Charging batteries before every trip

[SDSeville]

I have this battery charger and usually like to hook it up on low for a couple hours on each battery before each outing (usually a couple weeks apart) just to make t sure they are topped off. Is this necessary? Will it hurt my batteries?

http://www.dgetools.com/Battery-Charger-Century_p_24.html

I haven't had any battery problems except for when I used a 12V shop vac for about an hour last week and drained one of my batteries (charged right back up after run for 10 minutes).

 

[glenn property of pam]

Re: Charging batteries before every trip

if the charger is automatic and cuts out when the battery is topped up then theres no problem with charging it up at all. would be better idea to charge when you get back from boating so the batterys are fully charged before being stored then charged again before use. charging the batterys will not hurt them

the vac quote is diffrent "I haven't had any battery problems except for when I used a 12V shop vac for about an hour last week and drained one of my batteries (charged right back up after run for 10 minutes)." if you ran the battery low then 10 mins didnt charge the battery back up especially if you was using the alternator. thats the time when slow charging when you get the boat home is a good idea so the battery isnt sitting with a partial charge for long periods of time

 

[SDSeville]

Re: Charging batteries before every trip

if the charger is automatic and cuts out when the battery is topped up then theres no problem with charging it up at all. would be better idea to charge when you get back from boating so the batterys are fully charged before being stored then charged again before use. charging the batterys will not hurt them

the vac quote is diffrent "I haven't had any battery problems except for when I used a 12V shop vac for about an hour last week and drained one of my batteries (charged right back up after run for 10 minutes)." if you ran the battery low then 10 mins didnt charge the battery back up especially if you was using the alternator. thats the time when slow charging when you get the boat home is a good idea so the battery isnt sitting with a partial charge for long periods of time

Thanks. It is the kind that shuts off when it is topped.

Regarding the drained battery, it was a little slow turning over so I switched to another battery (new spare) after about 10 minutes of cruising and using the other battery for the rest of the day (I have since installed a Perko switch so I could have charged both all day). When I got home, I took the battery to the battery shop and had it tested. They said it had a 100% charge. I am not sure how myself, but that is what their testing machine showed.

 

[KD4UPL]

Re: Charging batteries before every trip

You can use the charger if you want. If it's a good automatic one it won't hurt anything. I never put a charger on my batteries between outings. Sometimes the boat sits for 6 or 8 weeks at a time. It always starts fine.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Charging batteries before every trip

Batteries do not like to sit in a discharged state for long periods of time. Always top them off at the END of a trip. They tend to sulfate when left in a discharged state so waiting until the next outing to charge them is better than not charging at all but doing it at the end of a trip will provide the best longevity. 10 minutes run time on with an outboard or I/O does not top off a battery if it is deeply discharged. Note the term "deeply".