Are lead gel battery's bank legal in a residential power back up system?

**Frans400** · 28-Sep-20, 08:27 AM

Most of the inverter power back up system I see uses lead acid or gel battery's instead of lithium-iron phosphate battery's. According to me if lead battery's can emit explosive gasses that will cause the installation to be classified as a hazardous location.

Am I allowed to install a 600ah 48v battery bank in a garage ?
And if it's legal should it be CoC by a master installation electrician ?

**ians** · 28-Sep-20, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by Frans400

Most of the inverter power back up system I see uses lead acid or gel battery's instead of lithium-iron phosphate battery's. According to me if lead battery's can emit explosive gasses that will cause the installation to be classified as a hazardous location.

Am I allowed to install a 600ah 48v battery bank in a garage ?
And if it's legal should it be CoC by a master installation electrician ?

You need to understand how an area is classified ... the location ... the size of the room ... volume of gas ... the air flow .. when the flamable gas ispresent ... etc etc.

**Frans400** · 28-Sep-20, 09:47 AM

excerpt from sans 10142-2017
7.14 Hazardous locations
7.14.1 The class of a hazardous location shall be determined before the
installation is designed. The classification of hazardous locations for the
purpose of electrical installation work shall be carried out by a person who is
competent to express an opinion on such locations. The appropriate
electrical equipment shall be installed in accordance with a standard adopted
by the appropriate statutory authority.

So what will make me a competent person? should I study sans 10108 only or do I need to become a master installation electrician?

**Jaws** · 29-Sep-20, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by Frans400

Most of the inverter power back up system I see uses lead acid or gel battery's instead of lithium-iron phosphate battery's. According to me if lead battery's can emit explosive gasses that will cause the installation to be classified as a hazardous location.

Am I allowed to install a 600ah 48v battery bank in a garage ?
And if it's legal should it be CoC by a master installation electrician ?

Hi Frans

Your typical household installation will consist of 4 to maybe 8 batteries, usually of the valve-regulated type. During charging the amount of hydrogen released from these banks within a large space like a double garage will be below the explosive concentration limits.

In your case with what looks like 24 batteries I would perform the calculation as per SANS 10108:2014 “The Classification of hazardous locations and the selection of equipment for use in such locations”

Here is nice guide:

https://mtexlab.co.za/uploads/6/3/7/...2016_rev_2.pdf

These calculations are performed by a MIE

**Frans400** · 03-Oct-20, 01:09 PM

Hi

Please help me if I'm incorrect.

So depending on the charge current and the amount of lead acid(or gel)cells in the configuration the installation will be classified as an zone 1 or 2 hazardous location?

But because zone 1 is seen as a hazardous location (even though its falls below the criteria to create a explosive atmosphere) the installation should be CoC'ed by a MIE?