Fuse in battery compartment

[dave_and_dd]

So I'm installing a battery monitor (Balmer) and the sense wires that go to the pos battery terminals are to have a fuse (nicely included). The instructions say to not have the fuse in the battery box (I assume due to the build up of flammable gasses, and if a fuse blows, it may create an ignition spark).
How close should it be? The battery box is pretty large (I have a 4D and a group 27 in it). and it actually doesn't have a cover. If i can describe this, it is a box under the starboard settee. The settee seat is in effect the top of the box but doesn't touch the box. there is room right "over the wall".

Would it be safe to mount the fuses on the outside of the box (even though there is no top)? the assumption would be that any gasses would go UP and out the vent on the end or up around the settee seat,...but not go DOWN.

Is that a safe assumption, or should they be totally out of the settee, which would put them 5 feet or so away?

thanks for any help - Dave

 

[Gunni]

Every inch of unfused wire attached to your battery represents a threat of short and ignition. A fuse contains it's short within sealed body. Battery boxes are corrosive environments, not a good place for a fuse holder.

 

[dave_and_dd]

Every inch of unfused wire attached to your battery represents a threat of short and ignition. ......

Yup - that's why I would want to keep the wire as short as possible between the battery and the fuses. So any thoughts that if I mount the fuse blocks just outside of the battery box (less than a foot away) that would be far enough to provide some distance to the corrosive environment (since it wouldn't be sealed with a cover between them)?

Dave

 

[Gunni]

Yes, outside the box and the zone of wet-cell battery spittle. Frankly I would put a cover on the battery box to prevent acid burns on whatever else you keep in that lazarette.