Marine Batteries

Here is an article from boats.com featuring Interstate Batteries. Great advice in getting the most out of your marine batteries especially since we play in the water here often. Make sure your batteries are up to the task before you are on the ramp. This quick check will make it a much smoother trip. Remember you can get free battery tests at Interstate Batteries and most of the authorized Interstate Battery Dealers.

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Neglect your boat’s battery, and your next fishing trip could end right at the launch ramp.

Issues related to the electrical system of the boat now rank right behind bad fuel as the most-common reason a modern outboard won’t start, according to service experts, and it all starts at the battery.

A marine deep-cycle battery can also be used as a starting battery if it meets the cold cranking amps specification of the outboard motor.

“Poor battery installation, from loose connections at the posts to poor grounds and over-extended battery cables, are the issues I see most-frequently,” says David Greenwood, Suzuki Marine application manager. “Boat owners need to regularly inspect the battery and all key connections, and make sure their motor is rigged to factory specifications.”

Begin by making sure your boat has the right battery – a marine battery. Marine batteries come in two types. A marine starting battery is intended to start the engine and to power accessories such as lights, electronics, livewell pumps and aerators, and the radio. A marine deep-cycle battery is designed to power trolling motors and can withstand frequent deep discharges.

An automobile starting battery might work to get your motor running, but it’s a poor substitute for a marine cranking battery, according to Gale Kimbrough, technical services manager at Interstate Batteries.

“All batteries are designed for a specific application,” Kimbrough says. “A marine starting battery has thicker plates and more robust internal construction than an automobile battery so that it can withstand the vibration and pounding of the marine environment and take a much deeper discharge.”

Both an automobile and a marine starting battery will deliver the spike of power required to operate a starter motor. But in a boat, that battery also often powers accessories like aerators and fish locators when the engine, and thus the charging system, are turned off. Frequent deep discharge activity will greatly shorten the life of an automobile battery. Because it has thicker plates, the marine battery can take the discharge and bounce back.

In this regard, the marine starting battery is sort of a hybrid of a standard starting battery and a deep-cycle battery. The deep-cycle battery has even larger, thicker plates than a starting battery and is designed to be used down to 25 percent of its complete charge (75 percent state of charge), and then recharged, over and over again. Like the marine starting battery, a marine deep-cycle battery is built to survive the pounding it may take when mounted below the bow of a bass boat, for example.

While its case looks about the same as an automotive battery, a marine cranking battery is more robust internally and will withstand a marine duty cycle that may include deeper discharge.

Larger fishing boats often carry two starting batteries, one dedicated to starting the engine, and the other to running accessories, often called the “house” battery. An isolator in the charging system then sends charging power from the engine alternator or an on-board battery charger to the battery most discharged. Properly rigged, a dual-battery system should keep accessories from draining the starting battery, which could leave the boat stranded.

While Kimbrough says that today’s marine batteries are virtually maintenance-free, it does pay to give your batteries a little attention during the season.

“You want to keep the top of the battery clean,” says Kimbrough. “An accumulation of dirt and vented battery electrolyte can allow a very low level of current to flow between the positive and negative posts, resulting in quicker discharge and corrosion on the posts. You can clean the battery top with a soda wash, a 50/50 mixture of baking soda and water in a spray bottle. The soda neutralizes the acid. Spray it on, rinse, and then wipe the battery dry. There are also commercial cleaners available.”

Batteries should always be stored with a full charge, whether it’s for the off-season or just for a few weeks of inactivity.

“If the battery sits in a discharged state, sulfation will form on the plates, and it may never be able to regain a full charge again,” says Kimbrough. “If you have power available, one of the chargers with an electronic automatic shut-off circuit will maintain a full charge without over-charging the batteries during long-term storage.”

Batteries in long-term storage can be drawn down by the “parasitic” draw of electronic accessories, which often require a small current flow to maintain an internal memory.

“An electronic device that draws just 50 milliamps will draw 1.2 amp hours in a day, and 24 ampere hours in 20 days,” said Kimbrough. “That’s 24 percent of the charge of a 100 amp hour battery.”

A battery switch can be used to cut off current flow from the starting battery during storage, protecting it from parasitic drain.

Finally, you want to make sure the battery is securely mounted in the boat and rigged correctly to the motor. The best battery mount, according to Greenwood, is the type of tray that locks the battery with top bracket secured with a pair of stout bolts.

A bolt-down tray like this one from Moeller Marine is the best way to keep a boat battery secured in the roughest seas.

“Too often I see these flimsy plastic battery boxes, or even just a nylon strap that threads through a pair of small plastic brackets, attached to the boat with just a couple of small screws,” says Greenwood. “You want that base screwed or bolted to solid structure in the boat, and the battery held down with more than a strap.”

Greenwood also sees trouble when too many cables are secured to the positive battery post with a wing nut – he suggests replacing the wing nut with a Nyloc lock-nut that won’t come loose and cause a bad connection.

Finally, make sure the battery cables are as specified by the engine manufacturer.

“I often see battery leads that are too long when a boat builder tries to place the batteries forward in the boat, such as within a center console,” says Greenwood. “There may be a poor splice to the cables that come with the outboard motor. Sometimes the ends are just bent together and wrapped with tape, and they can come loose or get corroded. If the battery cables are going to make a long run, they need to be the correct gauge so excessive resistance does not cause a voltage drop.”

Correct installation and a little maintenance will keep marine batteries performing at peak power, ready to start your motor at the turn of a key.


Interstate Batteries of Lake Havasu

2000 W. Acoma Blvd.
Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403
928-453-7511
http://www.ibslhc.com


(Across from the College, next to Michael Allen Furniture)

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Interstate Batteries is the #1 Replacement battery in the country. We have automotive (New/Blemished/Used), Truck, RV, Marine, Commercial, Golf Cart, Motorcycle, Gel, Wheelchair, UPS, and more! Typically we have the battery available in stock. They come with a NATIONAL WARRANTY with dealers in every county in the United States.

We have a professional staff that can assist you with any of your battery needs, including installation (yes RV’s are included)!!! We take pride in our work and want to make sure we serve the Lake Havasu community properly. Feel free to drop by even if you only have questions! We look forward to working with you!

928-453-7511