Battery Storage Question

I’m looking on some advise for what I need to do with my batteries this winter. I bought by boat last winter and this spring I put in a pro mariner 3 bank charger (cabelas) that is connected to my 3 batteries. One cranking and 2 deep cycles. When I read my manual for the charger it said I could leave the batteries hooked up to the charger all winter and unplug once a month and … What I’m wondering is does this mean I can leave them connected in my non heated attached garage that will get down below freezing on the really cold days of winter? Any suggestion or words of wisdom will be appreciated.

Russ

I leave mine in the boat outside plugged in all winter and no problems.

I take mine out and store in my basement. Put on the charger one time during the off season.

Nic, thats too much work. A healthy battery that is charged does not freeze.

Here’s a poust from about a year ago that has some good info
We had two battery engineers come in and talk about batteries at our Bass club. FRound a few interesting things out with buying and maintaining batteries.
Here are a couple random things they had to say:

1. Buy the battery that has the thinkest/heaviest plates. When comparing two different batteries of identical amp hours, buy the heaviest battery.

2. A perfectlt charged battery is 12.4 volts

3. trickle chargers are the best

4. Keep your batteries fully charged before storing 12.4 to 13.1

5. Over 13.1 volts, a battery is over4-charged and will expire faster

6. All Batteries disipate power at a couple milli-amp pace. Better batteries will disipate a bit slower. A fully charged battery in the fall (say late november) should drop to about 10.8 to 11 volts by late March. This is normal. Dropping to 9V in the same time frame is signes of a week battery

7. Never add additional acid to a mature battery- the chemical make-up could be different and blow the battery up

8. There are only a few actual manufactures of batteries. Most are made for a marketted brand.

9. If you terminals are caroding (sp?) up, you have a leaking battery

10. Never smoke or have an open flame near your battery. If the gasses combust, your in serious trouble.

11. Problems with storing your battery over the winter on concrete is a myth.

12. In most cases, a properly charged battery will not freeze under most conditions.

13. regardless of setting batteries in series or parallel, always use the same size, make, style, and age battery. un-even draws on the batteries will prematurely expire the newer batteries.

For what is worth, I have been running Everstart 115amp/hr batteries from Wal-Mart and get 2-3 years use from each set. I follow the above guide lines and have never had a problem. I give my batteries away to neighbors for misc use when I buy new. Some of those are still in use years later.

I have the identical charger and battery set-up (Cabela’s AGM’s). Parked the boat outside last winter and unplugged once a month as suggested without any issues. Batteries performed better than ever this spring and summer . Wish I would have had this set-up years ago. I could have saved some pulled fat…(I mean muscles) trying to wrestle those deep cycles out each fall.

Keep in mind that its not the COLD that HURTS a battery its the HEAT, if a battery goes bad during the cold months it was probably weak to began with.

Make sure your water level is proper during,after use and during the storage months.

I never take mine outta the boat and I store mine in a non heated garage also.

I use a very low voltage automatic maintainer 1.5 amp if I remember right.

I also leave mine in over the winter in a non-heated shed. I simply plug them in every 3 weeks or so to “top them off”, and I’ve had no problems.

Thanks for all the replies guys. I fell pretty comfortable leaving them in the boat over the winter after reading these replies.

Found this on Interstates site, good info.

(actually the concrete thing was pertinent at one time)

Battery storage

big G

Guys,
I’m working on drafting an article for battery maintence for IDO. I’m hoping to have it done in a week or so.

Anyways,
Great tips above!
Let me add a few more bits of information that is critical for battery life.

1) NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER (CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?) store or leave your batteries sit without being fully charged. NEVER. Even for a day. Once this is done, you give your battery the “kiss of death”. Sulfation begins, which is the crystallation of lead sulfate.
When you get off the water, CHARGE your batteries! Charge them full. Not a quick charge, charge them full.

2) Charging your battery is not to get it to 12 volts. It is to restore the amps that you took out of your battery when you used it.

3) Do not drain your battery below 50% power.

4) “FULL STATE OF CHARGE” for your battery is 12.6 volts or higher. NOT 12.2v or 12.4v. Charge your batterys and they are done when they reach 12.6volts or higher. 12.2 or 12.4volts is approximately 50% to 75% of your battery amperage. It is the amperage that actually pushes your trolling motor for “hours”. When you charge your batteries to 50% or 75% state of charge, sulfation begins and will start to take away the life of your batteries.

