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Posts: 1189
Location: Bagley,MN 56621 | the winter battery storage topic is on a lot of boards and there are MANY ppeople doing this.
Is this really good for the batteries, not to mention the charger to keep it plugged in for 4+ months constant??
I get nervous when mine is left on for a couple hours after all my lights are "green"(fully charged). would never had dreamed it was ok to this.
I"m sure a day isn't a big deal, but all winter makes me skeptical.
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Posts: 726
Location: Eau Claire, WI | Greg, I don't know the correct answer if there is such a thing but I will charge the batts, take the charger off let 'em sit for a week or two then hook them back up and top them off. Repeat. I do this through the winter.
With an automatic charger that functions properly, it should not be an issue to leave them on all the time but I don't see the need over winter. Hooking them up every few weeks should do the trick. Now is a good time to add distilled water to them if they need a drink.
During the season, I will leave the charger plugged in all the time and never had a problem with it sitting over days. I have a guest 3 bank charger in my boat. The difference with winter is that the charger is with the boat in storage and my batteries are in my basement. I use a napa brand automatic charger and just rotate charging each battery to top the them off through the winter. Never had a problem doing this.
Jono
Edited by Jono 11/19/2003 1:06 PM
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Posts: 5874
| Did it last winter, all winter. No problems. First time I had an onboard charger. They will not overcook the batteries. Before that, I still left the batteries in the boat, but would connect up the portable once a month. Never seemed to take much of a charge.
My biggest concern is the digital Opti draining the starting battery if not plugged in. So I will leave it plugged in all winter again. Guest also said this is not a problem.
Edited by Shep 11/19/2003 3:28 PM
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Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | Ha- Yes, this is one of the rotating yearly threads. Leaving the charger on all winter long is a gamble. There is a very good "maxim" for power electronics. i.e., chargers , TV's, stereo's , computers, etc - "It's gauranteed they all will break/fail at some point in time". With failures of TV's & stereo's we don't have to worry about collateral damage. However, a charger failure can wipe out the batteries, just like a computer crash can destroy your data. Leaving the charger on all winter is OK if it's a "float type" charger. However- you should monitor it on a fairly regular basis. It doesn't take long or much abuse to destroy a battery, i.e., via either undercharging (the charger fails and just stops charging) or overcharging (the charger fails "full on" w/ no regulation). The results are the same come spring time- you will need new batteries. IMHO- The periodic topping off method is the safest- because you have control and it doesn't require constant monitoring. The opinion of 10,000 men is of no value if none of them know anything about the subject. -Marcus Aurelius Al Warner "All Water is Zalt Water" http://www.zaltnad.com
Edited by ESOX Maniac 11/19/2003 2:35 PM
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Posts: 5874
| Al, good point on the failure deal. However, I'm not the type to be constantly looking over my shoulder, worrying that my charger is going to fail. If it does, and cooks my battery(s), then I would probably contact Guest. They have a great reputation for customer service, and I believe they would take care of it. Maybe they wouldn't buy me new batteries, so be it. I'll risk it.
I buy good stuff, and I expect to work. Personally, I think there is a greater chance of my truck doing a Slamr on a long trip, than there is of my charger failing! hehehe
"The opinion of 10,000 men is of no value if none of them know anything about the subject." Was this directed at me?
Edited by Shep 11/19/2003 3:27 PM
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Location: Stevens Point, Wi. | Al forgot to mention one other bad posibility--a short- either internally or externally ( rodents for instance) A boat in your garage, charger running 24/7, a short, could have disasterous results. I just plug in my on board charger once a month, overnight, and have had no battery problems. | |
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| I do the same thing ever since I got an on board charger. I plug it in on a regular basis and make sure to leave it plugged in during prolonged cold snaps. Haven't had a problem for the last three years.
