I just had my boat shrink wrapped and forgot to remove the battery. Should I cut a hole in the wrap to get it out, or should it be fine with a good charge in the spring. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Forgot to remove battery
- Thread starter Mike16400
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if it...
is good... and has a good charge... it should be O.K.. What else did you forget to do? Takes nothing to cut a hole and slip in/out. Should have good ventilation anyway. Your call,
is good... and has a good charge... it should be O.K.. What else did you forget to do? Takes nothing to cut a hole and slip in/out. Should have good ventilation anyway. Your call,
In general
If it was charged, and is disconnected, it wil be fine. If it's not disconnected, theres a chance something is drawing on it, and it won't be charged. The biggest issue (IMO) is that if the charge get's low enough, the acid can freeze, and tends to cause internal damage and possibly leaks. I'll leave it to the other to tell you how cold storage (without the battery freezing) affects lifetime.
If it was charged, and is disconnected, it wil be fine. If it's not disconnected, theres a chance something is drawing on it, and it won't be charged. The biggest issue (IMO) is that if the charge get's low enough, the acid can freeze, and tends to cause internal damage and possibly leaks. I'll leave it to the other to tell you how cold storage (without the battery freezing) affects lifetime.
Car batteries can go for several months without
use. I have AGM and treat my boat just like my lawnmower. Winterize the engine and things that use water and walk away. I don't even give the lawn mower that much attention after the last use it goes into the shed until spring when I give it a shot of starting spray and get to work. It is 2 cycle, 15 years old, I think I changed the plug once.
use. I have AGM and treat my boat just like my lawnmower. Winterize the engine and things that use water and walk away. I don't even give the lawn mower that much attention after the last use it goes into the shed until spring when I give it a shot of starting spray and get to work. It is 2 cycle, 15 years old, I think I changed the plug once.
put in a door
you can add a door to the shrink wrap for less then $2o plus cost of tape (also less then $20) and you can have unlimited access or worse case buy a new battery in the spring. How old was the battery any way ? May not be cost effective to even worry about it
you can add a door to the shrink wrap for less then $2o plus cost of tape (also less then $20) and you can have unlimited access or worse case buy a new battery in the spring. How old was the battery any way ? May not be cost effective to even worry about it
Do you have anything connected
that may very... slowly drain the battery like a LINK monitoring system? If you do I would try to have them charged up sooner rather than later cause "phantom" loads sometimes kill batteries. If the batteries had a full state of charge when you wrapped it up, they should be OK for several months - if you had AGM or GEL, they would be OK up to 6 mos. or longer - my experience is longer. If it were me - I would want them charged up at least once over the winter. Its not that the batteries will be bad - they will charge back up. Its just that if you let them sit too long uncharged they sulfate - and this reduces capacity.
that may very... slowly drain the battery like a LINK monitoring system? If you do I would try to have them charged up sooner rather than later cause "phantom" loads sometimes kill batteries. If the batteries had a full state of charge when you wrapped it up, they should be OK for several months - if you had AGM or GEL, they would be OK up to 6 mos. or longer - my experience is longer. If it were me - I would want them charged up at least once over the winter. Its not that the batteries will be bad - they will charge back up. Its just that if you let them sit too long uncharged they sulfate - and this reduces capacity.
All good info, Mike
If the battery is fairly young in age, I would cut a door and remove it to a warm spot at home. Keep it charged over the winter. Maybe I just have bad luck, but everytime I think I can leave the batteries on board and charge them a couple times over the winter, I end up replacing the batteries in the spring or mid-summer. BTW, I am currently testing a circuit that is designed to reduce the sulfation of a battery. So far my testing has shown that the internal resistance of my house batteries has decreased 14% in 20 days. Sulfation causes the internal resistance to increase thus reducing the battery capacity in AH. My house batteries suffered a state of chronic undercharging this past summer and I was observing a low AH capacity and difficulty in recharging. I hope to reverse all effects of the sulfation with this conditioning.
If the battery is fairly young in age, I would cut a door and remove it to a warm spot at home. Keep it charged over the winter. Maybe I just have bad luck, but everytime I think I can leave the batteries on board and charge them a couple times over the winter, I end up replacing the batteries in the spring or mid-summer. BTW, I am currently testing a circuit that is designed to reduce the sulfation of a battery. So far my testing has shown that the internal resistance of my house batteries has decreased 14% in 20 days. Sulfation causes the internal resistance to increase thus reducing the battery capacity in AH. My house batteries suffered a state of chronic undercharging this past summer and I was observing a low AH capacity and difficulty in recharging. I hope to reverse all effects of the sulfation with this conditioning.
You can cut the shrinkwrap and retape it
If you want to do this on the cheap (i.e., without putting in a door), cut the shrinkwrap, enter the boat, remove the batteries, check for anything else you need to do, exit and then tape it. Duct tape will work. It'll look ugly, but it'll be fine.
