Batteries

[Harmon]

Can I just leave by batteries connected if I have boat connected to house electric all winter? Is there a fume buildup risk? or any other issues?

 

[Alex F]

If the boat is not in water (on trailer or stands) what's the point of keeping it plugged in all winter long? If you have access, I would disconnect the positive side and leave it off. Then, connect (+) and turn on the charger once in a while. I usually charge my batteries couple times during the winter.

 

[MonacoMike]

Can I just leave by batteries connected if I have boat connected to house electric all winter? Is there a fume buildup risk? or any other issues?

It depends on the type of batteries you have, which you did not indicate. I will presume you have traditional lead acid batteries. You first need to confirm the charger is a charger/maintainer and appropriate for your type of battery. The lead acid batteries need to be checked regularly for water they will lose water over time with the charging cycle. Otherwise many do leave their batteries on the charger all the time. MM

 

[fwebster]

I leave my boat in running condition all the time. That means the batteries stay connected and the converter on, but........... we use the boat all winter and I have AGM batteries that give off no fumes.

 

[Henry Boyd]

If the boat is not in water (on trailer or stands) what's the point of keeping it plugged in all winter long? If you have access, I would disconnect the positive side and leave it off. Then, connect (+) and turn on the charger once in a while. I usually charge my batteries couple times during the winter.

I partially agree with Alex, EXCEPT, when disconnecting boat, car, truck batteries you should always remove the negative terminal first. This is a safety thing. By disconnecting the negative first the risk of shorting the + is eliminated (obviously not the negative terminal). If the negative is connected, it is possible to ground the positive terminal while removing the cable. These batteries have enough energy to weld a wrench to anything it comes in contact with and burn the person holding the wrench badly.

Henry

 

[Alex F]

Henry,

You're 100% correct in regards to safety. This is exactly how I always did it when removing the batteries on my previous boats. However, in situations when batteries will be left on board (I'll do it as well starting from this season since I can access the ER while the boat is covered) disconnecting only the (+) side is sort of a "shortcut" to ensure that no juice will be drawn from the batteries by any on board systems. In this case I think the safe thing to do is to cover (+) terminal with a cap to prevent accidental contact.