to leave on charger or not?

[Jarcher3]

Boat is up for the winter with the batteries disconnected.

my question is should i have them plugged in for the whole winter?



This is the charger that i have, its a 2 bank.
I guess my question is, is it safe to leave plugged in for that long? or should i go up to the dock and charge it every so often?

 

[BRICH1260]

I probably would not leave the system plugged in constantly throughout the entire winter but periodically, say once a month, plug the charger in for a bit and top them off. There is a greater chance of something going bad(fire) with things being plugged in 24/7 for months at a time. Can also cause a greater electrolyte(water) burn off. If you do keep them plugged in, make sure the water levels are topped off.

 

[danintruder]

i have used promariner since 2011 and they say you should leave it plugged-in but i do not ! i just plug in once a month and have it charge all the steps until maintenance and then unplug . by the way i got a new one last fall ,the old one stopped charging on one bank.

 

[H20Rat]

Batteries with nothing connected to the negative terminal discharge very little. You lose about 5% per month, so it is generally just better to throw them on the charger in the spring. (even that is optional, I usually don't do it for my boats. Small batteries in tractors/pwcs/snowmobiles tend to need a charge, they have far less reserve capacity for that first hard start of the season.)

 

[alldodge]

I leave boat batteries on chargers year round

 

[Starcraft5834]

My batteries are out of the boat inside.. I toss a charger on em day or so before I plan on starting it up.. would not recommend leaving it on the charger...

 

[muskyfins]

I pull my batteries and keep them in the garage in the offseason, especially since my storage is offsite and I wouldn't have access to them. About once a month, i put them on the charger for a couple of hours. Has worked for many years this way.

 

[bruceb58]

I leave boat batteries on chargers year round

Likewise 24/7.

With that charger, it's the best thing you can do for your battery. A discharged battery, even one that is slightly discharged, starts to sulfate.

If you have a smart charger, like the OP has, the float charge will do no harm to the battery. If you have a dumb charger, yes, you shouldn't leave it on. As expensive as batteries are, especially the AGMs I use, getting a smart charger is cheap in comparison to having you battery sulfate up by leaving it off a charger all winter.

 

[MH Hawker]

i do a full charge when i pull it off of the slip and a full charge before i take it back

 

[jkust]

Generally speaking, I use smart chargers on most of my batteries but in particular the snowmobile batteries, Waverrunner battery, four wheeler batteries and the lawn mower battery (all of them get accumulated and put in one heated garage). I've learned the lesson the hard way on powersports style batteries that they can't sit that long without being used and it is such a waste of a hundred dollars to replace them. On the deepcycle batteries such as the two that run by boatlift, I remove them and put them in the heated garage each year with a smart charger. My boat unfortunately sits in paid off season, indoor storage (as it won't fit in its garage) which is not accessible by me ever so that battery just gets disconnected by the marina. The smart chargers are less than $10 each.
One year with my previous boat, I forgot to shut the battery switch off for the year and yes forgot to disconnect the battery as well and the little LED light that blinks when you remove the stereo faceplate killed the battery and the battery froze (I am in MN). it was a new battery and by spring when I realize it had froze, I charged it up and it actually worked but I replaced it anyway. You could tell it had froze because the sides of the battery were bowed out.

 

[bruceb58]

The smart chargers are less than $10 each.

Maybe a float charger is $10 but no way a multi stage smart charger is.

 

[shaw520]

4 bank Multi Stage ProMariner,... keeps my batteries warm all year round.

 

[jkust]

Maybe a float charger is $10 but no way a multi stage smart charger is.

Hmmm...I may have to retract that then. They bill them as 'smart chargers' but I think you are right and they are just slightly more advanced float chargers.

 

[bruceb58]

Hmmm...I may have to retract that then. They bill them as 'smart chargers' but I think you are right and they are just slightly more advanced float chargers.

Who makes them?

