Marine Lithium Battery Installation Checklist
Detailed pre-installation and commissioning checklist for a boat LiFePO4 electrical system.
Before purchase
- Daily load audit completed
- Peak inverter load calculated
- System voltage chosen
- Battery kWh chosen
- BMS continuous current checked
- BMS peak current checked
- Battery charge-current limit checked
- Solar target calculated
- Alternator strategy chosen
- Shore charger checked
- Generator strategy checked
- Start battery architecture retained or redesigned
- Battery location inspected
- Flooding risk assessed
- Cable runs measured
Protection
- Main protection selected for available fault current
- Branch protection selected
- DC-rated isolators selected
- Busbar ratings verified
- Inverter circuit protected
- Charger circuits protected
- Cable ampacity verified
- Voltage drop checked
BMS and alarms
- High-voltage protection
- Low-voltage protection
- High-temperature protection
- Low-temperature charge protection where required
- Over-current protection
- Pre-alarm
- Audible alarm
- Visual alarm
- Charger disable path
- Load disable path
Commissioning
- All terminals torqued to specification
- Cables supported
- Battery physically restrained
- Labels fitted
- Shunt calibrated
- State of charge synchronised
- Alternator tested hot
- Solar tested
- Shore charger tested
- Inverter tested at high load
- BMS alarm tested
- Emergency isolation procedure documented
- 01DesignLoads, voltage and failure paths
- 02ControlCharging limits and BMS logic
- 03ProtectionFuses, isolation and conductors
- 04EnvironmentHeat, water, salt and restraint
- 05ProofCommissioning and records
Apply this guidance to your boat
Use this page as one input to a vessel-specific plan. Record the actual equipment, cable runs, charging sources and operating pattern aboard before choosing hardware or changing the installation.
- Measure the real load and its operating time instead of relying on a label or a generic boat profile.
- Check every proposed current against the battery, BMS, protection, cable and connection limits.
- Confirm the result against current manufacturer instructions and the rules that apply to your vessel.
Work out your own numbers
How Marine Lithium Batteries Are Compared on This SiteThe evidence standard used to compare marine lithium batteries, BMS capability, ingress protection, warranty, documentation and whole-system suitability.Marine Lithium System Documentation and HandoverWhat drawings, settings, test results, manuals and emergency instructions should be handed over with a marine lithium battery installation.
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