How to Maintain Your Boat Battery in the Winter

November 12, 2019 7:40 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

We’re rapidly approaching the end of the year, and the boating season is basically over. The end of the popular boating season always comes too quickly, but you should continue to maintain your boat battery as long as possible. For any winter boat battery maintenance in Houston, TX this season, or if you need to replace your battery, stop by or call Texford Battery Co.

If you have a lead-acid battery, you should be able to handle the winter just fine—they can withstand temperatures up to 75 degrees below zero (Fahrenheit), but the electrolytes in a dead battery start freezing at 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

So how do you take care of your winter boat battery maintenance in Houston, TX? Here are some steps to follow:

  • Charge it: As with every battery, charging and taking care of electrical maintenance is key to prolonging its life. When you charge it fully one final time, you’re ensuring that it will still have the ability to be fully charged next season.
  • Disconnect it: Disconnecting your boat battery from the boat itself is a good way to keep it from being drained all season long. When the battery is connected, small parasitic charges can drain it throughout the winter, along with the battery’s normal self-discharge. If you have a hydrometer, you can check the battery to make sure that each cell stays within a gravity range of 1.265 to 1.285. If you have a voltmeter, you want 12.6V, which is the right reading for charged batteries.
  • Trickle charge or otherwise: If you can, try to trickle charge your boat’s battery, or charge it fully once per month.
  • Store it: After you charge your battery, disconnect it and store it. Be sure to put it somewhere that’s easy to access so that you’ll be able to charge it once each month, until you’re finally able to get back on the water.

Should you be worried about your boat battery, take it to a battery service center like Texford Battery Co. We can bring your high load, 12V battery up to temperature and make sure that it’s tested, so you don’t need to worry about whether the electrolytes are stable and giving you an accurate reading.

Remember, if you’re recharging your battery, be sure to charge it fully every time. Repeated incomplete charging cycles can severely reduce the battery’s overall capacity. Save yourself hundreds of dollars by taking a few precautions and visiting the team at Texford Battery Co.

Come in for winter boat battery maintenance in Houston, TX

Texford Battery Co. provides a full range of battery services that meet nearly any energy needs you may be facing. We offer everything from simple deliveries to battery rebuilding to our area customers. Our knowledgeable staff members are highly qualified to perform battery repairs and installations, and we offer some of the most comprehensive service offerings in the region. With more than 80 years of industry experience, Texford Battery Co. is the best provider of battery services in the Houston area. Come see us today!

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