Battery Charger For H27

[morgantheship]

I have a H27 with dual deep cycle batteries. It has been suggested by the marina that I keep the boat at to install a battery charger to maintain the batteries while in the slip. (bilge pump currently would drain the batteries if left for an extended period of time).

What is the suggestion of those that have installed battery chargers? How expensive is it? Are they worth the cost? (silly question if it keeps the boat from sinking ). What about installation....difficult/easy???

Any suggestions on make, model, size?

Thanks.

 

[Paul F]

My two cents is in a similar set up with two group 27 deep cell wet batteries they lasted six plus years with charging them only when I was at the slip. When away the charger was unplugged and the shore power was not connected. It depends on how long you leave the boat. I am leaving for 6 weeks and will leave the charger unplugged and the shore power off the boat. It's my belief that constant charging is not good for batteries. Nor, is having 110 volts ac flowing good for the boat. But as we all know many, many boats are set up that way.

 

[kloudie1]

The new smart chargers are much better about treating batteries correctly than the old chargers were.. Xantrex, ProMariner, Guest, and a few other folks make great chargers at not too great prices. You probably need a 20 ampere charger, but depending on how you use the boat, you may be able to get by with less. My Xantrex is set to cut off after the batteries reach full charge. It will cut back on if the voltage falls a little .. It can be set to always trickle charge but I have found that trickle charging results in a good bit more water consumption.. Good luck with the selection..

 

[Benny]

If you are concerned about cost consider the the GUESS 10A (5/5) model 2610A which sells for $99 at West Marine. It is a 3 stage charger for 2 banks. It is waterproof and shcock proof. It comes with a regular three prong plug for 120V input and two sets of fused leads for charger output. I would connect it and leave it on all the time as that way it will maintain your batteries. I believe is better for the batteries to be fully charged than the possibility of them spending some time at a partial state of discharge; that is when sulfation sets in. The dock breaker and boat breaker should protect against a short and the installation of a sacrificial anode will help against stray current. Have always kept battery chargers on 24/7 365 with no consequences other than fresh batteries. We run a generator at anchor and the charger kicks in the moment we turn it on. We run a Xantrex 40 Plus to three banks.

 

[JeffC21331]

Easy install

I have had the Guest 2610A installed in my Hunter 25 for several years, always plugged into an interior outlet, and connected to two gel cells. The batteries are always fully charged and ready to go. I keep my shore power connected when I am away from the boat. It is a super easy install if you have an AC outlet in the boat. Basically all you do is connect two leads to each battery (Guest 2610A has two positive leads and two negative leads) and plug in the AC cord. You can mount it on any flat surface with four screws. It does need some air space for ventilation as it will heat up pretty good while charging. Promariner makes a good one as well. Price range is in the 100-150 range.

 

[Manny]

I have a guest 6 amp 3 stage charger on my 27. I originally started with one dual purpose battery and now have a second which is a deep cycle. I have the charger wired so it is only charging which ever battery is selected through the battery switch. Setup works fine and supplies power to lights, water pump, fans, etc when plugged into shorepower. My batteries are always topped off and I never leave the boat plugged into shorepower when I go home.

Manny