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Opinions requested on battery disconnection for winter......
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Author:  Decision [ Thu Oct 06, 2011 9:54 am ]
Post subject:  Opinions requested on battery disconnection for winter......
It is common practice for our marina to disconnect the negative battery connections on engine(s) and house batterie(s) and leave the positive connections hooked up over our winter lay ups (approx. 6 months).

My question is would it make any difference if just the positive connections were disconnected while leaving the negative(s) hooked up for winter lay up?

Not a big deal, but my positve battery connections are much easier to access as compared to the negative connections and I'd really prefer to disconnect and mark my battery connections myself.

Comments anyone?

Thanks,
Mike.
Author:  Cap'n Morgan [ Thu Oct 06, 2011 10:30 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Opinions requested on battery disconnection for winter......
Can't say if the negative disconnect is best. I'll just say what I do. I disconnect the positive on all batteries and tape all the wires together in a group so I know where all the wires go in spring when I re-connnect them. I have been doing this for 10 years (heated storage) and do not charge tha batteries at all before I launch in the spring. The boat starts right up every spring.
Author:  Decision [ Thu Oct 06, 2011 10:50 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Opinions requested on battery disconnection for winter......
Thanks for the reply Cap'n. So you leave your negative battery connnections on all your batteries connected over the winter months and just remove the positve battery connections, correct?

Last year was the first year ever that my marina disconnected my boat batteries and we had an issue when the batteries were reconnected this spring. Hence why I would prefer to just do it myself and mark the connections accordingly.

My positive battery connections on the two starting and one house battery are facing outwards toward the centre of my bilge as compared to against the boat hull side where the negative cables are so the "+" are easier to disconnect/reconnect.

If it makes no difference in whether the - or + is removed than I'm going with the "+".

Any body else just disconnect their "+" for the winter and leave the "-" on? Any reason why not too?

Mike.
Author:  Winter Sux [ Thu Oct 06, 2011 11:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Opinions requested on battery disconnection for winter......
Either or on the + and - but just remember if disconnecting the +, when the other battery is still hooked up if the battery switch is on, the + cable is live and if it touches any part of the block and most metal things, ZAP! This can fry electronics.

I go to the trouble of taking mine out for the winter and trickle charge them once a month and keep them off concrete. Also, IF one short circuits internally, the specific gravity will drop enough they can freeze and crack the case. Come spring, you'll have an acid mess to clean up. A bit of overkill Mike but I'd rather be safer than sorry.

John :mrgreen:
Author:  Paul I. [ Thu Oct 06, 2011 2:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Opinions requested on battery disconnection for winter......
Winter Sux wrote:
Either or on the + and - but just remember if disconnecting the +, when the other battery is still hooked up if the battery switch is on, the + cable is live and if it touches any part of the block and most metal things, ZAP! This can fry electronics.

I go to the trouble of taking mine out for the winter and trickle charge them once a month and keep them off concrete. Also, IF one short circuits internally, the specific gravity will drop enough they can freeze and crack the case. Come spring, you'll have an acid mess to clean up. A bit of overkill Mike but I'd rather be safer than sorry.

John :mrgreen:


The above is true!! But remember too, if the POS side is disconnected & a pos wire from a pump or anything hits the pos post, it will/could turn on. Now let say a neg wire from anything is grounded and hits the POS post. It will short out and pop a fuse, kill the battery, burn up a wire and so on. If the Neg side is off the battery, Most loose wires in the winter/storage are POS, with that said, if the wire hits ether post of the battery, nothing will happen. Same holds true if a small neg wire hits ether post.

Now anything could happen, but in general, it is safer to remove the NEG side off the battery.

I do remove both and leave the batteries in the boat over the winter. There AGM type, so they will not frezze and hold there charge over the winter.
Author:  Flying Sushi [ Thu Oct 06, 2011 7:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Opinions requested on battery disconnection for winter......
I would disconnect both and put nylon cap on terminals if you leave them inside of boat over the winter.... The best to take them out so no chance to get stolen...
my 2c
Author:  firecadet613 [ Thu Oct 06, 2011 8:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Opinions requested on battery disconnection for winter......
I leave mine connected all winter. Just turn the battery switch to off, and it fires up fine in the spring.
Author:  TX H210SS [ Tue Oct 11, 2011 12:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Opinions requested on battery disconnection for winter......
me too firecadet.i have nothing wired direct to battery so when switch is off the entire system is 0ff. i have a multistage charger that i will turn on and charge battery a couple times over winter. i also like being able to pull safety cord ad spin engine occasionally and cycle tilt up and down.
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