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Posts: 1516
| In the past I have always pulled the batteries before moving the boat to winter storage on non heated building. Is it ok to disconnect the wires from one terminal and leave the batteries in the boat over the winter w/o being able to charge them? |
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Posts: 164
| I store my boat wrapped and outside in the winter. I fully charge the batteries before storage and disconnect them. When I pull the boat out in the spring I hook them up to the charger and they are always fully charged still and I get good battery life every year out of my batteries doing this. Don't know the science behind this but this is what Ive been told to do and it seems to work for me the last two years Ive been doing it. |
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Posts: 3480
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Hiya,
I have been leaving my fully charged batteries in the boat for about 25 years now and have never had an issue. The key is fully charged batteries.
The reason this works is when a lead-acid battery is fully charged, the fluid is all sulfuric acid, so it cannot freeze and because the poles (negative and positive) are isolated from each other, the battery when not hooked up cannot discharge easily to begin with. In the cold, the ability for the chemical reactions to take place during discharge generating water is significantly reduced by cold temps, so it is actually better for the batteries to be fully charged and in cold temps.
If the battery is not fully charged, then there is a distinct chance that the battery could freeze because the amount of sulfuric acid is not as high as it should be...the liquid is containing a higher concentration of water than sulfuric acid. Cold +water+contained environment = bulged/busted battery.
Charge them up, unhook everything, store and see you in the spring.. 
Steve
Edited by VMS 10/8/2020 8:48 PM
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Posts: 298
Location: Not where I want to be! | Haven't pulled a battery in at least 25 years. A fully charged battery does not go dead in the winter. It goes dormant. As stated before charge, disconnect, you they will be fine come spring. |
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Storage question on batteries