Your RV’s battery is its primary source of power. You rely on it to keep the lights on, and other items that make your RV a functional, comfortable place to live or travel. This is why proper RV battery maintenance is so important and some of that has to do with ventilation. Your RV battery produces dangerous gases that need room to dissipate safely. Learn more about why battery ventilation is important for your RV with our guide.
The Different Types of RV Battery
While each type of RV battery functions differently, they all require some sort of ventilation to remain safe and functional for you and your RV. Flooded or lead-acid batteries are the traditional option and remain popular among RVer’s today. When these batteries charge, they give off amounts of hydrogen gas—a corrosive, unhealthy, and explosive substance. Without proper battery ventilation, this gas can build up and contaminate your breathing air or cause a dangerous explosion. The second type of RV battery is the newer AGM or absorbed glass mat battery, which contains a glass mat that absorbs hydrogen as it’s produced. Even though AGM batteries are considered to be maintenance-free, they still require venting. If you overcharge the battery, charge it too quickly, or don’t allow enough AGM battery ventilation for the absorption mat to keep up with, the same dangerous build-up of hydrogen gas can occur. The final type of RV battery is the lithium battery. While lithium batteries don’t produce gas the same way the other two batteries do, they still require ventilation to prevent thermal runaway. If the battery gets too hot, it can reach a critical condition and explode.
Why Your RV Battery Needs Ventilation
From powering vehicles to making toy cars light up, batteries have become a staple of everyday life. It’s easy to take the power—and the risks—of these tools for granted. However, there is no understating why battery ventilation is important for your RV. For flooded, lead-acid, and AGM batteries, proper ventilation prevents the buildup of hydrogen gas, keeping the air around your battery and your vehicle fresh, clean, and breathable. Proper battery ventilation also helps prevent damage and, more importantly, explosions. If you allow hydrogen gas to build up, even the smallest spark can ignite the air and cause serious damage to your vehicle and anything around it. Similarly, ventilation keeps lithium batteries from overheating and experiencing thermal runaway, which can also lead to severe explosions and damage. Battery ventilation is no joke. It’s important to understand RV batteries, ventilation, and maintenance. When you take your RV battery seriously, including understanding the types of RV batteries, you help extend the battery’s life, prevent major damage to your vehicle, and keep yourself and everyone who camps with you safe from harm.
When you take care of all parts of your RV, you’ll help your vehicle last longer, which means you can safely enjoy more seasons and environments over the years. Another way you can prepare your RV for year around use is by installing the proper winter gear. You can find holding tank heating pads, pipe heaters, and other RV heaters for sale at UltraHeat. We have the supplies and expertise you need to help set your rig up for 4-season RVing.