Marine Battery Maintenance

Marine battery maintenance is an important part of owning a boat. Marine batteries allow us to run the electrical gadgetry on our boats providing us with the extra battery power we want and need while out on the water.

• Designed to be long lasting, a marine battery will last for approximately 3 years with proper care.
• Regular battery maintenance will help prevent problems that can leave you stranded without power.
• It will also maximise the life of your battery and save you money on replacement.

Here are some tips on how to get the most out of your Marine battery:

Keep your Marine Battery cool

Heat will shorten the life of your marine battery so it is wise to keep your battery cool whether you are using it or storing it. In stern drive boats the battery is usually in the engine compartment, which is guaranteed to keep your battery surrounded by heat. By sectioning off your marine battery with insulation you can keep your battery cooler while it is in use. However, when sectioning off your battery with insulation make sure that it still has the proper ventilation it needs to disperse fumes.

When not using it, store your marine battery in a cool dry place to help ensure its longevity.

Disconnect your Marine battery

When not using your marine battery, even if it is just for a couple of hours, disconnect it and keep it from continuing to drain. Even though your boat may be turned off or your camper's light shut off, there are still small things like clocks that will continue to run, draining your battery of its juice. By disconnecting your battery when you are not using it you can help prevent it from over discharging.

Regular water top up as part of battery maintenance

If your marine battery is a wet lead acid battery then make sure you check the fluid levels frequently, as this is an extremely important part of battery maintenance. If the water is low then make sure you fill the battery with water after charging, as the levels raise when charging and may overflow if topped beforehand.

Recharge immediately after use

Even though our leisure batteries may be discharged to 80% you should never leave a battery that is not fully charged to sit. By charging your battery immediately after using it for an extended period of time you can increase the life of your battery and ensure that your battery has the power you need when you next use it.

Don't overcharge or over discharge during battery maintenance

Allowing a battery to discharge too much will shorten its life and therefore cause you to have to replace the battery much sooner. Overcharging your battery is even worse as it causes the acid inside the battery to percolate and can lead to damaging your battery irreparably.

Don't let your Marine battery sit too long between uses

Letting your battery sit too long between uses can be a problem. For those of you who only use your boat or camper for a few months out of the year you may find you are leaving your battery unused for several months. This will shorten its life if proper battery maintenance isn’t followed during these times. Using a trickle charge to top your battery off every couple of months could help protect its lifespan.

Good battery maintenance will help you to get the most out of your marine battery and enable you to enjoy your boat as much as possible.

Pb Batteries offers a range of battery accessories and watering systems to assist you in proper battery maintenance.