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winterization electrical battery

There aren’t many things more frustrating than waiting for that first perfect day in spring to get the boat back on the water only to realize you have a dead battery. Proper battery maintenance and storage should be an essential part of your winterization procedures, and it can help you avoid additional costs and headaches along the way. Here are a few tips to help make sure when the weather is ready for boating, your battery is ready as well.

 

  1. First off, make sure you are performing regular maintenance on your boat’s battery. Clean the battery tops and battery posts of debris and corrosion, filling the electrolyte, check the voltage and recharge on a monthly basis.
  2. Disconnect the terminals to remove all the electrical loads from your batteries. If you aren’t removing the battery from your boat, you will want to make sure all your switches are turned off. Or, simply remove any equipment that may cause a drain on the battery. Many electronics have small power loads that can drain your battery even when they are turned off. A combination of slow draining electronics and battery self-discharge can be enough to drain and damage your battery in the offseason.
  3. Charge your batteries one final time before storage. Charging your batteries will make sure they will recharge completely next boating season, and will help reduce the risk of a frozen battery if you can not store in a place safe from the effects of winter.
  4. Remove your batteries and store them in a cool, dry place where they will not freeze. Basements and garages are fine, as modern batteries can be safely stored on a concrete floor without risking battery discharge. You can still place them on a block of wood just to be safe.
  5. Store your battery where you can access it easily to charge. Keeping your boat’s batteries somewhere where you can get to them and see them keeps charging top of mind.

If you have any questions about your boat’s batteries or for your boat's electrical system, please give the experts at Marine Parts Source a call at (866)388-0390.