Proper Battery Storage?????????

[troutnmuskiehunter]

Does anyone have suggestions for storing batteries over the winter? I took all 3 batteries down to the basement and was wondering if I need check the acid levels and fully charge them now or just wait until the spring??

Thanks...

[Salar]

Hi TroutnMuskieHunter,

It's recommended to store your batteries inside at room temperature (basement is fine). If it is not a maintenance-free battery, check your acid levels and top it up with distilled water if necessary. Fully charge the batteries now and then charge them every 60 days afterwards.

Cheers,

Salar.

[troutnmuskiehunter]

Thanks Paul

[The Nipigon]

Make sure that the batteries are placed on a piece of wood and not on the cement floor. They'll drain themselves sitting on the cement floor.

Later

Scotty (AKA Scurvy Dog on the Ottawa)

[Salar]

Batteries being discharged by storing them on concrete floors is myth. Modern batteries don't have that problem.

http://jgdarden.com/batteryfaq/carfaq14.htm#concrete

Cheers,

Salar

[The Nipigon]

Thats a great link Salar. 30 years of putting the batteries on some plywood...Just great (lol) what do I do with the plywood?
Well at lease I learned something new. Thanks Paul

Steve, cancel last.

Later Hawkers

Scotty (AKA the Scurvy Dog on the Ottawa)

[mikemicropterus]

I get this question alot and found out that there are alot of myths and the concrete floor is one of them.

To stop the battery from discharging thus needing to be charged during the winter adding another cycle to its life put it in the COLD. COLD weather stops the battery from discharging and that stops it from freezing.

Alot of golf courses that have carts run into the battery dilemma on a big scale. Each cart has alot of batteries. Anyway they check the level of electrolyte and fill using only distilled water and then fully charge the battery and then put it out side and wait for the snow to come.

I check the fluid levels in my batteries and then fully charge them and then put the boat in the barn. Have had no issues using this method I will put the charger on them once to check the charge and it usually shows fullly charged in a couple of minutes.

Right now I am using and selling Interstate Batteries, I have used them for some years and have had good success with them. I know the battery show is sometimes a crap shoot but having been there and got the T-shirt I now know what's what with batteries and that's why I went with Interstate. There are only 4 battery manufacturers in North America. One in Japan and a couple in the EU. The difference is the performance specific to each battery brand but manufactured by the same company.

You get what you pay for and I found that Interstates 29 series deep cycle has the same perfomance specs as other companies 31 dc.

Big thing is the fluid level and fully charge before storage and everything should be fine.

[fishmaster]

I have always stored my batteries inside but this year when I took my boat in for service my dealer told me to top them up, fully charge them and remove the positive cables. I told him I always put them inside and he just said do whatever I prefer. Well I took them out but man they were a pain in the A@#. It was my first year with the boat and it will be the last year I take the batteries out He said they will last longer if they are cold and all the boats they store at there marina all have there batteries in them still.

[plncrzy]

Hi gang

I store mine in the garage on a wooden shelp .. I have two of them which I connect in paralel (+ to + and - to -) then I connect a 1.5 amp charge to them all winter long.... keeps them in tip top shape.

BTW.. I bought the 1.5 am charher at everybodys favourite mens store ... princess auto

[troutnmuskiehunter]

Hey Serge....welcome to the board!!