Trickle Charging...Leave hatch open?

[Javajoe]

Whatcha say??? I think batteries off gas a bit when charging and seeing pictures of a burned up boat in a storage unit got me thinking. I always close the hatch while it charges just to keep it clean from all the dust and shit for the weeks it sits. What do you guys do?

 

[Bpracing1127]

Closed. It’s vented for engine breathing anyway.

 

[boatnam2]

Never put charger in engine compartment or even boat for that matter, usually on swim step with a quick connector.

 

[Bpracing1127]

Also my pro mariner is mounted in the engine bay. Meant to be hard mounted

 

[wallnutz]

Whatcha say??? I think batteries off gas a bit when charging and seeing pictures of a burned up boat in a storage unit got me thinking. I always close the hatch while it charges just to keep it clean from all the dust and shit for the weeks it sits. What do you guys do?

Open. Also if something fails and the batteries die the hatch is open.

 

[Ace in the Hole]

Whatcha say??? I think batteries off gas a bit when charging and seeing pictures of a burned up boat in a storage unit got me thinking. I always close the hatch while it charges just to keep it clean from all the dust and shit for the weeks it sits. What do you guys do?

Our boat sits for months at times... I leave the back hatch open about 2 inches...more in case of moisture from final cleaning before we roll out. Engine bay is already vented...no real point IMO.

 

[f12517]

I use a Deltran battery tender on my batteries which sits on a shelf outside boat. My batteries are in a small separate compartment next to the engine bay and I leave the battery cover closed.

 

[Jed-O]

Battery tender is one thing. If I'm doing a charge the hatch is always up in case I need a to extinguish a fire as quickly as possible. I usually prefer to charge outside, but if it isn't practical I definitely don't do it while I sleep. I'm old school like that. Just the way I was brought up.

 

[HB2Havasu]

Battery Tender sits outside of our boat when charging. I pretty much leave all our hatches open and remove seat cushions after every trip just to let everything dry out.

 

[Your ad here]

I don't leave the battery tender plugged in long term and would never leave one plugged in for more than 5 days. It can bring a battery up to green in 2 days. I have 5 batteries in my garage. They get a "2 day" battery tender charge each month. If you are gone months at a time I would look into a timer between the wall outlet and battery tender. You can program it to come on 2 days a week to charge the battery(s) so that way it's not constantly on. You can even program it to be on at night so its charging at night time temperatures rather than blazing day time temps.

 

[pronstar]

I don't leave the battery tender plugged in long term and would never leave one plugged in for more than 5 days. It can bring a battery up to green in 2 days. I have 5 batteries in my garage. They get a "2 day" battery tender charge each month. If you are gone months at a time I would look into a timer between the wall outlet and battery tender. You can program it to come on 2 days a week to charge the battery(s) so that way it's not constantly on. You can even program it to be on at night so its charging at night time temperatures rather than blazing day time temps.

Isn’t the point of a tender/maintainer to keep you from having to babysit batteries like that?


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[mjc]

Why all the charging in storage? I have never had mine on a charger and also never had a dead battery unless it was bad in over 30 years. Just turn them off.

 

[arch stanton]

I leave the hatch open about 8" but I close it gently on towels so the hatch is resting even and the maintainer is out side and always plugged in, bilge plug is also out so heavy fumes can exit

 

[DRYHEAT]

Why all the charging in storage? I have never had mine on a charger and also never had a dead battery unless it was bad in over 30 years. Just turn them off.

Was wondering the same, lots of garage/housefires have been blamed on battery chargers/tenders over the years out here especially in summer.
Put your battery charger on when you get here and by the morning it’s usually ready to go.

 

[2Driver]

Why all the charging in storage? I have never had mine on a charger and also never had a dead battery unless it was bad in over 30 years. Just turn them off.

Exactly. I’d top off before leaving and let them be. They dont lose much charge sitting. I’d topoff when we got to the river pad and all was good. Never ever an issue in 5 years of doing that and the interstates were over 5 years old.

 

[Your ad here]

Isn’t the point of a tender/maintainer to keep you from having to babysit batteries like that?