Beav | |
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Posts: 1023
Location: Lafayette, IN | I keep my (3) trolling motor batteries hooked parallel to a 1.5amp trickle with auto shutoff all winter. I also keep them on a shelf in my garage. Makes it easy to walk by and see if the "red" fully charged indicator light is on. It (the red light) is usually "on" all winter once the batteries have fully charged since there is minimal drain over winter. Seems better to me than leaving the batteries in the boat out in the freezing cold and never seeing the charger. It's also just a good excuse to empty the boat completely out once a year for service and inspection. I would hate to open my boat up in the spring to find battery acid has damaged everything in it's path from a leaky battery. 2 cents worth...... | |
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Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | Shep- of course not. It was directed at the MF readership in general, i.e., always interpret opinions with some degree of skepticism. Even mine! However, I probably have a little more experience with batteries and charging systems than the average reader. In my day job we take the issues of battery charging and maintenance pretty seriously. A constant float type charger is probably most common - but even they can fail and someone has to catch the failure. We even offer 7x24 remote system monitoring for customers who don't want to rely on their own staff or have time themselves. You are absolutely correct- Guest will probably take care of you and just like CPR it's your choice/risk to take. ghoti- brings up a very good point. A short circuit could mean a boat fire, sulphric acid all over, etc. But it also could involve your home and family or perhap's other people's property if you lease/or rent storage. I don't know about you, but I don't think it's my right to risk my family's lives or other peoples property. As for batteries sitting in cold temepatures. It's not a problem as long as they are fully charged. The greatest risk is freezing of the electrolyte in a discharged or undercharged battery. This can damage the battery's internal construction and crack the case/jar. Fully charged batteries are usually good to ~ -40 deg. F. Al Warner "The wireless telegraph is not difficult to understand. The ordinary telegraph is like a very long cat. You pull the tail in New York and it meows in Los Angeles. The wireless is the same, only without the cat." - Albert Einstein
Edited by ESOX Maniac 11/20/2003 8:43 AM
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| Just giving you some Shady typeshat, Al!
If you have properly protected your charger, fuse or circuit breaker, there should be no worries of damage from short circuits. That being said, I know mine is, so I feel pretty safe in that regard.
Mice! arrrgh. I saw mouse turds in my boat last weekend! I hate those little buggers! Time to run to the store and get more poison, and Bounce for in the boat. | |
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Location: Stevens Point, Wi. | Shep- don't totally trust fuses/circuit breakers. All homes are protected by them, yet fires still happen. And mice do love chewing on insulation! | |
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Posts: 2752
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | Shep- ghoti is absolutely correct a fuse or circuit breaker will ususally not open on a arcing fault. Also a lot of car fires are caused from the same problem - mice chewing on wires and all car circuits are fused. I wouldn't go for the poison-phheeeeeeeeewwwwwwww. The bounce works. I just don't buy into the "plug it in and forget it" mentallity. This one's for you-> He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not is a fool forever. (Chinese proverb);-) Al "All Water is Zalt Water" http://www.zaltnad.com | |
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| hehehe Al.
Pretty sure the mice have not taken up residence in the boat. I looked in all the storage, and in the hull access, and see no evidence. Appears they have found a way to get in the boat, and are gobbling up the crumbs left by the kids. Bounce is in the storage, I put a bunch of poison throughout the garage.
As far as the charger, I'll continue to do it as I have. The chances are minimal that I will have a problem. I've got it wired corrctly and it is protected. 25 years as an electrical engineer gives me this confidence. If I do have a problem, well, that's what I pay insurance for. Besides, if it goes up in smoke and flames, I'll get a new garage, too! Can you say 3 stall, and deep?! | |
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Posts: 1189
Location: Bagley,MN 56621 | Thanks for all the info guys.
I'm going to top em off with the on-board, leave the batteries in her,flip thye braekers off and put it in storage.
Srry, Shep, but do not trust your way at all, no offense.
Heck, by the time I put it away (mid Dec, i HOPE to be on the Minn/Iowa waters until then after Wis closes), I'll have it back out again mid-April, or Mid March if I get time to go to the Cave.
Not really that long in storage, but too long for me to keep on constant.
Edited by GregM 11/21/2003 11:06 AM
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leave charger on all winter???