full traction these batteries come in
check it in your car do not assume the
either 2 volt cells or 6 volt cells, and
boat duty cycle is the same. not only
will last approx 5-10 years in heavy
must you check the water level, check
duty cycles ( as with all batteries they
that with the charger or alternator on
do require a little maintenance ).
that when you look inside the battery
cells a slight tap on the battery side
should release small amounts of gas
How many batteries do i require?
from all the cells, any cell not gassing
remove the battery. expect to top up a
battery, if you top up 5 cells and one
requires no water scrap that battery. if
when the charger or alternator is on and
the batteries become warm or hot check
the battery voltage, if the battery voltage
is 14 volts or less and the batteries are
boiling the fault is the batteries. if the
batteries are 15 volts plus, the fault is
the charger or alternator. do not fit a
battery charger on to old batteries and
go home, it is important to keep and eye
on the batteries as a battery charger has
all week to boil old batteries where an
alternator only has a few hours, that is
why most boiled batteries occur on a
battery charger, and one must be able to
distinguish between faulty batteries and
a faulty charger
will your charger boil my batteries ?
quite simply yes and no.
no if
: you look after your batteries, you
check your oil level in the boat and
water level, just because you never
avoid
gel and a.g.m. at all costs if long life
and fast recharge is a main issue.
the simple answer is the more the
better, but most people are restrained by
cost and size, this question i always
throw back and ask you how long do
you want the electrical system of your
boat to be supported after the engine is
switched off? in most cases the answer
is 24 hrs, then add up your consumption
( 30 ft boat fridge = 5 amps, lights at
night averaged out over 24 hrs = 5
amp/hr, total = 10 amp hr x 24 hrs = 240
amp/ hr add on 40% ( an empty battery
is still about 40% full ) = about 300
amp hrs, ie three batteries of the 90-100
amp type.
What type of battery do i use ?
the type of battery used depends on your
priorities, if you are worried about
turning the vessel upside down and
require no spillage of leakage then go
yes if:
the batteries are on there last
for sealed batteries or gel ( but to not
legs, batteries fail in four main ways ,
complain when the high charge rate
1)
sulphate on the plates, this is due to a
obtained by conventional batteries is not
low voltage bad charging system, this
attainable by these types ) my personal
will allow a coating on the lead plates to
definition of a good battery is one i can
develop thus rendering the battery
charge with as much current as possible
ineffective, this has the effect of no
in order to charge them as fast as
charge going into the battery, and is not
possible ( because you do not want to
actually a battery failure yet accounts
waste engine hours ) with minimum
for the largest proportion of battery
damage to the batteries, this can only be
replacement ( most times recoverable
obtained by using open type lead acid.
over a period of time if you fit an
advanced regulator on the alternator or
use a constant current battery charger
with a high voltage charge cycle )
2)
where a battery has had a hard use
and the lead which is discharger from