Leaving smart charger hooked up?

[movinon]

I would like to leave a smart charger hooked to my battery when the boat is up out of the water, on the boat lift.
My boat is used in salt water and my canal is brackish water.
I recall reading somewhere that you shouldn't charge the battery while it is still on a pontoon boat, that is used in salt water.
The battery should be removed to be charged.
Something about the aluminum pontoons having salt water residue on them, even with the boat up on a lift, will accelerate corrosion of the metal parts on the boat.
Is this true?
Tom

 

[Haffiman]

Re: Leaving smart charger hooked up?

To eliminate the risk, either remove the battery cables (both) or install dual main switches, both for positive and neg.

 

[trendsetter240]

Re: Leaving smart charger hooked up?

I would like to leave a smart charger hooked to my battery when the boat is up out of the water, on the boat lift.
My boat is used in salt water and my canal is brackish water.
I recall reading somewhere that you shouldn't charge the battery while it is still on a pontoon boat, that is used in salt water.
The battery should be removed to be charged.
Something about the aluminum pontoons having salt water residue on them, even with the boat up on a lift, will accelerate corrosion of the metal parts on the boat.
Is this true?
Tom

This would only make sense "kind of" if the electrical system is grounded to the boat frame / pontoons. In a DC negative ground system such as this, the only ground you should have is the negative terminal of the battery.

The engine is grounded only to the battery, unless the engine is mounted on a steel transom that is connected to the frame and pontoons.

It sounds far fetched to me. I would feel safe leaving the charger on the boat as is. The other option of course is simply disconnect the battery from the engine and electrical systems.

 

[Mr Crabbs]

Re: Leaving smart charger hooked up?

Battery disconnect switch(es) would take care of that problem.

 

[movinon]

Re: Leaving smart charger hooked up?

I have a battery disconnect that is located next to the battery. I leave the switch in the off position when not using the boat. It sounds logical that with the battery disconnected to the boats electrical system, it should be okay to leave a smart charger hooked up.
Thanks,
Tom

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: Leaving smart charger hooked up?

It is quite ok to leave the charger connected while out of the water without disconnecting the motor. There is no path of current external of the boat.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Leaving smart charger hooked up?

Contrary to popular belief that there is no ground to the hull of a boat (any tin boat including a pontoon), you can prove/disprove this by taking a resistance reading between the negative terminal of the battery and the hull of the pontoon. I think you will find there indeed is a ground path and it is through the engine. The very minute you bolt an engine to a tin boat you have an electrical connection from the engine block to the metal transom bracket. On a fiberglass or wood hull this is obviously not an issue.

 

[omcgreasemonkey]

Re: Leaving smart charger hooked up?

electrolisis is caused by many things mixing metals so watch those galv bolts on the lift as well they will over time eat holes in the pontoons with that light salt as well as adding a bottom paint its a no no unless its an aluma coat that is avalible but i would have an onboard charger with a double grounded a/c supply coard to ensure no electricity maakes contact with the boat

 

[movinon]

Re: Leaving smart charger hooked up?

Contrary to popular belief that there is no ground to the hull of a boat (any tin boat including a pontoon), you can prove/disprove this by taking a resistance reading between the negative terminal of the battery and the hull of the pontoon. I think you will find there indeed is a ground path and it is through the engine. The very minute you bolt an engine to a tin boat you have an electrical connection from the engine block to the metal transom bracket. On a fiberglass or wood hull this is obviously not an issue.

Does it make sense, to you, that turning the battery switch to the off position should eliminate any ground causing corrosion problem, while charging the boat?

The reason I'm concerned is that I just bought a 4 year old Bennington. The owner kept the boat stored during the off season and used a full mooring cover, The seats and the rest of the interior look brand new.
The only thing that looked odd were the 4 cleats on the corners of the deck were caked with corrosion and the metal trim at the very front on the deck was heavily corroded. I've seen a lot of boats in this area and never noticed that kind of heavy corrosion, especially on a 4 year old boat.
I had the dealer that was selling the boat put new cleats and hardware on.
It wasn't until a while later that it dawned on me that it might have been caused by a battery charger being left on full time.
I have a smart charger and electric at my lift, so it seemed like a good idea to leave the smart charger hooked up when the boat was on the lift, until I thought
about the corrosion problem.
I have a Harley with a smart charger hooked to it when ever it is parked in the garage and no problems with it.
Tom

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Leaving smart charger hooked up?

If you provide the proper disconnects there obviously would be no ground path to the hull. However my comment was about the "misconception" that there is no ground path between the ground terminal on the battery and the hull of tin boat.

 

[Silver Eagle]

Re: Leaving smart charger hooked up?

The marina takes care of that as part of my winterizing and storage.