Results 1 to 10 of 10
  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Fountain city WI
    Posts
    476

    Winter battery question.

    So I live in Wisconsin so fishing season has ended until I can walk on water to go ice fishing. I have my boat in an insulated garage and have the batteries plugged in. Normally I pull them and put them in the house but has anyone just left them plugged in over winter? I have your standard interstate batteries

  2. Electrical/Wiring/Trolling Motors Moderator CatFan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    SW Indiana
    Posts
    26,089
    #2
    Disconnect everything but the charger lead from one post of each battery. Charge every month or two over the winter.
    If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity,
    nothing else matters.​

  3. Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2021
    Posts
    3,513
    #3
    Yup mine stay in every year. Like stated above make sure anything that can have a draw is off or disconnected. Make sure charge is full and walk away. I usually plug in charger once every 4-8 weeks. They will be just fine. I have 5 Interstate’s going on 5 years old no problemo.

  4. Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Maine
    Posts
    3,368
    #4
    Keep the batteries in the boat. Disconnect them and charge them.

  5. Moderator -BjBnet-'s Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Ottawa
    Posts
    13,478
    #5
    I'm up North eh!
    I fully charge my batteries, disconnect them and leave them in the boat all winter in a barn, normally late November til April. Been doing this with all my boats for the past 30 years and my batteries last between 6-8years. Maybe it's good to store them in the cold lol

  6. Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2021
    Posts
    3,513
    #6
    I’ve read different things about cold, my grandma used to always keep her batteries in the freezer. From everything I have gleaned it doesn’t help, if anything the cold does slightly increase the discharge rate. That said a good charged battery is good to -76 degrees F. We all should be okay

  7. Electrical/Wiring/Trolling Motors Moderator CatFan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    SW Indiana
    Posts
    26,089
    #7
    Quote Originally Posted by 99R93S View Post
    I’ve read different things about cold, my grandma used to always keep her batteries in the freezer. From everything I have gleaned it doesn’t help, if anything the cold does slightly increase the discharge rate. That said a good charged battery is good to -76 degrees F. We all should be okay
    Exactly the opposite. The cold slows down the rate of self-discharge.
    If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity,
    nothing else matters.​

  8. Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2021
    Posts
    3,513
    #8
    Quote Originally Posted by CatFan View Post
    Exactly the opposite. The cold slows down the rate of self-discharge.
    I wish I could remember where I had read that. As is with much info on the net it could also be wrong. I believe tho it had stated that for a 1 year storage period that a battery at 32 degrees lost 3%, battery at 77 degrees lost 10% and one at 110 degrees lost like 20 some %. The article was explaining heat hurting batteries. I swear tho they brought up freezing batteries also and that once past 0 it started to lose again. Not a lot but not peak. Not saying you’re wrong at all, just what I read. Or hell maybe I flatly remembered wrong, I’m getting old

    Either way the op is fine.

  9. Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Brookings, SD
    Posts
    5,367
    #9
    Leaving your batteries in is fine. Especially in an insulated garage. I live up north and never have had a problem. I would plug the charger in once a month or so for a few hours.

  10. Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Maine
    Posts
    3,368
    #10
    Insulated garage or not it doesn't matter. Charge up the batteries, disconnect them and they will be good to go! If you want you could plug them in once a month for a couple hours but its not needed.