Battery winter storage tips?

[bdorman]

Unfortunately it's time to hang up the fishing gear and prepare for winter in the MidWest.

Is it okay to store my deep cycle battery in the unheated garage over the winter? It's fully charged and I can throw the charger on it at any time (although I'd probably rather not leave it on all the time).

I don't have any place to store it in the house without it being majorly in the way. But, if that's my only good option then I'll have to.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

[Little Skeeter]

Well I will tell you what I do, right or wrong not sure but it works for me. I leave mine in my boat and I charge it to full and leave it on trickle charge for a week. Then remove the extension cord and its good to go. I normally hook it up again once I decide to go fishing again for 48 hours. I have a cheap set of batteries and they have lasted 6 years this way. One of them my trolling motor battery is just now starting to go down hill. But that is just what I do. I am sure there is probably a better way or at least other ways of doing it as well. Good luck.

[jimp]

I store my boat in an unheated enclosed garage all winter, and I leave my batts in the boat, and hooked up to a Battery Minder. I have not had any trouble from cold weather, but it doesn't get down to zero around here much or anything close to that inside, but can get down to 30 or so inside if we have extended cold weather here in ETN. You could get a $10 timer like used for turning on a lamp, set it to come on for an hour or so each day, and that would maintain the batt. That way the charger would not boil the batt dry. Used this set up before I got the BatteryMinder.

[BigRiverMarine]

Most good onboard chargers will go to a maintenance mode after fully charging the batteries. Make sure you disconnect any wiring, and unplug the TM from the batteries. You should be fine, just top them off every month or so, or as needed. The key is to keep them as fully charged as possible so they won't freeze. The new Digital Minn Kota onboard chargers work really well for maintaining them.

[bdorman]

Thanks for the ideas. I think I'll just attach the charger to it for a couple of hours each week and see what the charger indicator says. More often when it gets really cold...which it will in northern Illinois. BTW, unfortunately it's not "on-board"; I use a community jon-boat so I have to lug it to and from every time...but I don't have to store a boat either.

[CatFan]

As long as they are charged, it won't get cold enough for problems. If they are discharged, they will freeze and probably be damaged.

[quikcarl61]

Just don't leave the battery on a concrete floor, this will discharge it very quickly and ruin it, if you put it in the garage put it on a piece of a 4x4, or 6x6, just keep it off the floor.

[yankee doodler]

I store my boat in an unheated enclosed garage all winter, and I leave my batts in the boat, and hooked up to a Battery Minder. I have not had any trouble from cold weather, but it doesn't get down to zero around here much or anything close to that inside, but can get down to 30 or so inside if we have extended cold weather here in ETN. You could get a $10 timer like used for turning on a lamp, set it to come on for an hour or so each day, and that would maintain the batt. That way the charger would not boil the batt dry. Used this set up before I got the BatteryMinder.

2X...full charge end of season, then on a batt. tender to keep it good.

[gabowman]

Make sure the water level is right and make sure it has a full charge. I agree about setting it on a piece of wood, although it has been determined that a concrete floor wont hurt a good battery (I'm old school:rolleyes. I'd hook up the charger once a month....maybe more once it gets down in the teens. On second thought...As cold as it gets up north I'd probably pick up a maintainer (low voltage) and keep it hooked up all winter. Here's a link...

Schumacher Electric SEM-1562A 1.5amp Auto Charger#

["G"]

Top them off with distilled water and keep your onboard charger plugged in. I use a MinnKota 330 onboard charger and if my boats not hooked to my truck or in the water the charger is plugged in year around. The MinnKota onboard charger will keep your battery charged and maintained.