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I wouldn't call it baby sitting. I use them to bring batteries up to full voltage capacity. I wouldn't leave it unattended for a long period of time incase it malfunctions and especially in the heat. Heat is hard on batteries.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Isn’t the point of a tender/maintainer to keep you from having to babysit batteries like that?


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Literally this. The smart “tenders” don’t overcharge the battery. They cut the charge back to nothing when the battery is at full charge.

I’ve had great luck with the Battery Tender Junior. It is a small box that plugs into the wall. You’d never uses it to quick charge your battery, as the max charge is .75 Amp. Not enough to cook, fry, kill, or overcharge your battery in the first place.

I have a 2 bank 5 amp MinnKota for the boat. Same deal, it shuts itself off when the batteries are full.

 

[BUDMAN]

Never thought about until now. I leave mine open 8-12” only for the fact I have to open it to turn off the batteries.

 

[Ricks raft]

My chargers are built in. Don’t leave open and have a cover(that breathes) on boat. All the boats I’ve had have a opening to release ram if no power to hatch.

 

[02HoWaRd26]

This thread got me really thinking. My charger is mounted into the boat, then i put a male plug so all i gotta do is hook up the extension cord, after i added a plug in the ceiling above the boat. But it’s just tied to the full garage gfi, just ordered this and will cut the end and connect this to my cord making it a 10a separate gfci.

 

[Nanu/Nanu]

No hard charging with batteries in the boat. They come out. Trickle charging I've done both but usually hatch is cracked to air out any way.

 

[lbhsbz]

Why all the charging in storage? I have never had mine on a charger and also never had a dead battery unless it was bad in over 30 years. Just turn them off.

This. I haven’t run my boat in 2 years, just tested my battery yesterday and it was at 96% charge. I disconnect when not in use.

 

[farmo83]

Mine in mounted in the boat. I keep the boat at home though so I usually just charge it over night a few times in the offseason, and the night before I get it out to take to the lake.

 

[dave29]

I had a Deltran battery tender blow when I was standing next to it. Blow is really the wrong word to describe it. There was a small puff of smoke but no flame or electrical noises. When I called Deltran, they said the tender did as it should. A small puff no flame. It was in their design.

 

[Jay Dub]

I have the marine Deltran battery tenders mounted in my boat. Plugged in all the time when in storage. hatch closed, cover on. Optima blue top batteries. never had an issue.

 

[D19]

Closed or open doesn't matter. Use a surge protector. Something rated to low amp. Protects against charger failure and protects boat electronics from lighting storms at river.

 

[SOCALCRICKETT]

Was wondering the same, lots of garage/housefires have been blamed on battery chargers/tenders over the years out here especially in summer.
Put your battery charger on when you get here and by the morning it’s usually ready to go.

That happened to my dad, tender lit off and got the garage. Luckily he was awake and put it out before to got too bad

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[Echo Lodge]

Dual battery tender lives in my boat. After the battery tender boat fire thread I now have the tender hooked to a smart outlet. Tender comes on for an hour a day now. Hatch is closed.

 

[Javajoe]

Dual battery tender lives in my boat. After the battery tender boat fire thread I now have the tender hooked to a smart outlet. Tender comes on for an hour a day now. Hatch is closed.

Great idea

 

[OC Mike]

Dual battery tender lives in my boat. After the battery tender boat fire thread I now have the tender hooked to a smart outlet. Tender comes on for an hour a day now. Hatch is closed.

Great idea.
Info on your smart outlet please.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Dual battery tender lives in my boat. After the battery tender boat fire thread I now have the tender hooked to a smart outlet. Tender comes on for an hour a day now. Hatch is closed.

So now you have 2 devices that could fail?

 

[Bobby V]

Great idea.
Info on your smart outlet please.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-24-H...V5h-tBh0v8wOfEAQYASABEgJoqPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[HB2Havasu]

Isn’t the point of a tender/maintainer to keep you from having to babysit batteries like that?


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That’s what I was thinking too, lol. I’ve run Battery Tender Juniors forever with zero issues. Always thought they shutoff when the battery tops off voltage?