How To Charge a Marine Battery

If you own or use marine equipment a marine battery charger is a must.Because you may run into situations where you might have to charge a battery and you are nowhere near land, you will want to choose a charger that is easily transported. You will want to find a charger that will not over charge or under charge, as this can ruin a battery.It is ideal to own a charger that has an output that equals twenty percent of the battery’s total Ah capacity (the volume of electricity that is drawn from a battery). An example of this is if your marine battery has 100Ah, you should purchase a marine battery charger that supplies twenty Amps. If you do not purchase a charger that equals twenty percent, it will take much longer to charge the battery.

In order to properly choose a marine battery charger, you will need to know the input voltage for your battery and the battery type. You should choose a charger that has the ability to maintain its power during storage. As we know, a battery will not do you a lot of good if it is not ready when you need it.So the first step is to identify what type of battery you have on your watercraft. Again, you will need to know the voltage and the Amp-hour (or Ah) capacity. There are three different types of marine batteries: maintenance free, flooded/wet cell lead acid and starved electrolyte AMG. A good quality marine battery charger manufactured by a top company will prolong the life of your battery and save you money in the long run.

For safety purchases, be sure to purchase a marine battery charger that is UL listed to Marine 1236 standards and FCC compliant. Remember not to choose a charger that is too large or too small for your batteries, as this could damage them and decrease the life by overheating, causing excessive water loss or gassing.

It is important to make sure that the marine battery charger you choose is housed in waterproof materials and is designed for fresh and salt water. It should also be vibration resistant and have automatic temperature compensation.

The best marine battery chargers will charge in three stages: bulk or quick charge mode will get your batteries charged quickly, absorption stage will bring your batteries to a full charge and maintenance or trickle charge will keep your batteries charged and protect them. Some units offer on-board diagnostics and LED indicator lights.

It is very important to always make sure your marine batteries are charged before they sit idle for months at a time like they will in colder climates. If they are left in a discharged state, deposits of lead sulfate will collect on the plates and hinder or even eliminate the chemical reaction that produces electrical currents. Extremely hot temperatures will also cause batteries to sulfate.It is vital that you take good care of your marine batteries and you can do this with a good marine battery charger.