Think About The Reserve Capacity Of The Power Cell
The reserve capacity of a power cell indicates the amount of time it can stand on its own and provide the power your boat needs for its electrical components. It tells about the amount of time a fully charged marine battery requires to drop below 10.5 volts if it is discharging 25 amps. The larger the electrical load of your boat, the higher the reserve capacity it needs to be able to run the entire electrical grid relying on the battery alone. Batteries with higher reserve capacity can be a bit expensive, so make sure to weigh all your options carefully to come with a smart decision.
High Quality Battery Manufacturers
The Surette and Rolls battery companies are well known as being the Cadillac of batteries. It is a fair assumption that battery quality is directly related to price. If you are seeking nothing but low cost, you can be guaranteed to end up with a low quality battery, and low quality batteries are never worth what you pay for them. You are unlikely to find the highest quality batteries sold at common retail outlets where price is always the primary consideration.
Some manufacturers that have reputations for high quality products are listed below. Note that none of them are cheap.
| Douglass |
The Best Boat Battery For Your Use
Your particular application will determine which type of boat battery is best for you. However, a lithium-ion marine battery will be your best option for any application where deep cycling is required. The only time a lithium-ion boat battery wont outperform a lead-acid battery in efficiency, reliability, overall cost, and weight is when you need a starting battery.
So, whether youre heading out on the water for a fun day of cruising around the lake, trolling for a trophy fish, or living on your houseboat, choosing the best battery for your use is critical. Unfortunately, there isnt one battery to rule them all. Understanding your application and the benefits of the different options allows you to choose the best marine battery for you.
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Everything You Need To Know About Marine/boat Batteries
Marine batteries, commonly known as boat batteries, are just as important to think about maintaining as your car battery. Proper care makes sure when youre taking the boat out for the first time in the spring or summer, youre not left with an unexpected dead battery. Heres what you need to know about the maintenance and care for your marine batteries.
Picking The Correct Size
Having an underpowered or overpowered battery for your marine vessel can damage your electronic equipment. Choosing the correct size based on the manufacturers recommendations is always the go-to route.
First, you need to determine the exact amount of power requirements for your boat. There are two different types of batteries for your marine vessel, the starting battery, and the deep cycle battery. The standard is one engine that takes one starting battery and one deep cycle battery if you have duel engines, then it adds one deep cycle battery.
To figure out your boats Amp Hour requirement, you are going to need to create a spreadsheet using the formula W=IV or Watts is equal to amperage multiplied by voltage. To figure out the amp hours required, you take the average amps per hour used. A 10-watt appliance on a 12-volt system would need 1.2 Amps and, if turned on for 10 hours, would require 12 amp hours to run.
The Battery Council International has provided a class chart for battery sizes to pick the correct one for your boat. You need to select the battery setup based on the maximum estimated amount of AH that you will need to operate your boat. Totaling your AH that need replacing, will help you figure out how many deep cycle batteries you need to be wired in parallel to run the sailboat.
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Boat Batteries From Varta
You are an enthusiastic sailor? You want to fully enjoy sailing on your yacht or boat? Then you need to ensure constant power so that your boat trip becomes a pleasure. VARTA® provides different kinds of batteries for motorboats, sailing yachts, motor yachts and electric boats. The absorbent glass mat lead-acid technology, which has great shock and vibration resistance, is perfectly made for high-performance boats. You may fully rely on our batteries when it comes to essentials like navigation systems, interior lighting and fridges but also for little luxuries such as satellite TV, microwaves and dishwashers. Because when all of these devices are connected at the same time, the battery has to deliver exceptional performance.
Thin Plate Pure Lead And Lithium Batteries
New technologies will require new ways of thinking about your boat’s battery system. NorthStar TPPL batteries are among the most advanced AGM batteries in the world. They’re made from 99.99% pure lead that’s rolled into thin plates. Combining the pure lead’s low electrical resistance and greater surface area from more and thinner lead plates, they can accept much higher charging amperage than typical AGM batteries. Not only do they charge incredibly quickly, but they’re capable of 400 charge/discharge cycles with an amazing 80% depth of discharge.
These batteries add intriguing options for long distance cruisers. Instead of installing a 1000Ah battery bank and running your diesel for six hours, you can install a 500Ah TPPL bank and charge more frequently, but faster. Or you can forego a genset and install one or more very high-output alternatorsturning your propulsion engine into a high-output charging machine. Your diesel will run for short periods but with a high load .
Lithium/nickel/cobalt/manganese batteries, like those used in Torqeedo electric outboards, weigh less than lead acid batteries, can be discharged 800 times to 100% depth of discharge, and can be recharged in a little over an hour. They excel as battery banks in electric boats, as well as for other high-performance battery tasks.