Whatever you do, don't use something like this:
http://www.harborfreight.com/automat...ger-42292.html
This puts too much voltage out to leave on all the time and will eventually cook your battery. It is not a float charger. You want a charger that charges the battery and then converts to a float voltage To see if your charger is putting out the proper voltage for float, charge your battery fully and measure the voltage. Should be 13.5V +/- 0.2V

 

[JimS123]

I have 6 seasonal batteries (classic car, tractors, boats, RV, etc). I use them in the Summer and charge them monthly with a smart charger in the off season. The oldest battery is now 9 years old and just showed 92% when I charged it yesterday.

If you have it on a constant charger / maintainer you better check the water level frequently because that much charging may run the level down.

 

[bruceb58]

If you have it on a constant charger / maintainer you better check the water level frequently because that much charging may run the level down.

Not if it has the correct float voltage.

My pontoon batteries are flooded lead acid. They are on 24/7 with a smart charger with the correct float voltage. Never a need to add water.

 

[bajaunderground]

I installed a smart charger/tender in my boat last summer (Cabela's branded Pro-Series) dual-bank, I keep it plugged in 24/7 as well. IMO the best thing you can do for your batteries is to keep them charged. I store outside and bringing batteries in/out is a PITA...

I have the Advanced Angler PROSERIES 12...

I understand a lot of this is marketing mumbo-jumbo...

Advanced Anglers? newest generation of ProSeries On-Board Marine Battery Chargers boast updated, all-digital microprocessor-controlled charging technology and are now up to 40% lighter. Bank trouble status LEDs show you exactly when your battery or its connections require your attention, while the all-new battery recondition mode keeps your battery?s performance in check every 21 days. Rugged 100% waterproof, shockproof design delivers advanced electronic technology in a heavy-duty, compact and lightweight case. Designed by ProMariner, sequential multistage charging gives you the peace of mind that your batteries are being charged, conditioned and maintained, so they are ready when you are. Each charger offers two precision charge profiles that are easily selectable: factory set or out of the box. ProSeries delivers a Performance/Flooded (Lead-Acid)/AGM Battery-Charge profile that will be friendly to your batteries while extending their life and delivering a full charge every time. ProSeries Maintenance Mode is completely safe for short- or long-term storage. ProSeries Distributed-On-Demand? charging technology, which takes 100% of the available charging amps and distributes them to any one battery or combination of all batteries as needed, is combined with its extruded-aluminum housing for increased power and faster charging. ProSeries enhanced feature set includes: a digital battery-charge profile selector that allows you to select the charge profile to match your battery type to include flooded (lead acid)/AGM or gel batteries, expanded LED status center identifies AC power, charge mode, ready/maintenance mode, reconditions mode and battery type. All multibank models include dual-in-line DC cable fuses for maximum battery cable protection and safety. Performance built with maximum protection including: ignition, polarity, over voltage, over temperature and short-circuit protection. All models include thermal output control ? providing the appropriate charging amps to your batteries, while maintaining the recommended temperature of the Advanced Angler ProSeries charger. Constructed to Marine UL and FCC Class Guidelines. Pre-wired for easy installation.

 

[gm280]

IF and that is a big IF, you are using a smart charger, it really doesn't matter if you leave them on 24/7. Because once the charger is finished charging the battery, it switches, and monitors, the battery and keeps it topped off from then on. If the battery would drop off, the charger would cycle on again and top it off. So the real answer is, it depends on the type charger you are using. They do make timers so you can set a time up for them and have them come on once a day, week, month and charge and turn off again. But smart chargers do that all by themselves. JMHO

 

[shrew]

I use AGM batteries. I shut off all AC breakers, including the battery charger. I then shut off the batter switch, disconnecting all DC. I leave the batteries untouched on the boat all winter. AGM's don't have a freezing issue and the monthly lose is negligible. I come back 6 months later and turn my battery switch on and every thing works fine.

My marina (like many) doesn't allow boats to be plugged in unattended.

 

[wrvond]

I keep my campers and boat (they're in my driveway) on shore power, so the batteries stay charged. I am in and out of them year round. Sometimes I'll go sit in the boat or a camper and watch a little television or just enjoy the quiet. I am currently installing a sound bar in one camper and replacing cabinet tambour doors in the boat, so electric is always being used. Not to mention the 1000 watt Boat Safe bilge heater.