If you want to do this on the cheap (i.e., without putting in a door), cut the shrinkwrap, enter the boat, remove the batteries, check for anything else you need to do, exit and then tape it. Duct tape will work. It'll look ugly, but it'll be fine.
Give us some details Rich
of this magic sulfation eliminator. Is it a home brew circuit? There are many things that reduce/increase the internal resistance of a battery besides sulfation. State of charge or SOC has a dramatic effect. Temperature has a dramatic affect. If it is a wet battery, Stratification has a significant effect. The fact that you may be sitting the batteries around on a cold floor will cause major stratification. So, I am sceptical of your findings because of the multitude of conditions listed above that can change internal resistance readings. A variation of 14 percent is minor and measurement technique or error could account for that. I am very interested in a circuit that could possibly reverse sulfation. If you have any details you would like to share, I will very interested.
of this magic sulfation eliminator. Is it a home brew circuit? There are many things that reduce/increase the internal resistance of a battery besides sulfation. State of charge or SOC has a dramatic effect. Temperature has a dramatic affect. If it is a wet battery, Stratification has a significant effect. The fact that you may be sitting the batteries around on a cold floor will cause major stratification. So, I am sceptical of your findings because of the multitude of conditions listed above that can change internal resistance readings. A variation of 14 percent is minor and measurement technique or error could account for that. I am very interested in a circuit that could possibly reverse sulfation. If you have any details you would like to share, I will very interested.
If You Really Want to Get It Out...
...cut it, remove it, tape it and forget it! Just sut a smile to enter and take out what you need (if it's small enough). Seal it back up with tape and forget it! Take your small battery back home.
...cut it, remove it, tape it and forget it! Just sut a smile to enter and take out what you need (if it's small enough). Seal it back up with tape and forget it! Take your small battery back home.
"magic sulfation eliminator"
I leave a 5 watt solar panel attached to my battery - that's about .3 amps per hour when the sun is out and elimanates sulfation. Four winters and still going strong...
I leave a 5 watt solar panel attached to my battery - that's about .3 amps per hour when the sun is out and elimanates sulfation. Four winters and still going strong...
Tough battereies.
Maybe I've been lucky and bought tough batteries by luck but I've left mine in my motorhome and boat for years without any great problem. The motorhome ones were just too difficult to get out so that's where it all started. At seasons end I top up with distilled water as needed, put on a full charge, disconnect, then leave them be. We get sub zero nights on occassion here so it's no easy environment. But, that said, it doesn't seem to do them any great harm. They still last their allotted span as far as I've experienced up to now.
Maybe I've been lucky and bought tough batteries by luck but I've left mine in my motorhome and boat for years without any great problem. The motorhome ones were just too difficult to get out so that's where it all started. At seasons end I top up with distilled water as needed, put on a full charge, disconnect, then leave them be. We get sub zero nights on occassion here so it's no easy environment. But, that said, it doesn't seem to do them any great harm. They still last their allotted span as far as I've experienced up to now.
I used to remove my .....
battteries every winter but then I bought a bigger boat (bigger batteries)and left them on board. I disconnect, charge, and fill with distilled water. I charge them about once every 4 - 6 weeks. If its colder out you can go longer. When I put my charger on it only takes a couple of minutes and they are charged. I shrink wrap my boat and have a zippered door (re-usable) and can enter/exit. I think it is a good idea to check your boat evry now and then anyway and make sure water insn't seeping in from somewhere. You don't have that option this winter so I would cut the hole as suggested and pull the batteries.
battteries every winter but then I bought a bigger boat (bigger batteries)and left them on board. I disconnect, charge, and fill with distilled water. I charge them about once every 4 - 6 weeks. If its colder out you can go longer. When I put my charger on it only takes a couple of minutes and they are charged. I shrink wrap my boat and have a zippered door (re-usable) and can enter/exit. I think it is a good idea to check your boat evry now and then anyway and make sure water insn't seeping in from somewhere. You don't have that option this winter so I would cut the hole as suggested and pull the batteries.
GuyT, details on desulfator circuits
I have designed and built a circuit that pulses the batteries similar to the "nanopulser" device. I have enhanced the pulse parameters to better handle large battery banks. I have been conditioning my batteries for a week and then measuring the internal impedance of the units and recording the specific gravity of all cells. I then repeat the conditioning for another week, then retest. I have 3 weeks of data. I started with batteries that are only a year old but were chronically under-charged this past season (all my fault). They would drop in voltage quickly when discharged and did not want to accept charge readily. Before desulfation conditioning I recharged and equalized the batteries. I thus started with batteries that were in the best possible condition given normal best-practice maintenance. Any improvement from that point could be attributed to the desulfator conditioning. I really don't want to hijack this thread on battery removal, so if you wish additional details just email me from the owner's directory.
