Alternate Batteries?

[Bob Camarena]

I always use battery 1 for everything, starting and house battery, saving battery 2 for backup. When not in use, both are on the charger. Should I alternate them to even out the wear and tear or what?

 

[Stephen Ostrander]

batteries

I have a 2-battery system, but I dedicate battery #1 to starting and battery #2 to the house system. Battery # 2 is a deep-cycle battery, more suited for draining down and recharging. I can always use #2 to start the engine if #1 fails, but starting batteries don't make good house batteries, and vice-versa.

 

[Steve Dion]

Keep doing what you are doing.

I don't think that usage of the batteries has much to do with their longevity. Proper maintenance and charging your batteries properly has more to do with how long they will live than anything.If you are using wet cell technology, you can buy a charger that will cycle the batteries through and equalization mode which helps prevent sulfation of the batteries. If you are using Gels or AGM batteries you need to make sure that you do not overcharge them. These batteries are trully maintenance free too. You do sacrafice some capacity for this privledge. The battery terminals typically do not even get corrosion with these types of batteries either.Of course it will not hurt to alternate the use, but just be sure that you move your selector switch from the both position once you turn off your engine or you will be finding out how to hand crank or jump start your engine.I personally do not think that having a "starting type battery" and "house keeping type" is necessary. The requirement to start the engine is normally minimal and if you want to alternate usage of your batteries this is not practical.

 

[Larry Watkins]

Alternate batteries

Bob, two batteries of the same type for all duties, house and engine start, is not the ideal set-up, though it works, except when you forget to throw the switch and find them both dead on morning. You need a dedicated engine start battery and a dedicated house bank, connected by a combiner to allow charging from a single source, but if you want to stay with what you've got, switch to one or the other, alternated by month or week, for house duties and BOTH for engine start.

 

[Bob Sawyer]

Batteries

Along with my 1974 Cat 27 my other toy is a 1969 MGB whose batteries constantly needs recharging. Accordingly, I purchased a battery pack on sale for about $80. That problem solved. Next, I decided to put my Cat on a mouring this year to save enough $ to buy a dinghy. I decided that I didn't like rowing out to the boat each time I wanted to go for a sail so I purchased an electric motor for about $90 which runs off the battery pack. The battery pack and electric motor is very portable and able to be stored on board while out for a sail.I also found the battery pack serves another purpose - as an independant 3d battery for the boat. I ran my 2 boat batteries down once due to a carborator problem, and once the carb was fixed, the battery pack started the engine quite well.Hope this helps.Bob