Insurance concerns over lithium batteries in boats.

[Wh05apk]

Insurance cover concerns over lithium batteries - Practical Boat Owner

Boat owners are being urged to contact their insurers before switching to lithium-ion batteries to check their insurance will still be valid.

www.pbo.co.uk

Just seen the article above re insurance issues and boats, could this spread to motorhomes, with insurers insisting on "professional" fitting and strict standards?

 

[Lenny HB]

That gave me a laugh, he had 2 sets of AGM's fail in under 2 years. No surprise there.

A bit of scaremongering the article refers to boat owners fitting ex car lithium batteries, there is no danger with LifePO4 type fitted to Motorhomes.

 

[Pausim]

A poorly informed article based on a wholly uninformed advice sheet issued by Navigators and General. The insurance advice sheet makes no distinction between any of the many Li-ion types, all of which have different characteristics. The PBO article does at least make a passing reference to LiFePO4 being safer than other types.

 

[Spriddler]

I know little about lithium batteries so can't offer an opinion as to their safety, but as a lifelong offshore yachtsman I can appreciate why there's concern as fire aboard is probably the most feared hazard.

 

[Pausim]

I know little about lithium batteries so can't offer an opinion as to their safety, but as a lifelong offshore yachtsman I can appreciate why there's concern as fire aboard is probably the most feared hazard.

I agree about fire risk on boats but I would rather sleep with LiFePO4 batteries below me than lead acid ones, which can give off dangerous gases. Any battery can cause a fire if not properly installed.

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[Lenny HB]

Any battery can cause a fire if not properly installed.

Apart from a LifePO4 Lithuim.

 

[Spriddler]

Any battery can cause a fire if not properly installed.

Quite so. Whenever I've changed yachts the insurers have always required that the survey included a gas and electrical safety report. It's only valid at the time of survey though, a bit like a vehicle's MOT.

 

[AdrianChen]

I think the insurers principle concern will be that a lot of older boats with very basic systems are being upgraded to higher capacity battery banks and not necessarily with sufficient regard to safety, so I suspect they are not just concerned with the battery, but the whole electrical system. The photo in the article looks as if a plate of spaghetti has been thrown on top of the batts, without any positive batt terminal protection. Live unfused wires emerge through the GRP without protection, next to the box, and the ANL fuse is a nice heavy anchor with limited lashing.... Cant imagine what might happen in a heavy seaway.

 

[Lenny HB]

I think you are being far to polite what you should have said is "A right Bodge"