compartment venting

**deltarat** · 01-07-2018, 02:30 PM

The compartment in my Tracker where the gas tank and batteries are is not vented like I see some boats are. Do I need to add a vent to the compartment? The tank itself is vented but not the compartment.

**CrappiePappy** · 01-07-2018, 03:02 PM

If the gas tank input is outside of the compartment, you may not need to vent the compartment ... but, to be honest with you, it probably wouldn't hurt to do so. Gas fumes from portable tanks is the usual reason for vents, but batteries can vent gasses, too, especially when being charged. My ProCraft doesn't have vents for the bilge compartment area, as the gas tank input is on the gunnel & is vented at the cap. But, I still prop my hatch cover open when I leave it overnight in a slip with the charger running.

A couple of these, one facing front on one side & the other facing to the rear on the other side, is what comes to mind : Stainless Steel Midget Clamshell Vent Cap #S-1388 .... but, they're meant to be placed in the corners of the transom area, so there'd have to be a clear opening from the bilge to them before they'd work. That might mean drilling a hole through not only the transom deck, but through flotation or sealed sections of the corners of the boat.

Or if you were going to vent the compartment thru the hatch door .... something like these might be an option : https://greatlakesskipper.com/baja-1...nt-covers-pair

**deltarat** · 01-07-2018, 08:34 PM

I have a built in tank with filler and vent on the outside but I see other boats with and without vents. I just wondering when you need them and when you don't?

**Hanr3** · 01-09-2018, 10:21 PM

As time progresses, things change. We learn things and make code changes. What was acceptable back-in-the-day, may not be acceptable today. Venting battery compartments and gas tanks is one of those areas. I'm talking outboards here, there are different codes for inboard/outboards. No longer are you supposed to put batteries in the same air space as the gas tank, nor are you supposed to put the batteries over the gas tank. Both battery and gas tank air spaces must be vented to the outside world. Battery fumes are deadly and battery acid can eat through most things. Gas fumes are deadly and only take a spark to ignite. Like the spark from a loose connection on a battery terminal.

If nothing else, install vents for peace of mind.

When I rebuilt my boat I designed it so that all of my storage areas vent in one way or another. Plus they all drain to the bilge so my bilge pump can do its job. When charging my batteries I leave the hatch nearest my charger open and the hatch over my batteries open. Both for different reasons. As mentioned, batteries will give off toxic fumes, especially when charging. The charger will generate heat, I leave the hatch open to keep fresh cooler air circulating.

When I built the boat I put the charger under the front deck and the batteries near the transom. This helps weight distribution, and reduces shock loads to the batteries so they last longer.

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