U1 AGM battery indoor safety

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TeamArliss
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U1 AGM battery indoor safety

Post by TeamArliss » Fri Jul 16, 2021 5:05 pm

I couldn't tell apart a positive and negative terminal. I know very little about batteries. I need a somewhat reliable backup in the event of a power outage , but also something safe to use indoors. I am looking at getting an AGM U1 battery. I wanted to know if it was safe to not only store the battery in my house, but also use it and charge it?

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Julie
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Re: U1 AGM battery indoor safety

Post by Julie » Fri Jul 16, 2021 8:33 pm

Can you PM "Capn Loki', our resident expert on camping, batteries, etc. etc? He might not have seen your note yet.

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Goofproof
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Re: U1 AGM battery indoor safety

Post by Goofproof » Fri Jul 16, 2021 8:49 pm

If it's not marked + or - don't buy it as they are too stupid to sell products. Jim
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palerider
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Re: U1 AGM battery indoor safety

Post by palerider » Fri Jul 16, 2021 9:00 pm

TeamArliss wrote:
Fri Jul 16, 2021 5:05 pm
I couldn't tell apart a positive and negative terminal
One has a + and one has a - often the positive is red.
TeamArliss wrote:
Fri Jul 16, 2021 5:05 pm
I know very little about batteries. I need a somewhat reliable backup in the event of a power outage , but also something safe to use indoors. I am looking at getting an AGM U1 battery. I wanted to know if it was safe to not only store the battery in my house, but also use it and charge it?
yes

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SAG
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Re: U1 AGM battery indoor safety

Post by SAG » Sat Jul 17, 2021 6:56 am

This is pretty fool proof. Comes completely assembled. All you need is the DC power cord for your cpap and to charge the battery when you get it, which you should do before using any battery.

It will do everything you are looking to do. Indoor use = no prob. Use while charging = no prob.

viewtopic/t64943/Another-Battery-Option ... ry+option
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loggerhead12
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Re: U1 AGM battery indoor safety

Post by loggerhead12 » Sat Jul 17, 2021 11:36 am

AGM batteries don't release gases while they charge. As long as you don't break them open it's perfectly safe to charge and use them inside.

I put a picture at the end of the "Choosing A Battery" thread. Two bolts on the battery, and the rest is simple plugs. You can do it.

TeamArliss
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Re: U1 AGM battery indoor safety

Post by TeamArliss » Mon Jul 19, 2021 12:17 pm

Ok, so the battery I got has two sponge Bob looking metal pieces sticking out the top. Your saying I have to attach bolts to those? Also, should I charge it before I use it, or do they usually come charged?

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loggerhead12
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Re: U1 AGM battery indoor safety

Post by loggerhead12 » Mon Jul 19, 2021 12:33 pm

TeamArliss wrote:
Mon Jul 19, 2021 12:17 pm
Ok, so the battery I got has two sponge Bob looking metal pieces sticking out the top. Your saying I have to attach bolts to those? Also, should I charge it before I use it, or do they usually come charged?
If you bought a Battery Tender, attach the ring terminal lead to the battery with the nuts and bolts that came with the battery. The red ring goes to the + Sponge Bob, and the black one goes to the - Sponge Bob. Plug the other end of the lead into the Battery Tender, then the Battery Tender into the wall.

TeamArliss
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Re: U1 AGM battery indoor safety

Post by TeamArliss » Mon Jul 19, 2021 3:03 pm

I have a Genius 5, but haven't opened it yet. I think it's battery charger comes with clamps

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loggerhead12
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Re: U1 AGM battery indoor safety

Post by loggerhead12 » Mon Jul 19, 2021 6:24 pm

TeamArliss wrote:
Mon Jul 19, 2021 3:03 pm
I have a Genius 5, but haven't opened it yet. I think it's battery charger comes with clamps
Same premise. Hopefully the NOCO will have some form of permanent attachment in addition to the clamps.

