Likely ok, but maybe not, to use wood to build a 48v server battery rack? Using 3 eco-worthy cubix.

Wood's a bit of a grey area for this tbh. Technically it's not conductive so you won't get shorts, but it does burn — and with 48v lifepo4 that's not nothing if something goes wrong with the BMS or a cell vents.

I ran a wooden shelf setup for my first battery bank (couple of Fogstar Drift cells) and it was fine for ages, but I did eventually swap to a proper steel rack just for peace of mind. The Eco-Worthy Cubix units are reasonably well built from what I've seen, so the risk is probably lower than with bare cells, but still worth thinking about.

A few things I'd consider:

• Ventilation — make sure there's airflow around each unit, wood can trap heat
• Treatment — untreated softwood is more of a fire risk than hardwood or ply
• Weight — three Cubix units is going to be heavy, make sure your joinery is solid
• Insurance — some home insurers get funny about DIY battery installs, a wooden rack might not help your case if you ever need to claim

If you're handy with wood and build it properly it's probably fine day-to-day. But honestly, a basic steel rack from Amazon or even some 80/20 aluminium extrusion isn't massively expensive and takes the question off the table entirely.

What's driving the wood route — cost, aesthetics, what you've got to hand? Might help people give more specific advice.

JakeHall76 | 847 posts | ⚡ Solar Enthusiast

@Wayne1980 Worth considering that a lot of commercial server racks are actually mounted in wooden cabinets in smaller setups — it's not as unusual as people think. The real risk isn't the wood conducting, you're right there, but thermal runaway spreading if something kicks off. With LiFePO4 chemistry though, that's significantly less likely than with other lithium types — it's genuinely one of the safer chemistries for exactly this reason.

Main thing I'd do is leave decent ventilation gaps around each Cubix unit and maybe line the interior with some fire-resistant board — Fermacell or similar is reasonably cheap and easy to work with. Keeps the wood well away from any heat source.

Fuse everything properly at the cells too, not just at the inverter end. That's where a lot of DIY builds fall short.