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What Is Different About An Agm Battery
The difference between a flooded or Gel cell is inside the plate separator. An AGM battery uses glass fibers woven into sheets as the plate separator. Next the plates and separators soak in electrolyte. The soaked plates and separator absorb and suspend the solution. The result is constant electrolyte contact with the plates at all times.
An AGM battery produces electricity the same as a wet cell. Yet, it is spill-proof and the most vibration resistant lead-acid batteries available today.
There’s More To Choosing The Right Battery For Your Boat Than You May Think Making A Smart Decision Now Could Save You Big In The Long Run
So, the batteries on your boat have come to end of their life, and you need to buy new ones. But what should you choose? You would think that you could just walk into your local marine store and buy any battery that fits in the boat, right? Wrong. There’s more to equipping your boat with batteries than you might think. Batteries fall into one of two categories, deep cycle or starting. A cycle is the term given to a battery that discharges through use and is then bought back up to full charge again. As a rough guide, a light to medium duty battery will be good for about 200 to 300 cycles, while a heavy duty battery should easily be able double that amount of useful cycles with no ill effects.
A starting battery is the type you have on your car. The battery is there simply to crank the engine, then as soon the as the motor is running, all the electrical demands are satisfied by the alternator on the engine, which also recharges current drawn from the battery. The starting battery only has to give a big jolt of electrical power for a very short time.
Batteries come in range of sizes. Terms that you will often hear are group 24, 27, 31, 4D, and 8D. The group has nothing to do with the actual capacity of the battery, but merely relates to the physical size.
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How To Choose The Best Boat Battery To Power Your Vessel
Now you know how to choose the best boat battery. Youve learned the pros and cons of three batteries: cranking batteries, deep-cycle batteries, and dual-purpose batteries.
Having the right battery for your powerboat or motorboat can provide hours of endless uninterrupted fun whether youre going fishing or on a weekend boating trip.
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Starting Boat Batteries Vs Deep Cycle Marine Batteries
Starting boat batteries are similar to the starting battery in your car. They provide a short burst of power to start your boat motor. Draining them below 50% causes damage to them and shortens their lifespan.
Deep-cycle marine batteries can be drained slowly over long periods. Depending on the type of deep-cycle battery, you can repeatedly drain them to 80% or more of their capacity without causing damage. This is called deep cycling. However, deep-cycle batteries cannot provide the cranking amps needed to start large motors.
Multi-purpose boat batteries combine some of the benefits of a starting battery with a deep-cycle battery. The construction of the multi-purpose battery allows it to start small boat motors while also powering lights and gauges that dont draw a lot of power.
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What Is A Conventional Wet Cell Battery
Wet cell or flooded batteries are the oldest type of rechargeable boat battery in use today. This chemical type is popular because it is cheap to buy and maintain. A wet cell battery will contain an electrolyte liquid in an unsealed container. Whereas AGM and Gel cell batteries, arent open or contain liquid.
Types Of Marine Battery
Choosing the right type of marine battery is going to be crucial for your boats performance, and when it comes to picking the right type, you also have to consider the chemistry of the power cell. Before you choose the battery for your boat, you have to keep in mind that the battery will handle two things starting your boats engine and running all of its electrical load. Being aware of this aspect will make sure that the battery you are going to purchase will have the capability to provide every power that you need for your boat.
- Smaller boats that need enough power for both starting their engine and running their electrical loads from a stand-alone battery.
- They are also suitable for sailboats with two interchangeable batteries for powering electrical loads.
- Dual purpose batteries can a be a good replacement battery for boats that need enough power for their electrical load and starting their engine compared to starting batteries.
Those are the different types of batteries that you can choose from. You have to keep in mind that selecting the right type of battery is going to be crucial for your boats performance. Now you have to learn about the different types of battery chemistry to make sure that you are going to pick the best suitable battery for your needs.
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How Many Cold Cranking Amps Do I Need For My Boat
The bigger your boat engine is, the more power it requires to turn over and start. To select a suitable battery for your boat, you need to know how much current your boat engine requires to start.
The cold-cranking amps are a measure of how many amps of current a certain battery can deliver in 30 seconds at 0o F without going under the voltage specifications. Depending on the type of battery you have, the voltage specification is usually around 9.5 to 10.5 Volts.
To determine how many cold cranking amps your boat engine requires, you can check the specifications for your exact engine model. Or you will have to take current measurements from the engine. For this, you will need a piece of equipment called a clamp meter.
Connect the clamp of your clamp meter to the high voltage lead on your starter to know exactly how many amps it is receiving.
If you do not have a clamp meter in your garage, do not worry. You can borrow one from someone in your local marina, or your local boat mechanic.
Alternatively, if you would like to add one to your inventory for future use, you can buy one from Amazon. You can find a good quality clamp meter here.
