To prolong the life of your batteries and avoid that flat feeling, follow our tips for battery maintenance and care during your boat’s winter lay up.
Batteries naturally deplete in the atmosphere. A trickle charger or a battery charger connected to shore power prevent this. To reduce the discharge between the battery posts, clean the top of the battery case and ensure it stays dry.
Clean battery terminals. A baking soda and water solution can remove corrosion. Coat the terminals and connectors with clean grease (not Copper-Ease or metallic content greases). Petroleum jelly will do!
Carefully top up wet batteries (flooded lead acid) with de-ionised water. Keep upright to avoid spills.
Steps to Take
- Remove batteries from boat if possible, but check what this will affect e.g. heating system start up, bilge pumps etc. Store batteries in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place.
- Isolate the battery (if left in the boat): disconnect negative terminal to prevent phantom drain from electronics.
- Use a smart charger or battery maintainer (trickle charger).
- Check voltage monthly and recharge if voltage drops below manufacturer guidelines.
- Avoid freezing! A fully charged lead-acid battery freezes around -70°F (-57°C), while a discharged one can freeze at just 20°F (-6°C).
Top Tips
- Good records help with future diagnoses. Note battery install dates, charge status and service history.
- If a 12V battery drops below 10.5V, it will incur damage no matter how new the battery is.
See batteries and cables for sale.