Being an old hand at this (notice I didn't say 'Smart' or 'Expert'...)
Being off grid, my battery bank is larger than most,
And I tried to explain POSITIVE DISCONNECTS (Anderson Connector) and strings that have to be Unplugged (DISCONNECTED) BEFORE you could service the battery string...
(They work equally well as low budget disconnects between batteries & inverter)
Anderson (or any shielded) connector keeps terminals apart, you have to TRY to zap yourself with an Anderson connector since the terminals aren't exposed...
Cable connections and 'gadgets' BELOW the bench top where you couldn't accidently contact the terminals...
As near as either of us can remember, it's been 14 years since we had a power failure.
Neither of us will forget the cause,
The "Great Squirrel Roasting Of '05"!
Tested my then new fire suppression system...
When I say to seal up against 'Environmental Factors' that includes pets & rodents!
(And "know-it-all" DIY's that won't turn anything off before fiddling around!
)
The ONE saving grace of DC is you have to be contacting both poles, just touching a hot terminal won't nail your shorts to the floor and have you wringing electrons out of your arm for an hour like AC will...
People think I'm goofy, but that sticky red/purple battery terminal spray will save you a lot of grief.
If you think it's messy, cut some stencils out to keep it off everything but the terminals.
Not only does it slow down tarnish/corrosion on your terminal stacks (I hate terminal stacks) but it works as a thread locker to keep the stack somewhat tightened, and it dries as a partial insulation from the terminal.
Anyone that has stuck their finger in that stuff Once probably won't want to do it again because it stays somewhat sticky.
This is, of course after you have everything worked out and final assembled...
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The difference between DIY's and full on Off Grid/work-a-day powered guys is DIY's like to look at their work and/or show it off.
Nothing in the world wrong with that, BE PROUD of what you do, what you have learned!
I would suggest a piece (or two) of glass, Lexan or Plexiglass between our work and curious fingers.
If you have kids in the house, dad is the hero and they WILL want to be like dad, no matter what you tell them.
Pets, particularly cats, will get into and poke at EVERYTHING.
I've found it easy to solder a nut onto, or drill and tap a 90° angle brackets to mount a sheet of some thing non-conductive over the work.
If it's a flat board, screws/studs/bolts/all thread long enough for tubing to hold the sheet away from your work and wing nuts on the face...
Screw the threaded shaft into the backing board, throw a nut on both sides (if needed),
Use tubing to space the insulator panel out off your work,
Use nuts outside to hold insulator panel against the tubing.
(Polished copper tubing looks cool too!)
I also have one in a 'Case' type enclosure, and use the two sliding panels like doctor office windows often have.
I think it ran about $20 at the big box store...
