Winter Battery Maintenance

I've been considering removing the batteries from my trailer so I could feel comfortable unplugging it for the Winter, and maybe saving a few bucks on electricity. I totally forgot about my cheap little battery maintainers sitting in the garage. Think I'll go that route. Thanks for the reminder!

Cheap chargers do more harm than good.

9.Battery Tender Plus Battery Charging - Remember you must put back the energy you use immediately. If you don't the battery sulfates and that affects performance and longevity. The alternator is a battery charger. It works well if the battery is not deeply discharged. The alternator tends to overcharge batteries that are very low and the overcharge can damage batteries. In fact an engine starting battery on average has only about 10 deep cycles available when recharged by an alternator. Batteries like to be charged in a certain way, especially when they have been deeply discharged. This type of charging is called 3 step regulated charging. Please note that only special SMART BATTERY CHARGERS using computer technology can perform 3 step charging techniques. You don't find these types of chargers in parts stores and Wal-Marts. The first step is bulk charging where up to 80% of the battery energy capacity is replaced by the charger at the maximum voltage and current amp rating of the charger. When the battery voltage reaches 14.4 volts this begins the absorption charge step. This is where the voltage is held at a constant 14.4 volts and the current (amps) declines until the battery is 98% charged. Next comes the Float Step. This is a regulated voltage of not more than 13.4 volts and usually less than 1 amp of current. This in time will bring the battery to 100% charged or close to it. The float charge will not boil or heat batteries but will maintain the batteries at 100% readiness and prevent cycling during long term inactivity. Some Gel Cell and AGM batteries may require special settings or chargers.

Fauxqui wrote:
...Should I keep them on the chargers all winter? Take them off periodically....

This question is asked frequently on these forums. My response is always the same; "There is no way the question can be answered without knowing what chargers you are using".

I have all my stored batteries either on 'smart' three stage converter/chargers or on Deltran Battery Tenders constantly.

Any lead acid battery that is stored even the tiniest bit discharged will sulfate and shorten its life. Batteries should be kept constantly on a correctly regulated float charge.

IF you have maintenance chargers like a Battery Minder (TM) Battery Tender (TM) or a good 3-stage converter such as the Progressive Dynamics Intellapoer (TM) 9200.

YES,

If you mean a 2 amp trickle charger... NO.

Heisenberg wrote:
westend, yes but the Big Boy does 9 Stages:
Qualification
Battery Rescue
Soft Start
Pulse Mode
Recondition
Bulk Charge
Absorption
Check Phase
Maintenance


Increased battery life for $29. A battery is actually a 6 cell device. The chemistry, lead acid, produces 2.2 volts per cell and 6 cells in series totals 13.2 volts on a fresh battery. A 12 volt wall power supply probably does not supply over 13.2 volts like your alternator or converter or battery charger. A lower voltage trains the battery to function there at that level, that is why we do not mix an old battery with a fresh one. The old one will pull life out of the new one. The Big Boy monitors voltage changes and adjusts to maintain the battery instead of setting there with a static voltage applied 24/7. Google the terms/stages. The big boy can be pulled off of the house batteries to charge your dinghy or boat or whatever and put back for maintenance. $29 is a bargain for this multitasker.

Well, that Big Boy has a rated output of 1.25 A. That right there should be the end of anyone's buying experience if you want to use it as a battery charger. As a maintainer, it might work well, so does a $5 wall wart.
It has no other functionality beyond an indicator light that measures the battery's voltage. Soft start of 1.25 A of current, c'mon now.

I'm pretty conversant with how FLA batteries work and one thing I know is that batteries don't produce voltage, they store an electrical charge. FLA batteries are not "trained", either. They have no memory as does NiMh or other metal technologies.

When you can buy a Harbor Freight full sized battery charger that actually does have functionality, on sale, for $29, I don't see the Big Boy as anything but an overpriced, underpowered gadget.

Do you own one of these BigBoy chargers? If so, could you measure the output and post back here how the voltage and current are differing in all of those stages?

westend, yes but the Big Boy does 9 Stages:
Qualification
Battery Rescue
Soft Start
Pulse Mode
Recondition
Bulk Charge
Absorption
Check Phase
Maintenance


Increased battery life for $29. A battery is actually a 6 cell device. The chemistry, lead acid, produces 2.2 volts per cell and 6 cells in series totals 13.2 volts on a fresh battery. A 12 volt wall power supply probably does not supply over 13.2 volts like your alternator or converter or battery charger. A lower voltage trains the battery to function there at that level, that is why we do not mix an old battery with a fresh one. The old one will pull life out of the new one. The Big Boy monitors voltage changes and adjusts to maintain the battery instead of setting there with a static voltage applied 24/7. Google the terms/stages. The big boy can be pulled off of the house batteries to charge your dinghy or boat or whatever and put back for maintenance. $29 is a bargain for this multitasker.

This $5wall transformer and two alligator clips will float your batteries, too.

Inexpensive battery maintenance tool. And automatic with a small footprint.

I do the same as Cobra21 for storing batteries. Charge them, ensure no loads on them (disconnect) and see them in the spring. Freezing the batteries outside in the winter in Ont. has never hurt any of them.

Mine live on a PD wizard converter year round, minus about 3 1/2 months dry camping, during which they really live on the converter and generator.