Battery Question

Dan, Keeping the cables hooked up to the boat doesn't hurt anything. It is sometimes a good idea to disconnect them just to clean up the posts and terminals. If you keep a charger hooked up, make sure it is a "maintainer" and not just a trickle charger as they over time will boil out the electrolyte. I'm in a freezing area and do leave my batteries in the boats disconnected making sure they are fully charged and without any maintainers hooked up. This is from Labor to Memorial days and have never had a problem. Some people do bring their batteries inside to a warm area thinking this is better for the battery. I obviously feel this isn't needed and may be a "old wives tale".

eric lavine wrote: Hey Pete, leaving them on a concrete floor....wives tale?

Eric, There is some truth to this one but only if you have a VERY old lead acid battery. The early hard rubber cases were slightly hygroscopic allowing moisture to build up. This moisture in the case would create a electrical path to moist concrete and over long storage times, the batteries would self discharge. Interestingly, a piece of moist wood would do the same thing!!