The Best Way to Maintain Your Batteries Over Winter
Category: article
Oct 31st, 2019 by Keith Worrall
Modified Oct 31st, 2019 at 9:29 AM
If your battery dies, you’re not going fishing – it’s as simple as that. Make sure you don’t wind up stranded on the water by following these simple maintenance tips.
THE BEST WAY TO KEEP MARINE BATTERIES CHARGED OVER WINTER
Proper marine battery maintenance is important to ensure battery longevity and save you money. Jason Halfen explains the best way to maintain your marine batteries when storing over long periods of time, like the upcoming winter months: Video
TIPS FOR EXTENDING MARINE BATTERY LIFE
*Charge after every use and allow the battery to receive a full charge
*Avoid high voltage fast charging cycles – Stick to recommended voltage requirements and unplug immediately after the charge is complete OR see the next tip.
*Don’t over- or under-charge – Over- or under-charging can shorten the overall life of your batteries. Use a charger with Multi-Stage Charging for a safe and fast charge.
We can help: all Minn Kota Marine Battery Chargers come with Automatic Multi-Stage Charging where the charger controls the voltage and current your battery gets throughout the charging cycle, ensuring a fast, safe and precise charge.
*Avoid storing in very cold or hot temperatures – Bring your batteries inside over winter when your boat is in storage and avoid leaving them in your boat or garage for long periods of time during extremely hot temperatures.
We can help: all Minn Kota battery chargers have an Automatic Temperature Compensation feature that adjusts for fluctuations in temperature to prevent damaging your battery.
*Battery Equalization (Flooded Lead Acid Batteries only) – Equalization cleans and protects your battery to improve battery life. Utilize a charger that has battery equalization that cleans and protects your battery at least once or twice a year. Ideally, once in spring and once before winterization or in fall.
We can help: Minn Kota Precision On-Board Chargers equalize automatically, every time you plug it in. They also allow you to activate a more rigorous cleaning with a push of a button. Watch this Battery Equalization video for more information.
*Ensure proper water levels in flooded lead-acid batteries – Top them off with distilled water.
*Avoid storing uncharged batteries for long periods of time
*Keep your battery terminals clean – Scrub off any corrosion with a brush and a paste solution of baking soda and water.
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FINDING THE RIGHT CHARGER FOR YOU
Finding a charger is as simple as 1-2-3. Just establish how many banks you need, how much power you require, and then pick the model with the features you want.
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