Battery charging in cold weather

[stefan_r]

...is this a problem?

I read a lot about "takeyour batteries off the boat and put them in your garage with some hot chocolate" and have never bothered...

Shorepower on, trickle chargning...doesn't seem to be an issue...but suppose they are a bit insulated maybe...

Question now is I have my car on the driveway with thetrickle charger connected....is this a problem?

 

[Medskipper]

More than 25 years of boating and never taken a battery off the boat and never had problems. Its good to keep the batteries charged up regularly, trickle charger is fine as long as its a smart charger that will not cook the batterys? If the boat is still in the water it will stay warmer than on dry land so the battery in your car is likely to be at more risk! just keep them charged up they should all be fine, car batteries older than 4-5 years are going to be at risk of going down in this extreme cold.

Barry

 

[stefan_r]

Good, I have never had a problem on board either...so wondered why the advice to take them ashore.

Didn't know if the much colder atmosphere around the car would present a problem....all sounds fine then, yay!!

 

[hlb]

Think the advise about takeing them home, was prior to shore power and inteligent charging.

Cant understand why you want to charge your car every night though. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[zt260]

If your going to leave on charge make sure your fluids a topped up in the battery and check regular.

ash

 

[Refueler]

As hlb says - probably hang over from old days. I know from my own experience wth our works truck. When we left it a few winters ago with no work. The batterys went down (trucks have all sorts of systems still running such as Tachos etc.) - the batterys when flat froze solid. I found out after that it's unlikely to happen when battery is kept charged.

Batterys were of course shagged by this freeze episode /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[John100156]

Not sure but I think that was in the days when I needed a wheelbarrow to carry my mobile phone!

I use three FLA batteries on Buster and have never taken them out! 3 years old and going strong.