TeamArliss
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Re: U1 AGM battery indoor safety

Post by TeamArliss » Mon Jul 19, 2021 10:53 pm

Thanks to all who responded

Lane101
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Re: U1 AGM battery indoor safety

Post by Lane101 » Sat Jan 15, 2022 3:40 pm

Realize these posts are a few months old but feel the need to chime in regarding safety concerns not raised. For background I've posted multiple times on this based on my experience in building CPAP battery packs based on half-U1 size agm lead-acid batteries. Added my experience to CapnLoki's extensive set of posts that you can see via the link below. Good detailed explanations across these posts on how to scope and build a battery pack.

https://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t114 ... ?start=150

While agm batteries are the safest type of lead-acid cell for use they can still be dangerous if not used correctly as they store a lot of power. Drop a wrench across the terminals of one of these (even my half-U1 size 20ah batteries) and hundreds of amps will go across the short circuit welding the wrench to the battery terminals. The keys to a safer design include:

1) Make sure your wiring is of a sufficient gauge to handle the expected current. Also, see details in the posts above, make sure the gauge will be sufficient to prevent voltage drop or you CPAP won't work. (see dialogue on voltage drop issues experienced by one user in the posts above)

2) Ensure that there is no exposed metal in your circuits that could result in an accidental short circuit. This means no use of alligator clip connectors on other than a short term emergency basis. All connections need to be covered by an insulator such as heat shrink tubing or at least a couple layers of electrical tape. Even better use off the shelf connectors, such as Anderson Poles, that also help eliminate the possibility of accidentally connecting a short circuit.

3) Install the correct level of fusing in your circuit. For 12 volt batteries this means your typical auto type fuses. Fuse to protect the circuit/wiring. For CPAPs used remotely without a humidifier the current required is often a lot less than the machine specs that are set to cover humidifier use and the maximum therapy pressure (typically 20cm). You can look these up for many machines or test with a multimeter. My devices only use between .5 and .65 amps at my therapy pressures which is why only half-U1 size batteries were chosen as these easily support two nights of therapy. Based on my wiring, and sometimes review of manufacturer DC cord specs, I've fused my CPAP connectors at just 5 amps with just one nuisance blow in 10 years.

4) Consider a batter box/bag for added safety. My half-U1 size batteries are placed in the bottom part of a plastic ammo box that is then placed in at heavy duty tool bag. For larger batteries the recommendation would be to place the battery and fusing inside the correct size battery box. Provides an added layer of protection to your battery set up. Lots of blogs/videos on how various folks have done this. Have seen one that converted a small igloo cooler.

Hope this helps.

P.S. As I sometimes use my batteries to power other devices via an inverter my design evolved into one with two fuses. A 15 amp main fuse right on the battery with a appropriate lower value fuse on a second fuse on a connector for specific uses. This varies from 3 amps for a 30 watt solar panel, 5 amps for my cpaps and 7.5 amps for my batterytender chargers. Inverter is protected my the main fuse.

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ChicagoGranny
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Re: U1 AGM battery indoor safety

Post by ChicagoGranny » Sat Jan 15, 2022 6:04 pm

Let's make it so complicated that people just suffer without CPAP during a power outage.

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SleepGeek
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Re: U1 AGM battery indoor safety

Post by SleepGeek » Sat Jan 15, 2022 7:13 pm

ChicagoGranny wrote:
Sat Jan 15, 2022 6:04 pm
Let's make it so complicated that people just suffer without CPAP during a power outage.
Amen
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amenite
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Re: U1 AGM battery indoor safety

Post by amenite » Sat Jan 15, 2022 11:51 pm

loggerhead12 wrote:
Sat Jul 17, 2021 11:36 am
AGM batteries don't release gases while they charge. As long as you don't break them open it's perfectly safe to charge and use them inside.

I put a picture at the end of the "Choosing A Battery" thread. Two bolts on the battery, and the rest is simple plugs. You can do it.
AGM batteries will vent Hydrogen gas if they are overcharged. If you have AGM battery you need to use a modern electronically controlled charger with AGM setting to prevent doing so. It's worth noting this for anyone who was planning to charge one of these with an old school basic charger.