5) Purchase a “smart charger”. One that “de-sulfates” your battery. Desulfation is when the charger “pulses” high current to the plates and “breaks off the junk” that builds on them. When the “junk” is gone, then you have clean plates that will allow the current to flow. This is what makes your batteries last longer. Also, a good smart charger is a “connect and forget”. You can leave them connected indefinetly.

When your batteries won’t hold a charge, it is because the plates are sulfated. If you purchase a charger that will desulfate, you will gain twice the life out of your batteries.

6) If you can, put your batteries in the beer fridge. Keep them below 40F while in storage, as the milleamp draw will be greatly reduced.

Gary,

Great info Thanks!! One question I have about the charger, it is a smart charger so does it know to get the batteries to 12.6 v and then start the maintenance, or how does this work? Should I get a volt meter to check this with or can I just “trust” my charger?

Thanks again,

Russ

A Smart Charger will maintain your batteries once they have completed receiving current (amps). Once the battery doesn’t take anymore amps, then the “smart charging” end of it comes into play. That is where the charger is monitoring the battery and supplying necessary current to keep the amps full. This is where a smart charger will cut off the voltage, so the battery won’t get “cooked” or “boil”, because you are overloading. The smart charger will top off the battery above 12.6 volts. Up to 13 volts, even higher. But it won’t continue holding the voltage there. When a battery is held on a charger and the voltage goes over 13v and is maintained at that level, that is where the battery will start to degrade. A smart charger will not hold the batteries above 13v.

Any “smart charger” can be used. You don’t need the $300 charger from whomever. My charger is a $30 special. Does the job. However, what it does not do is “desulfate” my batteries.

A “good” smart charger will desulfate the batteries. When you have that type of charger, you battery life will double. A friend of mine just wrapped up his 5th year on his motorcycle battery. All because he charges them correctly. Now, how many guys do you know that own motorcycles, replace their batteries every year. Another friend was on his 4th year of trolling motor batteries. They still worked, but he decided to get new ones. It is all in keeping the batteries fully charged with the “AMPS”!

This $55 battery charger will do everything and anything that you could ask for in a charger, including desulfation.
It is only 1.5Amps, but for winter maintenence on your 2 trolling motor batteries, wire it up and it is all you need.
Smart charger with desulfation capabilities

Just curious, years back they said the particles falling off the cells could eventually short out the cells, what’s your/anybodies take on that??

Never desulfated my batteries, but I get three years out of them and then give them to my neighbor who usually gets a year or two out of them, been using Interstate batteries for years now.
Unless the onboard charger does it and I missed it.

I leave the boat under a shed and plug the charger in about once a month, seems to work.

Al

The particles falling off is the “good”. It is those particles that “short out” the plates. There will be “debris” on the bottom of the battery.

It is not recommended to turn a battery upside down or on its sides, once it has some age, as these particles will then attach to the plates and shorten the life.

Those particles will develop and “grow” if you don’t keep your batteries fully maintained and properly charged. Leaving a battery uncharged for a any significant length of time is what causes these particles to develop.

In a nut shell: Keep your batteries properly charged and this won’t happen.

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The particles falling off is the “good”. It is those particles that “short out” the plates. There will be “debris” on the bottom of the battery.

It is not recommended to turn a battery upside down or on its sides, once it has some age, as these particles will then attach to the plates and shorten the life.

Those particles will develop and “grow” if you don’t keep your batteries fully maintained and properly charged. Leaving a battery uncharged for a any significant length of time is what causes these particles to develop.

In a nut shell: Keep your batteries properly charged and this won’t happen.

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Thank you kindly, well charged they’ll be.

Al

trumar, you’re the only one that mentioned adding water to your batteries. I was told this is one of the most important things in battery care… Does everyone else add water to their batteries? I add water a couple times a year.

BatteryMinder Plus is a good option along with its price. My neighbor has one that he let me use, I will be purchasing one before I put the boat away this year. This is a good post, answered alot of my questions!

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trumar, you’re the only one that mentioned adding water to your batteries. I was told this is one of the most important things in battery care… Does everyone else add water to their batteries? I add water a couple times a year.

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You bet it is important in battery maintenance. DISTILLED water is the only water to use. However, it is much easier to purchase “sealed” batteries, where this maintenence does not come into play.