Winterizing - what to do with batteries

[russellsmojo]

What’s the consensus on batteries...remove from boat? Simply unhook from battery cables and leave in boat? Or hook up to onboard charger for rest of winter?

Being in Texas the boat will be winterized about 4 months at most.


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[RC_Hinojosa]

What’s the consensus on batteries...remove from boat? Simply unhook from battery cables and leave in boat? Or hook up to onboard charger for rest of winter?

Being in Texas the boat will be winterized about 4 months at most.


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following.... I keep mine always hooked up to the onboard charger but I'm just a n00bie.

[Dan]

Following this thread also. New to this boat ownership myself.

[mcdye]

My boat is stored indoors. I disconnect the grounds, connect the onboard charger and leave plugged in so they get tickled all winter. I don't charge in the summer months as we are always using it.

[mattsask]

I leave mine all hooked up with the perko switch off. I plug in the on board charger once or twice per winter. I store it inside in a heated shop though.

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[Boonejeepin]

Winter? What is that?


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[996scott]

I just leave my onboard charger plugged in the whole winter. Never had a problem. Don't know if that is right or wrong but that's how I have done it.

[sivs1]

Batteries, all depends as each situation is different. My boat is stored in an enclosed storage unit, not heated and it gets cold at 6,000 feet. I take my batteries out and will keep them in my basement where it's warm. Although right now they are in my garage. Before I go get the boat out of storage in the spring I will hook them up to a charger to insure they are ready to go.

[KG's Supra24]

Dropped off the boat for winterization this morning. I'll leave the batteries hooked up and on a maintainer.


https://i.imgur.com/W2Vfp4J.jpg

[zabooda]

I used to pull the battery each year and put it on a maintainer but the last two years I leave it connected in the boat with the maintainer. It sits outside. Too much work pulling the battery out.

[VA LSV]

I used to pull the battery each year and put it on a maintainer but the last two years I leave it connected in the boat with the maintainer. It sits outside. Too much work pulling the battery out.

Same here. Just replaced my original battery this year after 12 years so obviously no issues with using a maintainer.

[MLA]

2016 SE and using plural battery, Safe to assume the boat has a master battery switch. Off should disconnect all loads from the battery except maybe the auto bilge. If this case, no need to disconnect any additional cables as that would be redundant.

I prefer to not pull batteries. A fully charged battery with no parasitic loads should last a winter layup. If the boat has an on-board and the storage spot has access to a 110 outlet, then use the charger with the batteries in place.

[twkoehn]

I used to take my batteries out of the boat and store them in my basement but I have never taken them out of my golf cart. Neither seemed to fair better than the other so the past couple years I have left the batteries in the boat with the Perko switch turned off. There have been no ill effects from leaving them in.

Those of you using a maintainer, what brand or model do you use???

[russellsmojo]

Dropped off the boat for winterization this morning. I'll leave the batteries hooked up and on a maintainer.


https://i.imgur.com/W2Vfp4J.jpg

That boat looks sweeter with every photo.


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[jelmhorst]

Mine stays outdoors so I pull both batteries and leave them maintained in a closet with the Noco Genius dual bank keeping them topped off. Last year I'd plug it up every couple weeks to top them off but this year I've just left them plugged up the whole time. Golf cart batteries lose 1% per day so topping them off the boat batteries once a month for a night would be plenty.

[russellsmojo]

2016 SE and using plural battery, Safe to assume the boat has a master battery switch. Off should disconnect all loads from the battery except maybe the auto bilge. If this case, no need to disconnect any additional cables as that would be redundant.

I prefer to not pull batteries. A fully charged battery with no parasitic loads should last a winter layup. If the boat has an on-board and the storage spot has access to a 110 outlet, then use the charger with the batteries in place.

This is exactly what I have done the last two years. But have heard the blown up battery story a few times. And manual says to disconnect so was curious about other opinions. Thanks guys.


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[MLA]

This is exactly what I have done the last two years. But have heard the blown up battery story a few times. And manual says to disconnect so was curious about other opinions. Thanks guys.


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With the switch OFF, the battery circuit is now an open circuit, same as disconnecting the cables at the battery.

[Broke Pilot]

I pull mine and store them in the garage on a shelf on a dual bank battery tender.
Extreme heat and cold are battery killers. That's all you need to know with batteries. Do with it what you will.... lol
My brothers shop does more auto battery replacements in February and august than anytime of the year. He just ordered a bulk of Interstates for his shop 3 days ago for the upcoming rush.
Batteries are expensive and can cause major problems. It's worth it to pull them and store them correctly on a trickle. But that's my take...

[deerfield]

It's worth it to pull them and store them correctly on a trickle.

What he said.

[trayson]

you're in Texas. with the rare exception (like today) you certainly don't get that much cold. Certainly not more than us in the PNW.

In past years I left them in the boat, hooked up to some harbor freight float chargers. But I upgraded to the ProSport 20 dual bank onboard charger. So I'll leave the batteries in (I have 3 of them) and have the onboard charger keep them topped off over the winter.

