Battery maintenance

This is my first boating winter. I pulled my batteries. What do I do to maintain them until April?
Thanks!

93, keep them in a cool dry place... do not put them directly on a concrete floor, throw them on a charger every 45 days... not a fast charger.

[steplift20]

LIKE FISHMASTER SAID[CHARGE EVERY 45 DAYS I LIKE TO DO IT EVERY MONTH] CHARGE IT WITH A TRICKLE CHARGE OVER NIGHT KEEP THEM CLEAN AND THATS IT.
OH CLEAN THE TERMINALS AND CHECK THE WATER LEVEY
IF YOU HAVE TO AD WATER USE DISTILLED ONLY YOU CAN GET THAT AT YOU LOCAL WALMART OR AUTO ZONE. IM NOT SURE IF AUTOZONE CARRYS IT BUT I DO KNOW WALMART HAS IT
AND WHEN YOU PUT THEM BACK IN IN THE SPRING COAT THE CONNECTIONS WITH A LITTLE GREASE SO IT DOESNT CORRODE

Hey All,

The thing about batteries on the concrete...just a wives tale...Comes from the early days of batteries...No disrespect fm63....Cool is better, slows the electrolysis down....Trickle charge will ensure a good battery however I leave the batteries in my boat fully charged and disconnected. They always work the following year. If it doesn't start in the spring, I would have had to replace them anyway.....and usually at the worst possible moment in the summer. Most boatyards in the Northeast do the same. They have too many batteries to store separately. Look at this link:

http://www.inct.net/~autotips/battmyth.htm


Also: http://www.inct.net/~autotips/battstor.htm

[macojoe]

well I agree with all above except!!

If you have to leave them in the boat ok, but if you can bring them in DO SO!!
I hear and know of someone every year that has there battrey explosde in there boat over the winter!!

So if you can, TAKE IT OUT!

I have a standard car battery charger that I bought 2 years ago. Can I use that or is there a better option? I don't think it has a trickle charge.
Also, should I keep them in the basement or in the garage? It's going to be a cold winter here in Chicago. It's 15 deg now.

[macojoe]

I keep mine in the basement for the reason above, if it is in a non heated garage then you might as well keep it in the boat??
Basement will never go below freezing so that would e better!!
Car Charger will be fine on a slow charge once a month or so. I never have charged innthe winter and was always full come spring. gUESS I am lucky?

[Skools Out]

I take all mine out every yr but as said do not put on concrete they will die in some instances permanently. I always take the 5 out of my jet ski's and 2 out of each boat so I have around 11 to 13 battery's out and put them in the basement on a wooden table. Check the levels in all and add acid if needed and also I drop 1 reg. asprin in each battery hole. Hook all together in parallel and hook up a 1.5 amp trickle charger that will automatic shut off at full charge and it keeps all the battery's up and good all winter. My jet ski battery's that are usually only good 2 yrs max usually last 4 to 5 yrs. Some of the boat battery's are 6 to 7 yrs old too. I usually try to rotate with 1 older and 1 newer in each boat.

capecodv20, if its all the same to you, i think i will keep my batteries off concrete anyway... but thanks for clearing it up for me.



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[Skools Out]

For all who wonder about the asprin in every hole. It cleans the lead plates in the battery. Which makes the battery last longer. ;D