Winter Storage for batteries

[tmitchell5188]

It's getting to be that time of the year again when it's time to think about putting the boats in winter storage. Here in Michigan, it can get very cold in the winter, with temps below zero. So, in the past, I've pulled my batteries and store them in doors in my heated work shop (45F). But I've been told, charge them up, and remove 1 cable, and leave them in the boat. I can't get power to all of my boats (in storage lots) to run a maintainer.

Any thoughts?

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Winter Storage for batteries

Pull the batteries, put them on an automatic trickle charger at your home.

 

[T_Herrod]

Re: Winter Storage for batteries

Don't forget to place them on a piece of plywood or a rubber mat. Never store batteries on a concrete floor. It will suck the life out of them and if the happen to leak it makes a mess out of concrete.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Winter Storage for batteries

hunts up a beer and popcorn and sits back.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Winter Storage for batteries

Don't forget to place them on a piece of plywood or a rubber mat. Never store batteries on a concrete floor. It will suck the life out of them and if the happen to leak it makes a mess out of concrete.

That advice was marginally valid about 50 years ago... Hasn't applied since, it is pointless.

http://www.snopes.com/autos/techno/battery.asp

Anyway, disconnect one terminal, and make sure the battery is fully charged. It will be fine all winter. Cold storage is the BEST thing you can do for a battery, it slows the chemical reaction and basically preserves the battery. The only risk is that a battery that is low on charge can actually freeze and burst, but it takes a fairly extreme temperature to do it.

 

[NYBo]

Re: Winter Storage for batteries

Your usual practice is the safest for your batteries, so if it's not too much of a pain, just keep doing it that way.

Don't forget to place them on a piece of plywood or a rubber mat. Never store batteries on a concrete floor. It will suck the life out of them and if the happen to leak it makes a mess out of concrete.

This advice is a little out of date. Like 75 years out of date. :redface:

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Winter Storage for batteries

Your usual practice is the safest for your batteries, so if it's not too much of a pain, just keep doing it that way...

Put it on a Maintainer, a REAL Maintainer, Not a trickle charger.

A side benefit of pulling the battery is that when you put it back in you will be inspecting the cables and connections and topping off the water.

Unlike the folks who haven't look at their battery since the last time they replaced it.

 

[Brewman61]

Re: Winter Storage for batteries

Batteries for both the boat and motorcycle go into the basement and are stored on a floating point charger- Battery Tender to be specific.

So far this practice must be of some value, as the boat battery is circa 2003 and the mc battery is 2005, both going strong.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Winter Storage for batteries

Your usual practice is the safest for your batteries, so if it's not too much of a pain, just keep doing it that way.

This advice is a little out of date. Like 75 years out of date. :redface:

But.... I'm still using tarpaper cased batteries.

 

[jkust]

Re: Winter Storage for batteries

I'll admit this but it gets to netative 40 degrees here and colder and my Chaparral battery is the oem 2003 and it's never left the boat. It gets unhooked from the cables and that's it. Every other battery that has sat like that from cars that don't get used to snowmobiles and I'd have gone through multiple batteries (as I have) but for some reason this particular battery keeps going stong.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Winter Storage for batteries

All I've ever done is to disconnect the batteries and leave them in the boats, snowmobiles, extra cars. 6 months later when it comes time to use the vehicles I just attach the charger, generally they'll charge for an hour or so and be ready to go.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Winter Storage for batteries

Don't forget to place them on a piece of plywood or a rubber mat. Never store batteries on a concrete floor. It will suck the life out of them and if the happen to leak it makes a mess out of concrete.

That was true decades ago when battery cases had hard rubber cases. It hasn't been necessary for years.

 

[jkust]

Re: Winter Storage for batteries

All I've ever done is to disconnect the batteries and leave them in the boats, snowmobiles, extra cars. 6 months later when it comes time to use the vehicles I just attach the charger, generally they'll charge for an hour or so and be ready to go.

I haven't been that lucky. Last year I had to replace a 3 year old snowmobile battery in the beginning of the season and right now my extra vehicle in the driveway's battery is shot and is about three years old which now that I think about it may still be warantied.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Winter Storage for batteries

I haven't been that lucky. Last year I had to replace a 3 year old snowmobile battery in the beginning of the season and right now my extra vehicle in the driveway's battery is shot and is about three years old which now that I think about it may still be warantied.

3 years is about all a sled, PWC or ATV battery is usually good for. On the other hand, the Optima in my jeep is about 11 years old.

 

[ricohman]

Re: Winter Storage for batteries

Here in Saskatchewan 0 fahrenheit is a nice day in the winter.
I consider it to be damn cold at -35 to - 45. If my batteries are outside on a tender they do just fine.
Since I started using a battery tender I am getting at least 3 more years from a battery that is in seasonal use.

 

[Grub54891]

Re: Winter Storage for batteries

I used to take my battery's out,store them warm,charge at least once in the winter. The most I'd get is 2 years on them.So I gave up,disconnect them and walk away, 6years later I sold the boat and the battery still works...... Hmmmm....I'll treat my new old boat/battery the same way,of course winterizeing the motor ect....
If your battery is charged and unhooked,it will be fine. If it's not in the spring,it was on its way out anyway. Besides,the battery should be in a box to begin with so if it does freeze it will not spill and damage your boat.
Grub