Battery terminal covers.

[A&J Outdoors]

So one of the many things the surveyor listed for me was the battery terminals need to be covered. Unfortunately the ones shown do not cover them properly. Part of the problem is that there are multiple cables/wires going to each terminal. What are you guys using to cover them?

 

[glacierbaze]

A battery box lid would be a good solution, if you could find the right size, where the ends would rest on top of the bars where the green handle comes out. May seem crazy, if you had to buy three boxes and only use the top, but they can be had on Amazon prime for under $12. I would probably run a separate strap underneath to hold the lid down, and leave my batteries snugged down the way they are.

 

[DennisG01]

You can probably adapt what you have? Slice the part of the cover that is over your main battery cable. That allows you to get a couple more small wires in there - and then just zip tie the sliced "tube" of the cover. Sometimes, it will even work without the zip ties. If you have wires leaving the terminals at different angles, just make a little relief cut (upside down U-shape) in the cover to allow for the other wire/cable.

 

[Halfhitch]

With a bicycle inner tube, a knife, a few zip-ties and some ingenuity, you can make a good guard over your connections. It doesn't have to be commercially made to be legal. If you want something a little more robust, use a bicycle tire instead.

 

[SkunkBoat]

Guilty.

 

[Fishtales]

I just do the best with what was provided. 22 years with GWs and not an issue yet.

 

[A&J Outdoors]

With a bicycle inner tube, a knife, a few zip-ties and some ingenuity, you can make a good guard over your connections. It doesn't have to be commercially made to be legal. If you want something a little more robust, use a bicycle tire instead.

I like that.

 

[SkunkBoat]

In my case the pairs of batteries are in separate compartments the Only reason to access them is to work on the batteries I don’t have to access the switches anymore. So I’m not going to put something on the batteries to protect me when I’m not in there that I have to take off when I go in there.

 

[A&J Outdoors]

In my case the pairs of batteries are in separate compartments the Only reason to access them is to work on the batteries I don’t have to access the switches anymore. So I’m not going to put something on the batteries to protect me when I’m not in there that I have to take off when I go in there.

Yeah I believe it's a coast guard requirement. It was written up on my survey, but I do think if the batteries are in a compartment along, then you are good to go.

 

[wspitler]

Not a Coast Guard requirement on recreational vessels.

 

[A&J Outdoors]

That is good to know!

 

[Beyond A Wake]

Just make sure they are isolated by enough air from anything that could short them. And do as well as possible with the rubber shoes provided originally.

common sense is an important factor to count on as well, rare in todays world though...........

h

 

[Mustang65fbk]

I just do the best with what was provided. 22 years with GWs and not an issue yet.

I'm not sure of the year of my batteries off hand but yes, I've fished and used boats my entire life and rarely do they have any covers on them. I've yet to have any issues other than some routine maintenance.

 

[quint vargas]

I had a hornets nest of accessory wires on my battery I removed them from the battery and put them on their own bus bar one positive and one negative to clean that mess up.

 

[Sdfish]

I have the same issue. As suggested, I use the battery box cover. I had to cut one cover down to make it fit, it works and I feel a little better about.

 

[Doc Stressor]

I just put a big glob of dielectric grease on my terminals. I replace it once a year when I pull the batteries for testing. I have never had any corrosion on anything that was covered with dielectric grease.

I made a dumb mistake one year and used NO-OX-ID(a conductive grease) on the terminals. This caused a bad current leak once the grease melted some in the Florida heat. Don't do this. You need insulating grease.