battery charging question (possibly dumb]
I just bought a Die Hard automatic battery charger today. The
instructions say that "a marine battery installed in a boat must be
removed and charged on shore."The instructions indicate that it is okay to charge a car battery
while it is still in a vehicle. My boat is in my garage. I think
that it is okay to charge my boat batteries while they are still
hooked up to everything. It sounds like the instructions are meant to
not charge boat batteries while the boat is in the water. I just want to be clear that I am not hurting anything by charging the
boat batteries while they are still hooked up. Also, would it be best to use the 10 amp or the 2 amp charging mode?
It doesn't sound like I can just leave this charger hooked up all the
time, so I guess I should just use either mode and disconnect when
fully charged. |
Charlie
Dec 17
2005
|
| It may be that the manufacturer is worried about sparks when you connect the charger. I take mine
out of the boat for charging. I put my charger on 2 amps and will leave it for a week. Then I'll transfer the charger to another
battery. The charger is automatic, so it won't overcharge the battery.
--
John H **** May your Christmas be Spectacular!****
*****...and your New Year even Better!***** |
JohnH
Dec 17
|
| I'm no expert on this but IIRC charging a battery can build up explosive
fumes. I would expect those to disperse in a car battery but in a boat
could collect in the bilge and cause a really dangerous condition. Anyone? |
wtrplnet
Dec 17
|
| With there being on-board chargers, I wouldn't think that would be an
issue? Also, does an outboard motor charge the battery while it's running? |
Charlie
Dec 17
|
| Your point is well taken and speaks to the point that batteries should
only be installed in approved locations. There must be venting. I suspect that the manufacturer of the charger is concerned about two
potential issues.... the first is the (natural and expected) out
gassing of hydrogen... the second might be an improperly grounded
circuit associated with the charger that could cause damage (read that
lawsuit) to adjoining floating boats from galvanic erosion.
|
Gene
Dec 18
|
| My three batteries have good ventilation. Two are under the console
which has a 16" square opening and the aft battery also sits beside a
similar sized opening. |
Charlie
Dec 18
|
| Just charge the battery in the boat. The warning is probably a protection
from a suit when the charger fell in the water, or somebody electrocuted
themselves while handling the charger from a wet surface. I charge mine in
the boat when I need to. I have a Vector 1092 and works fine. As to
hydrogen collecting, there should be enough ventilation to avoid collection
of large amounts of gas. |
Bill
Dec 18
|
| On-board charges are permanently connected to the battery. A
conventional battery charger is not, so it will create a spark when it
is attached. Outboard motors do charge the battery when they run but, just like a
car, the alternator can only produce a fixed output. This is typically
enough to keep the battery charged but if you have a lot of drain from
accessories, they may be more than the alternator can handle. Dan |
Dan
Dec 18
|
| === You should be OK, just take some simple precautions: Hook up the charger at the battery before plugging it in to avoid
sparks at the battery terminals. This one may seem obvious, but take care to keep water away from the
charger and vice versa. Take the charger off the boat when not in use and don't leave it
hooked up unattended for long periods of time. I know of several boat
fires that have started from portable chargers. |
Wayne.B
Dec 17
|
| That's another reason to run the blower for 5 minutes before cranking the engine. I don't know if the fumes from a battery are heavier than air.
--
John H **** May your Christmas be Spectacular!****
*****...and your New Year even Better!***** |
JohnH
Dec 17
|
| You must have forgot it's Hydrogen gas, think of the Hindenburg <sp>
zeppelin.
|
=?iso-8859-1?b...
Dec 18
|
| edit. I *know* the hydrogen gas coming from a battery is much lighter than air! (Thanks!)
--
John H **** May your Christmas be Spectacular!****
*****...and your New Year even Better!***** |
JohnH
Dec 17
|