I have designed and built a circuit that pulses the batteries similar to the "nanopulser" device. I have enhanced the pulse parameters to better handle large battery banks. I have been conditioning my batteries for a week and then measuring the internal impedance of the units and recording the specific gravity of all cells. I then repeat the conditioning for another week, then retest. I have 3 weeks of data. I started with batteries that are only a year old but were chronically under-charged this past season (all my fault). They would drop in voltage quickly when discharged and did not want to accept charge readily. Before desulfation conditioning I recharged and equalized the batteries. I thus started with batteries that were in the best possible condition given normal best-practice maintenance. Any improvement from that point could be attributed to the desulfator conditioning. I really don't want to hijack this thread on battery removal, so if you wish additional details just email me from the owner's directory.
Do a google on "battery desulfator"
And you will find all sorts of websites. I have them on my "House" batteries that run my home. I live off the grid and have electronic desulfaters on 2 800 AH 48 volt industrial batteries that are approaching 15 years old and still deliver close to 100% of their original capacity. They are electronic devices that deliver high frequency DC pulses that resonate with the sulfate crystals and force them back into solution with the electrolyte. They can either be a charger that gets its power from an external source, or powered by the battery itself. The good ones work. There have been many tests where a totally dead sulfated battery has been brought back from the dead using these devices. See the link. http://www.dallas.net/~jvpoll/Battery/aaDesulfatorSurvey.html There is also a method using an organic acid called EDTA or ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid. You pour out the old electrolyte and add EDTA solution, let it sit 24 hours and pour it out. Then flush the battery with distilled water, and ppour it out and add new electrolyte. Obviously this is a messy and potentially hazardous procedure with waste disposal considerations. Not worth doing on small relatively inexpensive batteries. When you have a large industrial battery that costs $4-5000.00 the economics change. Here's a link to chemical desulfination. http://eduhosting.org/classes/windgens/fixbatts.html Probably more than anyone wants to know about desulfators.
And you will find all sorts of websites. I have them on my "House" batteries that run my home. I live off the grid and have electronic desulfaters on 2 800 AH 48 volt industrial batteries that are approaching 15 years old and still deliver close to 100% of their original capacity. They are electronic devices that deliver high frequency DC pulses that resonate with the sulfate crystals and force them back into solution with the electrolyte. They can either be a charger that gets its power from an external source, or powered by the battery itself. The good ones work. There have been many tests where a totally dead sulfated battery has been brought back from the dead using these devices. See the link. http://www.dallas.net/~jvpoll/Battery/aaDesulfatorSurvey.html There is also a method using an organic acid called EDTA or ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid. You pour out the old electrolyte and add EDTA solution, let it sit 24 hours and pour it out. Then flush the battery with distilled water, and ppour it out and add new electrolyte. Obviously this is a messy and potentially hazardous procedure with waste disposal considerations. Not worth doing on small relatively inexpensive batteries. When you have a large industrial battery that costs $4-5000.00 the economics change. Here's a link to chemical desulfination. http://eduhosting.org/classes/windgens/fixbatts.html Probably more than anyone wants to know about desulfators.
Nano-Pulser
Battery rejuvenator available here: http://shop.sailboatowners.com/detail.htm?fno=400&group=742&cat=1111 I would just cut a hole and re-seal! Dave Groshong Customer Service SailboatOwners.com Toll Free 877-932-7245 ext.116, Mon-Fri, 9-5 Pacific
Battery rejuvenator available here: http://shop.sailboatowners.com/detail.htm?fno=400&group=742&cat=1111 I would just cut a hole and re-seal! Dave Groshong Customer Service SailboatOwners.com Toll Free 877-932-7245 ext.116, Mon-Fri, 9-5 Pacific
What kind of problem?
I categorize that as a $100 problem no, more. Worst case scenario the battery goes dead, cannot be revived and has to be replaced. I guess the answer depends on how far are you away from the boat and how much of a hassle would it be for you to retreive it. Have had no experience with duct tape on sub -zero weather but also fail to see any drawbacks in cutting a hole in the plastic to gain access into the boat. Boats stored before shrink wrapping came along did just fine.
I categorize that as a $100 problem no, more. Worst case scenario the battery goes dead, cannot be revived and has to be replaced. I guess the answer depends on how far are you away from the boat and how much of a hassle would it be for you to retreive it. Have had no experience with duct tape on sub -zero weather but also fail to see any drawbacks in cutting a hole in the plastic to gain access into the boat. Boats stored before shrink wrapping came along did just fine.
Battery
Since you live in cold country, I'd get it and put it at home in the basement or garage.
Since you live in cold country, I'd get it and put it at home in the basement or garage.
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