When you are not using your boat, you should turn off the battery. If you leave it on, power will trickle out of it even when the motor is off. If your boat is connected to shore power, the power may unexpectedly fail, which turns off any non-solar chargers maintaining your battery’s charge.
Full Answer
What does Off Off mean on a boat battery switch?
OFF – Means that when you are running the engine, the alternator is not charging either of your battery banks. If you are plugged into shore power, this switch is bypassed and all banks will be charged regardless of the battery switch setting. 1 – Is usually assigned to your “start” battery (you’ll need to check your own boat to be sure).
Does turning off the boat motor drain the battery?
Let me explain. Turning off the boat’s motor will not prevent the battery from draining. You might not be aware of it, but while your boat is turned off, your battery could still draw power from things such as the radio, bilge pump, fish finder, or even a clock.
How many batteries do I need for my Boat?
Any boat with more than one battery will usually be set up with two “banks” of batteries – one that is used purely to start the engine (the “start” battery bank), and another (often referred to as the “house” bank) to run any items on-board that require power (like refrigeration, lights, radios, etc.).
Why do I need a battery switch on my Boat?
When sitting at anchor, it’s a good idea to keep these two battery banks separate so that if you accidentally drain down the house bank, you will still be able to start your engine and get back to port. Installing a battery switch gives you complete control over which bank is being used and/or charged.
What happens when I turn my boat battery off?
What if I leave the battery on the boat all winter?
Should I store my battery for the winter?
What happens when a boat battery is turned off?
You might not be aware of it, but while your boat is turned off, your battery could still draw power from things such as the radio, bilge pump, fish finder, or even a clock. While your boat is in storage, over time, these items will slowly drain your battery, especially if the battery is wired directly to any of these objects.
Why do you not want to disconnect a boat battery?
The reason for this is because you are going to want to make sure that the bilge pumps have power in case the water level rises inside the bilge. So because of that reason, you do not want to disconnect the battery. Instead, you could look at using a charger that will help keep the battery fully charged.
Can a Marine Battery Freeze?
Yes, marine batteries can freeze if it gets cold enough. Usually, a fully charged lead-acid battery could withstand temperatures of -70°F before freezing, while a discharged battery of 80% or less could begin to freeze around -30°F temperatures.
How cold can a gel cell battery be?
If fully charged, gel cell batteries can withstand temperatures as low as -25°F without freezing and absorbed glass mat batteries can handle temperatures as low as - 40°F. It is recommended that you confirm whether or not your smart charger is designed to handle the type of battery that you have.
How long can you keep a boat battery in the boat?
If you plan on storing your boat for a few weeks , disconnect the battery and make sure it has a full charge. That will allow them to sit safely for several weeks without draining. In addition to making sure the battery has a full charge, if you use a wet-cell battery, you should pop the cap on the top of the battery case and top the level with distilled water.
What to do if battery is frozen?
If your battery is frozen, do not attempt to charge or jump-start the battery until it has had time to thaw out first.
How to clean a battery that is corroded?
Use a clean rag and give the top a good wipe down. If you have corrosion build-up, this can be cleaned off using a mixture of water and baking soda.
How many years does a marine battery last?
Most marine batteries will last around 4-6 years, but lithium-ion batteries can last up to 10 years. Proper storing, hours used, and many other factors will determine how long your marine batteries will last.
How to install a battery disconnect switch?
A battery disconnect switch can turn your battery on or off by a switch. This is much easier than disconnecting your negative terminal with a wrench every time you need your battery disconnected. To install it, follow the steps below:
Should you remove boat batteries in winter?
However, as long as the temperature doesn’t fall below freezing, you can leave the batteries in your boat during winter.
How long can you leave a battery in the water?
Turn off the batteries when out of the water. Leave them on when in the water. With the stock bilge you only get about 7 days of battery without charging on the water.
Should boats drain batteries?
I think its down to personal preference, a boat should not drain a battery, but unlike your car its not used everyday to top up the charge. The worse case scenario is getting to the lake/shore/ramp, launching then finding your batteries are dead, hence why most people turn them off.
What happens if a boat battery is broken?
Broken or loose terminals are dangerous and can cause a short circuit. There would be some indication of burning or melting when a battery short circuits, which means all the electronics on the boat will not work. That produces a lot of heat and sometimes even causes the battery to explode.
How to tell if boat battery is bad?
Signs of a bad boat battery are either electronics onboard won’t work, the boat won’t start, voltage shows below 12.4V after recharge, fails in a load test, physical wear & tear. A bad battery can still put 12.6V but can’t hold it for a long time under load, so a clear survey is a must while replacing one.
What Are The Symptoms Of A Bad Boat Battery?
Some of the easy ways to tell your battery on the boat is not working or not is with the help of the electronics onboard (if you have any). All the electronics connected to the power source, such as depth finder, chart plotter, bilge pump, GPS, fishfinder, etc., will not work with a dead battery.
How to check battery voltage?
Drop-In Voltage After A Recharge (<12.4V) 1 Charge your battery fully (100%) and let it sit overnight unplugged, and then only perform the test. Otherwise, it will give bad (inconclusive) results due to the charge fluctuations (low charge). 2 Connect the multimeter’s negative wire (black wire) to the battery’s negative terminal and the positive wire (red wire) of the multimeter to the battery’s positive terminal. 3 If those values go below 12.4 volts, you need to replace the battery. Do the test after disconnecting the battery.
