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Impact of Summer Heat on Your Marine Batteries
Batteries aboard a vessel provide power to all of the onboard systems including lighting, fresh water convertors, wastewater pumps, bilge pumps, navigation systems, entertainment systems, engine starting systems and more.
While many people use truck batteries on their boats, they are designed for constant use without long periods with no use. It is essential that you use the right kind of batteries such as marine starting batteries, deep cycle batteries, or dual-purpose batteries, that are specifically designed to survive for longer with less usage.
Truck batteries are designed to self-discharge about two per cent of their storage per week, while marine batteries self-discharge at just about 0.5 per cent per day. Thus, it is crucial that you use high quality and branded marine batteries that will not leave you short.
Even though heat is a killer for most batteries, it is not always possible to avoid high temperatures. A rise in temperature can significantly reduce the life of any battery by almost 10%, including marine batteries.
Once the battery has been damaged due to high temperature, it is practically impossible to restore. Batteries are one of the essential items aboard a vessel, and every effort has to be taken to ensure that they provide optimal performance and have a long life, storing them in a location that minimises exposure to high temperatures is important.
Marine Battery Care & Maintenance
Here are some excellent tips to help you take care of your marine batteries and make them last
- Never Buy Cheap Batteries – Instead of opting for the cheapest option you find, you need to consider the quality of the marine battery and the reputation of the batteries suppliers when purchasing them. Even though they might seem expensive at first, they will last much longer allowing you to save money in the long run.
- Keep Your Wet battery Full – It is vital to keep the cells of the wet battery wet at all times. If you allow them to run dry, they will be destroyed, and it won’t be easy to restore them. Also, do not use tap water as it can cause the problem to the plates.
- Keep Batteries Fully Charged – You should keep the batteries fully charged. You need to take the time to put them on charger no matter how tired you might be, how quickly you want to get back home or how the weather might be on the outside. Also, do not overcharge them as it can cause the battery to crack.
- Keep the Battery Terminals Clean – You need to take out the time to clean the dirty terminals. Dirty terminals will cause issues to the entire charging system, and you will not be able to take full advantage of your batteries. By spending around 15 minutes to clean the battery, you can save yourself a lot of hassles.
- Keep the Battery in a Cool and Dry Place – Once the summers are over, it is essential that you remove the batteries and store them on a wooden surface and not on concrete.
Following the above tips will help you make the most of your marine batteries and also increase their life too. The longer they work, the less money will you have to spend on replacing them.