Winterizing Batteries

[AwayOnBusine$$]

Cold climate. Does it matter if you disconnect the positive feed or the negative feed or should both be disconnected. Yes all read 13 volts +.

[prowlersfish]

Really does not matter but it safer to disconnect the negative first . keep them charged dead batteries freeze

[AwayOnBusine$$]

As I have said before. Me and electricity are like water and oil. If batteries are reading 13+ and I disconnect only the negative leads. Should I worry about now till April?

[prowlersfish]

I assume your on land ? It really depends on how cold t gets and if your batteries say fully charged Optama says the red tops are goo to -30 fully charged I read this I find the -70 hard to be leave .

" A car battery can physically freeze but it depends on the battery’s state of charge. If fully charged (12.7 volts), then the electrolyte will freeze around -70°F. At 50% charge (12.0 volts) it will freeze around 5°F, and when fully discharged (11.5-volts) it will freeze right around 32°F."

Remember a battery will discharge just sitting .

[P-Dogg]

Remember a battery will discharge just sitting .

^^^^^This. If you are not going to keep the batteries on a smart charger over the winter, I would just take them home and store them where freezing is not an issue. On an F-32, I presume that you are not sporting 8D's, so they should be manageable to move. Heck, in Alaska, (maybe even in that country to the east too) folks drain the oil out of their airplane engine and keep it inside over night so that it stays liquid.

It's winter for like 14 months a year in Canada. I would not trust my (now) fully charged batteries to keep enough charge to keep from freezing over the winter. What is the effort to remove them now vs. the cost of frozen batteries when the earth is on the other side of the Sun? What are your neighbors doing?

[AwayOnBusine$$]

Temp here may hit -20 - 25 twice a season. Jan / Feb. Some nothing, others un hook pos and neg. When boats are out of the water. No body has shore power to keep battery charger operational.

[WayWeGo]

Does anyone use a solar charger over the winter?

[AwayOnBusine$$]

Not that I am aware of

[prowlersfish]

Does anyone use a solar charger over the winter?

Not a bad idea if you can't keep shore power on it . But a draw back if you get snow and it gets covered .

Taking them home like P-Dogg said is a good idea and keep them charged

[Rickforth]

I have 3 batteries on my 1988 F32. One for each engine and a house battery. In November when i am hauled I disconnect the grounds and charge them up fully. They usually stay charged for the duration of the winter but i will re connect them to a portable trickle charger in February just to top them up. I am fortunate that i can get inside in the winter and i have access to 110 volt power. This has been a successful formula and i always get between 5 to 6 years from batteries and then replace. If you get 6 years you are doing good. I try not to wait for them to fail in season because it will usually happen at the worst time.