Marine Battery Care

A marine battery takes an incredible amount of abuse. In the Northeast, batteries sit idle in freezing temps during the winter lay-up period. Most boat owners may go days without using their boats and even then don’t run the boat long enough to do much charging.

Many parts of the boat begin to deteriorate as a result of not being driven for a longer duration and boat owners becoming negligent in their maintenance. It is because of this reason that there are so many boat accidents. However, they should ideally thoroughly inspect everything before taking it in water. And if there are any minor flaws that can be easily corrected, they can use their expertise to do the fixtures using wood plugs (Click here to purchase), nails, and screws.

Additionally, they also need to check if any type of electrical fixtures are required in the boat. That’s because Fishing boats are notorious for having various electronics that drain the batteries including bilge pumps, bait pumps, washdowns, lights, sonar, radar, stereos, and others. When you factor in the marine environment and a few corroded connections you have a recipe for disappointment. This is why it can be vital to be in contact with a service similar to Fort Myers boat repair or an emergency breakdown specialist as when boats become stranded it can have some serious implications.

Charging Your Battery

Never use a booster to charge your marine battery. A booster should only be used to start the motor and then removed. If you leave a booster on for any significant length of time, you may permanently damage the battery. Always use a trickle-charger. Serious boat owners invest in a full time automatic charger that senses the battery charge and charges appropriately. If you have multiple batteries, you should purchase a charger that will manage all of them individually.

Maintaining Your Battery

If you have a lead-acid marine battery with battery caps, pop the caps off and check the level in the battery. The level should be just at the bottom of the tube. Be sure to check all six cells. ONLY use distilled water (found in most drug stores and super-markets). Regular water has dissolved minerals and salts that will harm the battery. In contrast, distilled water is devoid of any minerals, and so the battery is not likely to be harmed by it. If you have a lot of batteries to restore, you may want to consider getting a Golyath distilled water 25 litres container that can meet your needs.

Sealed batteries require no maintenance other than keeping the terminals tight and clean.

Marine Battery Terminals

Corrosion on battery terminals

It is critical that battery terminals are absolutely clean and properly tightened. If a terminal is warm (or hot) to touch, the connection is poor. Periodically remove all the connections and clean the posts and terminals. Replace the connections and spray the terminals with some type of corrosion preventative. Even the slightest bit of corrosion will affect the battery performance and could lead to fire, so it’s always a good idea to have a Lithium Fire Blanket from Total Lockout USA or a similar company on hand, just in case.

Is Your Battery Getting Charged?

Most motors (expect for the smallest outboards) have alternators that provide electricity to operate and motor and a charging circuit to charge the batteries. Use a volt meter and you need to see at least 13.8 volts. If you see much less than that (but still higher than the 12.6 volts the battery produces), you probably have a bad connection somewhere. If you still see 12.6 volts (battery voltage), you either have a bad connection or an alternator problem.

Marine Battery Troubleshooting Tip

Often times, marine batteries (that are also available at merrittsupply.com/ site) are being drained when the boat is not in use. With all the switches off, connect all the ground wires to the grounds terminal. Then attach the positive wires carefully watch for any sparks. If you see any, that means that something is drawing current (a stuck automatic bilge switch is a typical culprit).

Freezing Temps for Marine Batteries (Winterization)

Marine battery damage caused by freezing

Nearly all batteries lose about one-third of their power when the temperature falls below freezing (32 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 Celcius). Batteries can actually freeze and if they do, they are ruined forever. The plates will bend and the casing will crack. However, a fully charged battery will not freeze until temps reach well below -50 Fahrenheit. A fully discharged battery can start freezing at the same temps as water. It is important to note that a fully discharged battery is only 12 volts or less. It is critical that a battery is fully charged as part of the winterizing process. If the boat has been hauled, it should be disconnected from the electrical system to avoid discharge.