Charge or not to Charge

[Hans]

I have a 2007 Sundancer 38. Should I leave the charger charging the battery all the time when in my Marina?

 

[Hans]

My batteries are maintenance free. No water necessary.

 

[Hans]

Hey, thanks for the advice.

 

[StevenA]

I have a 2007 Sundancer 38. Should I leave the charger charging the battery all the time when in my Marina?

Another yes, the benefit's outway the con's. The water level is important to check depending on the age of your invertor/charger. Some of the up to the past couple years would boil the water out of a battery.

Also, don't let maintenance free label on a battery fool you. Some of the so called maintenance free batteries are lead acid and still might require you cutting the label with a razor knife to reveal the cell's where indeed distilled water may need to be added. I learned the hard way once on so called maintenance free led acid batteries. JMHO

 

[Presentation]

There are several reasons to keep the shore power / battery charger on when you leave.

The most important in my opinion is “what if you develop a leak?”

Plugged into shore power your bilge pumps will have a constant supply of power.

The power from batteries will deplete relatively fast.

 

[Hans]

Wow, thanks for all the great advice. My batteries have no cells. They are maintenance free. There is no place to add water.:thumbsup:

 

[Redhook98]

Oh your batteries have cells, just the maintenace-free kind. Even being maintenance free, if they are wet batteries, you can STILL run low on acid over time... Just because they are labeled "maintenance free" does not mean you don't have to watch what you do with them. YOu can still overcharge and eventually burn-em up........

 

[StevenA]

There are several reasons to keep the shore power / battery charger on when you leave.

The most important in my opinion is “what if you develop a leak?”

Plugged into shore power your bilge pumps will have a constant supply of power.

The power from batteries will deplete relatively fast.

This is exactly the primary reason I leave mine on 100% of the time year round since I am wet slipped.

 

[bankshotbankshot]

I would leave the charger on like stated before what about your bilge pumps also most newer chargers know when to charge and how much. Optima blue batteries when drained dead take a special charge to get them back going again so leave that charger on all the time I say