Why does my battery bulge out?
Overcharging a battery causes excessive gassing — the electrolyte gets hot, and both hydrogen and oxygen gas are generated.
How to know if a battery is working?
If you want to know precisely whether the battery is working or not without spending time confirming the warning signs, you need to load test it. The battery may show appropriate voltage with no load and also won’t be able to maintain the same voltage under load.
How to connect a multimeter to a battery?
Connect the multimeter’s negative wire (black wire) to the battery’s negative terminal and the positive wire (red wire) of the multimeter to the battery’s positive terminal.
What does OFF mean on a battery switch?
Battery switches usually come with 4 positions: OFF – Means that when you are running the engine, the alternator is not charging either of your battery banks. If you are plugged into shore power, this switch is bypassed and all banks will be charged regardless of the battery switch setting.
What happens if the battery switch is accidentally turned to the “OFF” position while the engine is running?
But what happens if the battery switch is accidentally turned to the “OFF” position while the engine is running – say if you want to change from one bank to the other? When you pass by the OFF position (even momentarily) the output path from the alternator is suddenly eliminated. In just a fraction of a second, this causes a voltage spike of several hundred volts which can burn out the voltage regulator and the diodes in the alternator, rendering it useless. That’s why it’s very important to never disconnect the output wire of a running alternator.
What is the AFD number for a boat?
If you have further questions or need clarification, please don’t hesitate to contact our experts at (800) 426-6930.
What does "all" mean in a battery charger?
ALL (or 1+2) – This position means you are drawing power or charging ALL of your batteries – sounds like the perfect setting, right?
Can you charge a boat without a battery isolator?
In boats without a battery isolator, it is a common practice for the output of the alternator to be led to the load side of the battery selector switch, which allows you to choose which bank you want to charge. This is especially useful if one battery bank is fairly low while the other is still fully charged.
When on shore power with battery turned on, the battery continues to run 12V items but remains charged?
When on shore power with the battery turned on, the battery continues to run 12v items but remains charged because it is on shore power. If the battery is off shore power runs the 12v items. If the above is correct, and your battery is charged, should you just leave the battery off when connecting to shore power and only turn it on to charge ...
Why is my Tab not charging?
No charging occurs if the battery switch is off because the switch breaks the circuit to the battery. Same thing is true with operation of the break away brakes. If the battery switch is off (battery circuit disconnected) your break away brakes will not receive power from the TaB battery.
Does the solar panel charge the battery?
I can confirm in my T@B 400 the solar charger connects to the battery and not through the battery cutoff switch. The solar panel does still charge the battery with the battery cutoff set to off.
Can 12 volt batteries be replenished?
Things are slightly different when connected to the tow vehicle through the 7-way power cable or when using solar, however: "The charge in the 12-volt batteries can be replenished, depending on the tow vehicle, from the tow vehicle alternator through the 7-way cord.
Do you have to keep the switch on to charge a battery?
To charge or use the battery, the switch must be on. If turned off, the battery is isolated from charge or discharge.#N#You aren’t required to keep your switch on, but I imagine that most folks want to charge their battery while they can.
Can a battery run a TaB?
The battery only runs the TaB appliances when not on shorepower. The converter steps down the power from 120 v AC to 12 v DC which allows the 12 v appliances to operate on shorepower. Paul Thomas on FB is incorrect.
Wingnut
Switch may be bad, and I too think that is your issue, but also check to see if you have a factory installed diode based battery isolator and on my 08, it's mounted just above the switch. A fried diode could allow a back feed from battery through the alternator terminal.
Wingnut
I think the two units below the switch are breakers. The isolator has a 2" round face and small LED indicator light. The breakers are square.
Chap243
My VSR (voltage sensitive relay) Module was made by BEP Marine. I`m having the same issue also with not being able to turn off the A/B switch. I am replacing the A/B switch this weekend to see if that fixes it, if not, the VSR is next.
Baum's aweigh
Is there any chance the Blower is not wired through the switch like your auto matic bilge pump?
Iggy
The VSR should be installed before the battery switch and or switches. At lest that is how my boat was wired from the factory. If the engine/s is running, you want any and all batteries to be charging. I am making general statements, some of us have more than one engine and 2 to 3 battery banks.
cyclops2
If you remove the trim pump ? How do you move the drive UP & DOWN with out turning the key on ?
Iggy
If you remove the trim pump ? How do you move the drive UP & DOWN with out turning the key on ?
What happens when I turn my boat battery off?
When you turn off your boat’s engine, you are not completely shutting off power. There will still be a small amount of electricity flowing between your battery and devices like clocks and radios. These devices will slowly drain the power of your battery over time.
What if I leave the battery on the boat all winter?
Unless you have a wet cell battery and freezing temperatures, leaving it on the boat is fine, but make sure that it is fully charged or connected to a battery charger or maintainer before winter storage.
Should I store my battery for the winter?
It all depends on your usage. If you use the boat all year round, then you should leave the battery in. If you store it for winter, you should take it out and store it in a cool, dry place connected to a three or four-stage charger or maintainer like our favorite here . Depending on the type of battery, it could freeze if left out in extreme enough temperatures.
