Reply With QuoteI use Battery Tenders (not trickle chargers) and check the fluid level every month or so. It's been quite successful. Use to be lucky to get 2 years out of a battery, now I get many seasons, just like a vehicle would.
How do I maintain dual batteries during the off season?
I use Battery Tenders (not trickle chargers) and check the fluid level every month or so. It's been quite successful. Use to be lucky to get 2 years out of a battery, now I get many seasons, just like a vehicle would.
ALso If you leave them in the boat, unhook them from each other. They tend to draw off the stonger battery and slowly drain themselves.
RandyH
I agree with Rexone with one exception. Change over to Gel filled batteries if you use your boat on the west coast. I had a battery tender (see above) for 7 years and when I sold the boat the EXIDES were stronger than new. I'll bet there still in there...
I use a battery tender on my Harley battery and it works perfect.
But when I hook it to the bigger boat battery the tender gets very warm and kinda gives out a low buzz, like it's working it's tail off...and it's newer battery.
Think I should just keep it hooked up to see if
I get a green (float) light?
Think I should just keep it hooked up to see if
I get a green (float) light?
Yes.
It just takes longer on a bigger battery especially if you hook it up in some state of discharge, it can take a couple days or more. But they do work, as long as the battery is not junk (sulfated too bad to recover) to start with.
I have one boat with dual batteries and just turn the dual switch to off and use 2 tenders. Works great on lead acid or gel (I've used both).
You don't want to use a trickle charger or a battery tender to charge a battery. Terrible for the batteries. When you use a surface charge, (6 amps or lower) the plates tend to get a coat of sulfate on them. This is a little crust that builds up. If you keep doing this, the little crust gets thicker and thicker until you now have an insulator between the plate and the electrolyte.
A big draw, big charge is what the batteries want. They should be charged at greater than 10 amps for a re-charge, and then maintained with a surface charger. The best battery tenders are monitors that wait until the charge is down sufficient to warrant a quick 10 amp recharge. This is the VERY best situation for the batteries.
The worst thing you can do is bring them all the way down, then recharge with a trickle charger. Count on cutting your life in half.
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