need battery wisdom

You do want a 3 stage charger. It is nice to have a controller that can set the Perkoff's exponent on the house side which I use a Link2000 controller/Freedom 2500 inverter/charger. However not needed for all but those that are into getting the maximum charge into the battery system based on chemistry and total AH capacity there are other variables. My other 31 group AGM batteries are charged with 2 Xantrex Truecharge units set to charge AGM battery type. This also overrides the battery gassing event known as equalization when in the AGM charge mode.
AGMs' should only be equalized if they are showing signs of deteriorating performance and only for 5 hours max according to many AGM manufactures until near end of life some manufacture of AGMs' do not recommend equalization at all. There is some debate about this in the battery community.
If money were no object I would look at GenaSun LFP LIPO battery systems huge money, special Victron chargers are required but they react totally different than any battery I have ever researched.
Bill
 
On the subject of batteries; last year after winterizing I removed my batteries and kept them on a trickle charger. After the boat was winterized this year, I went to the boat yard to remove them and they asked me why I would do that. They said everyone leaves them in the boats disconnected and it is not a problem. I know there are folks on this site that will know if that is true or should I bring them home and leave them on a charger. I like the idea of leaving them on the boat because they are heavy and I am old...

Edit - they are flooded cell batteries
 
I am thinking if you leave them in the boat and it freezes for several weeks you risk loosing your battery to the freezing. Just my 2 cents.
 
--> flightconn

"...after winterizing I removed my batteries and kept them on a trickle charger."

---

Lead/acid batteries have little risk of freezing under "normal" conditions IF they are fully charged. ( I forget at what temp they will freeze but it really is a low temp )

The "gotcha" here is that "fully charged" part. Unattended batteries will slowly self discharge over time. That is, even if disconnected, they will gradually lose charge. The degree is self-discharge depends on many factors including battery quality, battery condition, temp, and, I'm sure, planetary alignment.

So the answer is that the safe, reliable method is to remove the batteries to a "warmer" environment ( above 32 deg F ). Charger is not required, but is useful. I am sure that there are a great many who have disconnected the batteries and left them on the boat, with no ill effect. The catch is that some of those folk had their batteries self-discharge a little more than expected, or encountered lower temps than expected and found a real mess when they returned to the boat.

If the boat stays in the water, I would say that there is little risk. If the boat is high and dry, in the unprotected driveway ( on the hard ) then you might be at risk.

With all of that said, I'm in the South and do not have the problem. Ever. And using the boat is a sure fired way to get around the problem. "Inside" speckled-trout fishing for Christmas can be a blast! :)

--edit--

A quick check of the interstate battery site gives the following statement:

"any fully-charged vehicle battery will not freeze until the temperature is -75 degrees F."
 
Bill (Radioactive) brings up an excellent point about making sure the battery is topped off then make sure the leads are disconnected and you should be fine. Also flooded batteries have a higher self discharge (internal resistance) rate than say an AGM battery. I leave mine in and am located in southern NJ but my solar system feeds them I just disconnect everything not fed by the solar charger. With shrink wrap over my solar panels they still can put out 3-5 amps per hour for about 4 hours a day in the winter.
Bill
 
quote:
Originally posted by PascalG

while AGMs will last a little longer, when you consider the cost per year, they will cost more. On the up side, you dont' have to top them up every couple of months... if you only have to replace a single 4D, the cost difference isnt' much so go for the AGM, if you're charger can be set for AGM. If you have larger banks with multiple batteries in each bank, I still feel Lead Acids are a better value overall

Click to expand...


+1

and that's AFTER experiencing the AGM & gel cell route.

It may sound great on paper, but the eality is changing out those lead acid (low lead to antimony versions use little water and expel little gas) every 4 years is not a big deal.

We run two group 31's for house and starting and one group 24 (dedicated) for the genny.

RWS
 
RWS when and what type AGM did you try? The early Blue top Oddesy's were junk, I hope you didn't make the mistake of using that spiral version of the AGM, they were pure junk.
Bill
 
Many of us use AGM's because we can balance the boat by putting them where we could never safetly put a flooded battery.
That is only one reason I use them. Think about front thruster banks, under the salon floor house banks etc.....
Bill
 
A charged flooded battery will not freeze. I leave my flooded 8D's on the boat all winter, and they start the engines on the first try in the spring.

There is a HUGE cost differential between AGM & flooded. For me, it's not worth the price to switch over.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Billylll

RWS when and what type AGM did you try? The early Blue top Oddesy's were junk, I hope you didn't make the mistake of using that spiral version of the AGM, they were pure junk.
Bill

Click to expand...


My Odyssey's are orange/black?

Optima and maybe others make AGMs with blue tops and spiral thing?

-Chris
 
Chris your right my mistake the Optima blue tops put a bad spin on AGMs' when they were 1st introduced. Oddesy orange and blacks are great battery's.
Bill
 
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