fans cable tied together. I wired those up with 2 old partly faulty 9Ah batteries removed from gate controller (just to act as a bit of a capacitor/overnight power)... No charge controller, nada else, just wired it together direct like Does the job nicely. (In my roof to keep my office cool, so no aircon, put a 20W panel direct onto a small 12V radiator fan, when it's hot/sun, it runs, when its night cooler, it doesn't - simple solutions sometimes work better) I get 20W 12V panels at about R300, so nice to play with as a hobby test, and if you break it it doesn't break you! viper_za, ___ and Clint 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viper_za Posted April 11, 2016 Author Share Posted April 11, 2016 Thanks Kleva, the reason I was asking because the extractor fan I bought from builders once I opened the box clearly stated in the user manual not to use the fan in a lead acid environment. I am going to power it from AC on a timer since the batteries would only be gassing during the day when charging from solar and maybe I would turn it on every few hours at night for 5 minutes just to vent the room Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weasel Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 Its amazing how the gassing can ruin your stuff. I had those vrot batts in my garage charging and yes they where gassing too much and heating up and so on, but it was only for about a month. now all the hard metal in my workshop is rusting, my G-clamps, saw blades, chisels, table saw you name it. if its carbon steel its now brown. you could get a few pc fans like kleva suggests and string them for 48V, run them directly from the batteries, way more efficient that AC fan and practically disposable, if gassing ruins them, so what. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
___ Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 When TTT was here over the weekend I showed him a copper pipe that was almost eaten right through because I had my Trojans a bit close to them. Just the Hydrogen Sulphide hanging around on the floor is enough to ruin things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viceroy Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 You guys make me scared. I have my batteries in the garage right in front of my car. The batteries are VRLA Gel batteries, so I assume I don't have to worry about gassing unless something goes wrong...am I correct in my assumption, or would it be safer to park outside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
___ Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 49 minutes ago, viceroy said: The batteries are VRLA Gel batteries VR == Valve regulated. So they don't gas unless you're overcharging them. Let me provide context: I had a set of Trojans about half a meter from a copper pipe that runs into the floor. Right where the pipe goes into the floor, a sort of gray sludge formed around the pipe (despite their being no direct contact) and this ate away the copper. I discovered it in time and washed away the corrosive sludge. My theory is that the hydrogen sulphide probably combined with other elements, most likely water in the air, to form this corrosive material. I have other tools and stuff in the same vicinity, chissels and stuff. These are all fine... So I would think your car should be okay :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 I have my batteries in a cupboard, door open, in my office. So I positioned a UPS in front of said cupboard so that the fans blow directly into the cupboard, kinda ventilating it. Suppose this is fine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
___ Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 2 minutes ago, The Terrible Triplett said: So I positioned a UPS in front of said cupboard Dude, you use UPSes to solve all your problems :-) Chris Hobson 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 4 minutes ago, plonkster said: Dude, you use UPSes to solve all your problems :-) HADMD? (Hoe Anders Doen Mens Dit) Seriously though, I have to have a UPS, due to system design, pain in the neverlands, but it has also saved my equipment a FEW times from smoke related issues, some due to Eskom and others electrician related. So I am not too fussed to solve the UPS inconvenience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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