Overcharging Batteries

phild · Post by **phild** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 1:18 pm

I intend to leave all batteries on board during the winter. The whole boat will be shrink wrapped and I'm assuming sufficient energy will get through the shrink wrap to keep the batteries charged via the solar panels. Is this a good assumption? Is there any risk that the batteries will be overcharged or does the regulator ensure against that happening?

Thanks!

Ed Ellis · Post by **Ed Ellis** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 4:24 pm

Assuming your regulator is working correctly, your batteries should not overcharge. If you are shrink wrapping in white plastic, your panels may not get enough rays to work, but I'm only guessing. If someone else with 1st hand experience doesn't provide a response, you can always test it.
Before the boat is wrapped, you could cover the panels with a sample of the white plastic and take a read to see how much juice is coming thru.

Good luck. Try to keep the tears back when they actually put your boat away for the winter.

next exit · Post by **next exit** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 12:04 pm

On the other hand I left mine on charge thru the solar panels last summer and returned to find them fried. The boat is in Fl. This summer I disconnected them. I'll know in a couple of weeks how that worked.

Mishigas · Post by **Mishigas** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 3:57 pm

last season I spring wrapped my boat and simply turned off all battery switches. This spring everything was fine. Sandy Kramer MISHIGAS

Knotty Cat · Post by **Knotty Cat** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 12:55 am

I've left my house batteries under shrink wrap for 4 winters with no problem.My solar vents also continue to work. I do make sure the yard places the boat so the stern faces south. I check the water level periodically. The boat is stored in Ipswich MA

Loki · Post by **Loki** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 6:47 pm

I've always wrapped and left the panels to keep the batteries charged. The 4 trojans 6v's lasted through 6 years (5 winters) and died during the winter I was sick and didn't get a chance to brush off the snow and make sure everything's OK. The starter bats I replace dwith Optima "red tops" and they will hold their charge through the winter.

One problem is that the shrink wrap guys love to move the boom over the center line, even though I lash it on the side and put a note on it.