After you determine the number of amps your boat engine requires to start, select a suitable battery that can deliver that amount of power. With a powerful enough battery, you will never have to worry about turning the ignition to find that your engine does not start.
The Abcs Of Marine Batteries
You need to know the differences between battery types before you can pick the right setup for your boat.
I recently received an e-mail from a reader who said that while he liked this column and looked forward to it every month, he also viewed it with trepidation because every time he finished one task he found he had more things to add to his to-do list. For his benefit and that of other harried readers I offer this column as a Christmas present. I promise it will be informational only and contain no maintenance tasks whatsoever.
The subject is marine batteries. This may not seem terribly exciting at first glance. Most of us give little thought to our batteries until they dont work. Fortunately thats rare. Marine batteries are remarkably durable and reliable, but like old soldiers, they eventually fade away. When they do, knowing some battery basics can help you pick the best replacement.
A batterys ability to crank an engine is indicated by its cold cranking amps , the amount of juice delivered at a specific temperature, usually 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Since few pleasure boats operate near freezing, CCA is valuable mainly for comparison, and most people just use the amp-hour rating. Diesel engines require batteries with more amp-hours because they have much higher compression ratios, which make them harder to crank.
This article originally appeared in the December 2014 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
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In Summary: Whats The Best Marine Battery Charger
If youre looking for the best marine battery charger, then wed recommend the Minn Kota MK110PC precision battery charger. This small unit is great value for money and can be used for a wide range of applications.
If you have more money to spend and want a real premium product, then the Pro Mariner ProTournament Elite 360 Quad charger gets our seal of approval. It has all the tools to get the job done.
Finally, if we had to choose one product as an overall favorite that has the perfect mix of affordability, versatility, with plenty of usable features, then we would have to recommend the Noco Genius G4 4-Bank charger. Its a 4 bank charger that does everything you need it to, at an affordable price, with a fairly impressive 5 year warranty too.
Types Of Marine Batteries
There are three basic types of marine batteries:
- provide quick but powerful spurts of energy over short periods of time and are designed to start the engine and be rapidly recharged by the engine alternator. A starting battery should not be used for trolling motors or powering appliances.
- are designed to discharge slowly over a long period of time and to withstand several hundred charging and discharging cycles. A deep cycle battery is the right choice for powering an electric trolling motor and other battery-powered accessories such as audio systems, a windlass, depth finders, fish locators, and applicances. Deep cycle batteries should not be substituted for starting batteries.
- combine the performance of starting and deep cycle battery, and are a good choice on smaller when theres no room for two batteries. While they’re able to perform the tasks of a starting battery and deep cycle battery, they’re not as efficient as separate batteries.
Deep Cycle vs. Cranking
The cranking battery has more yet thinner plates to give a fast voltage spike to crank an engine, but is not intended to maintain high power output for long periods. Yes, a deep cycle battery can be used to start your motor in a pinch, but a two- or three-battery system is highly recommended to separate the engine battery from the accessory batteries.
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The Ideal Charge Curve
Bulk phase: This is where the heavy lifting takes place. Charge at a rate up to 20 percent to 40 percent of the batteries capacity in amp hours to a voltage of about 14.6 volts . For example, a 200 amp-hour battery would be charged at 4080 amperes. This will bring the battery to about 75 percent of full charge, and is efficient since the battery accepts more current when it is discharged. AGMs require slightly different voltages, and unless there is an AGM setting, should be charged using lead-acid settings.
Acceptance phase: Maintains battery at 14.6 volts while the amperage is steadily reduced. This will restores the next 25 percent of capacity at a declining rate. Your battery can be considered fully charged if it will accept current equal to 2 percent of C at 14.6 volts .
What To Look For When Shopping For The Best Boat Battery
Your application will determine if you need a starting battery, a deep-cycle battery system, or maybe you only need a single multi-purpose battery. The best boat battery for you will always depend on how youre using it. Regardless of your application, there are some things to keep in mind when looking for any marine battery.
Efficiency is critical. Efficiency in a battery means that you can discharge your battery to 80% or more of its capacity without damaging it and then recharge it quickly.
Reliability and lifespan are also essential to consider when selecting your marine battery. You dont want to be a few miles off-shore on a fishing trip and not be able to start up your motor to get home because your battery died. Likewise, imagine taking your friends out on your sailboat for a weekend and having your battery system croak on you. Thats not going to make for a fun vacation. Beyond that, batteries are expensive. Having to replace them frequently because they dont have a long lifespan or warranty will add up quickly.
And last, but certainly not least, weight. Batteries can be very heavy. This starts to become a significant consideration in live-aboard and trolling battery systems where you likely need multiple batteries to provide the capacity you need.
Ultimately, youre looking for the lightest, most efficient, and reliable battery you can afford. Lets look at some options.
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