Boat Batteries Issues? WHY?

Many boaters are experiencing battery failures and other battery related issues long before they expect their house
batteries to die. How you charge, discharge, recharge, maintain and store your house batteries on and off season
will determine the performance and life expectancy of your battery.

The most common causes for premature battery failure and inadequate performance are sulfation, corrosion, vibration related problems as a result of improper charging and a lack of maintenance knowledge. When a battery is improperly charged or if it has been discharged for a long period of time, sulfation occurs; this happens when small crystals of sulfuric acid from the battery’s electrolyte start to form on the plates. This acts as a barrier, impedes the opportunity for chemical reaction, and stops the battery from a full charge.

Over time, the sulfation that has been collected cannot be converted back into active plate material. The sooner a battery is recharged after it is discharged, the better. Undercharging your battery happens when your deep cycle battery is repeatedly discharged without being fully recharged between cycles. A full battery cycle is on complete discharge from 100% to about 50% then recharged back up to 100%. This helps extend your battery`s life and helps prevent sulfation and performance issues.

Overcharging a battery occurs when you leave your 12V battery plugged into the charger during storage that is not temperature compensated or set under the proper configurations.

Vibration in a boat can also create performance issues. With high vibration, lead from the plates begin to fall off and pile up at the bottom of the battery. This builds up, decreases performance and power and shorts out on the adjacent plate. This is why it is important to ensure that the construction of the deep cycle battery you purchase is built to withstand vibration.

To avoid sulfation, corrosion and vibration issues which can ruin your battery, it is important to employ correct battery charging and maintenance practices

CHARGING AND MAINTENANCE
Proper charging is important to prevent premature failure. To ensure your battery meets its intended performance expectations and life span, you need an boat three stage charger that provides a bulk, absorption and float charge. When selecting a charger, the charge rate should be between 10-13% of the battery’s 20 AH capacity. Your battery should be charged as soon as possible after each use, and should not discharge below 10.5V.

Batteries that are discharged to 50-80% will last much longer than if they are not. You should also disconnect your house batteries when your boast is in storage or not in use to prevent premature discharging. Lead acid batteries by nature, will also self-discharge up to 10% a month (flooded lead acid types), so it is important to check batteries frequently especially when in storage.

Depending on your application, batteries that have reached a performance level of 50% or less of their original capacity will not meet your operational needs. A battery that does not reach 80% of your original capacity should be replaced.

GOOD LUCK!