How To Extend Your Boat’s Battery Life

Boats have become a tool for promoting bonding time with friends and family members. You can enjoy going out fishing or even use them to enjoy the calm of the sea. While boat batteries can tend to run for years, the service that a battery offers you trickles down to how well you can maintain it.

Issues such as the length of time they can store charge and the efficiency at which they can help you navigate will all trickle down to the amount of love you show your boat’s batteries. Of course, the first steps to making the most out of your boat’s battery would be to buy a great battery in the first place as well as investing in the right charger. Here is how to improve the battery life of your boat.

IMAGE: PIXABAY

Check The Water Level Regularly

Be sure to check the water in your battery once or twice per week after using the boat. Ideally, you should never let a wet battery go without any water. However, do not use tap water to refill this battery as the minerals within the water will tend to react with the plates of the battery, often leading to a malfunction.

It would be wise to invest in some distilled water instead. Also, avoid overfilling the battery as this will often lead to acid spillage, according to Batteries Shack. Ideally, you should only fill the water to the marked point.

Keep The Batteries Charged

Always ensure that your boat’s battery is fully charged whenever you leave your batteries to sit, even if you are tired from a long ride. This increases the efficiency of using the battery during the next ride while preventing sulfation in lead-acid batteries. On the other hand, it is ideal to charge the batteries before they are completely empty.

While you can still use specific tools to help you charge a dead battery, most will require at least a small amount of juice in the battery. Furthermore, you will spend less time charging the battery when halfway used than when trying to revive it.

Store In Ideal Areas

You should store your battery in a cool (not cold), dry place. As such, you should remove it from your boat during winter and store it somewhere warmer. If you would like to place it on the floor, at least avoid storing it on cold floors, especially concrete floors.

On the other hand, never allow the battery to freeze as this can be detrimental to the efficiency of the battery. A half-charged battery will typically freeze at higher temperatures than a battery that is fully charged, which makes charging the battery before storage even more vital. Also, never try to charge a frozen battery as this will often lead to some issues down the line.

Tidy Up Your Terminals

Dirty terminals will typically destroy your battery’s charging system. As a result, you risk storing your battery half charged which can increase the chances of the battery freezing. Furthermore, the dirt on the terminals may act as an insulator which spoils the chances of using the battery to its full capacity.

Luckily, it is pretty easy to clean up your battery as all you need is a can of light and waterproof grease as well as some emery cloth. Be prudent enough to check the status of your battery terminals every once in a while to prevent the accumulation of dirt on the terminals.

Conclusion

A well-kept battery will not only last for years, but it also has a lower chance of breaking down when somewhere in the middle of the sea. Luckily, you are in complete control of the status of your battery. Consider the tips above to make the most of your boat’s battery for a long time.

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IMAGE: PEXELS