Battery Storage / What would Bob do?

[Larry (Bo) Bolander]

So I live in Indiana, it gets cold sometimes, freezing cold, and I store my boat outside. Will it hurt to leave my batteries in the boat all winter? I'm getting older and the batteries are getting heavier.

 

[James Choate]

Bo,

Living here in Colorado gets quite cold as well. I've always taken the batteries out of the boat and stored them on my garage work bench. I go out about once a month and put on the trickle charger. I know some who leave in the batteries in the boat and charge them once a month to keep them charged so they don't freeze. They don't seem to have any issues/problems doing that.

 

[Larry (Bo) Bolander]

I've always taken them out in the past and stored them in a heated garage. like I said, I'm getting old and lazier. Just wondering if I could leave them in the boat all winter? I do have a on-board 3 bank charger. I suppose I could leave a extension cord dangling out the side of the cover and plug in once a month. 1 battery is new and the other 2 are only a couple of years old.

 

[eric nichols]

I live in West Virginia and we have had some brutal winters. My boat stays outside with batteries plugged in year round. I've never had any issues and the batteries are all 3-5 yrs old.



Eric

 

[Bob Bourget2]

The proper way to care for your batteries are to keep them in a cool climate, and trickle charge perhaps once a month. Rule of thumb is a charged battery won't freeze, and will loose very little energy.....however, I request that all customers keep them inside and cared for.

 

[Larry (Bo) Bolander]

Yeah, I went ahead and took them out. I swear they're getting heavier.

Thanks, Bob.