I get regular Walmart Everstart maxx deep cycle lead acid batteries for around $100 each. If don't get a few extra months of life out of them, I won't cry.

[russellsmojo]

True statements trayson. It’s supposed be 70 and sunny on Monday so the boat might just get wet[emoji3]


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[trayson]

True statements trayson. It’s supposed be 70 and sunny on Monday so the boat might just get wet[emoji3]


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I'll be on the next flight...
(I wish)

[Broke Pilot]

you're in Texas. with the rare exception (like today) you certainly don't get that much cold. Certainly not more than us in the PNW.

In past years I left them in the boat, hooked up to some harbor freight float chargers. But I upgraded to the ProSport 20 dual bank onboard charger. So I'll leave the batteries in (I have 3 of them) and have the onboard charger keep them topped off over the winter.

I get regular Walmart Everstart maxx deep cycle lead acid batteries for around $100 each. If don't get a few extra months of life out of them, I won't cry.

Texas gets pretty dang cold in the winter. I don't care what anyone says! Lol the humidity in SE Texas doesn't help. We're not regularly below freezing like most up north during the winter.
To the guys that leave the boats outside with the batts in them up there in the north, do y'all at least wrap the batteries or use anything for insulation while they're on a trickle charge? That could be a major help. Just enough to keep the internal temps up thru the winter.
The business jets I fly, the batteries are all exposed to multiple heat/cold cycles in a day. You can go from 120° in the shade in Vegas to -67°C at 45000' in 20 minutes.
We have thermal blankets on the batteries, and if one malfunctions, it's a no go.

[russellsmojo]

Texas gets pretty dang cold in the winter. I don't care what anyone says! Lol the humidity in SE Texas doesn't help. We're not regularly below freezing like most up north during the winter.
To the guys that leave the boats outside with the batts in them up there in the north, do y'all at least wrap the batteries or use anything for insulation while they're on a trickle charge? That could be a major help. Just enough to keep the internal temps up thru the winter.
The business jets I fly, the batteries are all exposed to multiple heat/cold cycles in a day. You can go from 120° in the shade in Vegas to -67°C at 45000' in 20 minutes.
We have thermal blankets on the batteries, and if one malfunctions, it's a no go.

Been a while since the weather changed that much in one day. I will never complain about temperature swings again.


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[trayson]

Texas gets pretty dang cold in the winter. I don't care what anyone says! Lol the humidity in SE Texas doesn't help. We're not regularly below freezing like most up north during the winter.
To the guys that leave the boats outside with the batts in them up there in the north, do y'all at least wrap the batteries or use anything for insulation while they're on a trickle charge? That could be a major help. Just enough to keep the internal temps up thru the winter.
The business jets I fly, the batteries are all exposed to multiple heat/cold cycles in a day. You can go from 120° in the shade in Vegas to -67°C at 45000' in 20 minutes.
We have thermal blankets on the batteries, and if one malfunctions, it's a no go.

we'll regularly have evening temps in the 30s and upper 20s. so not terrible. my batteries are in their battery boxes inside the observer locker of my boat. But just parked under the carport on the back of my house. Maybe I'm neglecting them by not tucking them in and reading them a story, but like I said, they're $100 Walmart lead acid batteries, so I treat them like the bastard children that they are! Muhahahaha

[MJHSupra]

I leave mine all hooked up with the perko switch off. I plug in the on board charger once or twice per winter. I store it inside in a heated shop though.

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I do the same thing. Damn boat is spoiled to be stored in a heated shop with a bunch of RVs. Hot rod does not get this treatment.
Before it's stored for the winter I make sure all three batteries are charged 100%.

One of the best upgrades on my 2007 was to install a charger: 30A Inteli-Power Marine Battery Charger. Mainly summer months.

Before the charger, I removed both batteries and stored them in the garage fully charged
Every month I would trickle charge for a few days.
Not sure that helped to remove them from the boat.
Not sure the charge helped a few times each winter.

[Broke Pilot]

we'll regularly have evening temps in the 30s and upper 20s. so not terrible. my batteries are in their battery boxes inside the observer locker of my boat. But just parked under the carport on the back of my house. Maybe I'm neglecting them by not tucking them in and reading them a story, but like I said, they're $100 Walmart lead acid batteries, so I treat them like the bastard children that they are! Muhahahaha

That's funny right there... lol I can completely understand.
I guess I'm just over protective and/or bored (read- cheap). My new big shop is very well insulated. I don't even winterize the boats down down here.
I'm sitting in Boston on a trip right now, good god it's cold. I dunno how y'all can live like this. Lmao

[jzelt]

Perko Switch is off. I hook up battery charger to both at end of season to make sure they are at capacity. Then hook up Harbor Freight $5 trickle charger to it. Switch to snowmobiles the same process in the spring time. Unheated garage. Deep cycle lead batteries. (I believe the AGM and other special batteries may need special treatments).