Can an AGM battery be immersed in water for UTE mounting?

my boat recently submerged upside down with a sealed agm battery,it was upside down under water for about 10hr bafor being salvaged.i have that battery in my 4wd now and when checked it was down from 97ahr to 90.cheers warren

my boat recently submerged upside down with a sealed agm battery,it was upside down under water for about 10hr befor being salvaged.i have that battery in my 4wd now and when checked it was down from 97ahr to 90.cheers warren

The cranking AGM is underwater.


Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome

Most AGM battery's have a "one way" pressure safety relief valve that will vent at greater then 5psi, the amount of hydrogen vented into the atmosphere is so small it would not be noticeable or dangerous..... The chances of them venting is very very low under correct charging conditions, this makes them safe for installation in enclosed areas such as marine.

AGM's can be mounted on any angle with very little loose of capacity, that's one big advantage of AGM (Advanced Glass Mat Valve Regulated Sealed Lead Acid Battery) technology.

AGM batteries are the only ones that can be legally transported in an aircraft and have a world wide "DOT" exemption.

They are also approved for use in aircraft.

AGM battery's were originally designed for military applications.

AGM batteries can and will vent explosive gasses in real world operation.

They MUST be provided with adequate ventilation and to say they are 100%safe in enclosed spaces is not correct and is not supported by the manufaturers material safety and data sheets or engineering application notes.

AGM battereies can be "operated' on any angle including upside down...that does not mean that can necessarily be charged in those positions or that they should be installed anyway other than upright in automotive or heavy shock applications.

While many sealed batteries can be transported by air and may not be considered dangerous goods for the purpose of transport, that does not mean that you can charge them in the same circumstances with the same level of safety.

AGM is a fine technolgy and there are some very nice AGM batteries out there AND they are a significanty safer battery than some others, BUT, the benifits of AGM are being regularly overstated.

People are happy to take the front page, glossy, advertising spiel at face value, but fail to read the fine print in the safety and engineering application notes.

BE CERTAIN
EVERY sealed lead acid battery can and will vent explosive and corrosive mist in every day, real world, applications.

EVERY sealed lead acid battery may leak acid from the vents at some time in its life if installed and charged on its side on its end or especially upside down.

EVERY sealed lead acid battery will withstand shock and vibration better if installed upright.

EVERY sealed lead acid battery MUST be installed in a properly vented place if it is to be charged there.

If anybody wants to argue these points, believe me I know this argument very very well and can quote chapter and verse from many manufacturers and one or two regulators.

A quote from a german manufacturer sums up the ventilation issue well.

While the art of low-gas production type batteries is well advanced, using Low Gassing Lead/Calcium plates and gas recombination techniques with well regulated charging devices, we CANNOT assume that the charging devices will always regulate voltage properly at all temperatures; Nor can we assume that necessary and routine maintenance of the cabling connections has been performed in a series/parallel battery set for mobile or Marine application. Given these variables, we must always design a suitably ventilated system in the event of induced gassing. For this reason it is strictly forbidden to use any battery technology in a sealed box or un-ventilated room. Ventilation to outside air- whether active (forced air) or passive (air slots or limber holes)- is compulsory.

ANY rechargeable battery can and will produce gas.
Ventilate to outside air!

cheers