Motorcycles, RV’s, and boats are often tucked away over winter and forgotten about until the first warm days of spring.  However, if you wish to prevent finding a dead battery when the time comes to take your toys out of storage, then you’ll need to continue to maintain the battery through the winter months.

It is important to remember that batteries self-discharge over time when they are not in use.  Additionally, your vehicle may have some electronic devices that even while turned off are requiring a small but constant amount of energy from your battery.  It doesn’t take too long for a battery to drain down and go completely dead.  This is why devices such as a battery disconnect or battery maintainers are good investments.  A battery disconnect will cut the power to your battery with just a flip of a switch, and are a very convenient option for people who commonly have their battery in storage.  Battery maintainers run power to your battery from a wall outlet, and this small but constant charge combats battery drain without causing the water in your battery to excessively evaporate.

Batteries that are not fully charged are capable of freezing in cold temperatures, so if you live in a cold climate you will want to consider keeping your batteries in a warmer area, such as a garage or basement.  If you don’t have an indoor parking area for your RV or boat, you might want to fully disconnect the batteries and bring them indoors.  Of course, keeping your battery charged through the winter will also help prevent freezing, so if you aren’t using a battery disconnect or maintainer then it is essential to discharge and recharge your battery to prevent both a fully drained battery in the spring as well as lead sulfation.  Another option for many battery users is to remove the battery from the engine and place it on a charger that is capable of maintaining a float charge.  These 3-step chargers will not boil your battery dry through overcharging, but instead will monitor the level of discharge in your battery and maintain an appropriate low charge.  Keeping your battery charged will also prevent lead sulfation, which occurs naturally during discharge.  The longer a battery sits in a discharged state, the harder it is to reverse the effects of sulfation through charging.  Lead sulfation is a common cause of dead batteries that have been sitting in storage.

Check your batteries often, at least monthly, while they are in storage.  It is essential that you don’t allow your batteries to lose too much water, so completing a quick check every few weeks is a good idea and doesn’t take up too much time.  Keep them at a comfortable temperature – not too cold and not too hot – and in a dry place.  Usually indoors in a garage or basement is your best option.

It is easy to forget about your battery when your toys are in winter storage.  But keep in mind that doing so will result in a dead battery in the spring – and who wants to spend that first, beautiful spring day dealing with buying and replacing a battery?  Looking after your battery over the winter will put you miles ahead in enjoying your toys when the nice weather finally arrives.

© 2008 BatteryChargerStore.com

We often talk at great lengths about purchasing batteries, the do’s, the don’ts, what to look for, what to avoid.  Surprisingly, we don’t often talk that much about something that can be even more challenging to the average consumer – disposal of your batteries at the end of their life span.  It is not uncommon to see a garage or workshop full of old, dead batteries.  You know you shouldn’t throw them in the garbage, but because you aren’t quite sure what else to do with them they clutter up your shelves.

Most people are aware that batteries contain a toxic substance and cannot go out with the regular garbage.  With approximately twenty-one pounds of lead, three pounds of plastic, and a gallon of sulfuric acid, it is obvious that subjecting old batteries to the crushing and pulverizing that occurs in garbage collection vehicles or in processing plants can be hazardous for workers.  Additionally, batteries should not wind up in landfills since the toxic substances leak right into the earth, contaminating the ground for generations to come.  Finally, you should never attempt to dispose of a battery by putting it in a fire.  Batteries will combust, and the explosion can result in injury to those nearby, as well as toxic materials let out into the air and ground.  Even disposal sites that claim to safely deal with your battery don’t necessarily do what is best for the environment since they may simply dispose of it in a way that doesn’t cause harm to the workers.

The absolute best thing to do with your battery is to recycle it.  Most companies that sell batteries also collect used batteries for recycling, so if you aren’t sure of where to recycle your battery start with your retailer.  If you have a regular recycling pickup, don’t put your battery out with the rest of your recycling.  Most community recycling plants don’t have the necessary means to safely recycle a used battery.  Also, it is unsafe for the collectors to be throwing the battery into their trucks.  In addition to retailers, you might also find a large recycling operation with a battery recycling program.  Or there might be community events that organize collection of old batteries and other toxic substances. These often happen in the spring around Earth Day.  If you are unsure whether your area has the facilities to recycle batteries, try contacting your local government office or recycling hotline.

You might be wondering whether recycling your batteries is really worthwhile – after all, with all the toxins in the interior, how can they really recycle it?  You might be surprised to know that all the parts of a used battery can be effectively recycled and used in a new battery.  The battery is pulled apart and the plastic sold to industries that use recycled plastic in their manufacturing process, the lead is used in new batteries, and the sulfuric acid can be recycled into a new battery or converted into other chemicals to be used in fertilizers and dyes.

With all of our new toys and gadgets, the need for batteries is growing at a relatively large rate.  And with some green technology requiring more battery power instead of fossil fuels, batteries are going to be more important than ever.  This is why it is absolutely essential that you know how to properly recycle your batteries so they can be used again and again, without harming the environment.

© 2008 BatteryChargerStore.com

Parasitic drain occurs when the battery is being used — even though the equipment is turned off!  For instance, if you leave your battery in the engine of your car, R.V., motorcycle or boat, even with the key off there could be things running that are draining power.  Most often this occurs with clocks, GPS units, and other electronic devices.  If you find yourself constantly battling dead batteries after a few days in between uses, it’s likely that you are dealing with parasitic battery drain. A good Knife-Blade Battery Disconnect Switch or use of a Battery Charger/Maintainer will often be just what the doctor ordered!

Battery chargers and maintainers have come a long way in recent years.  With lead batteries being a little finicky in how they like to be recharged, intelligent battery chargers and maintainers have been developed that use three, or sometimes even four, stages to properly perform the recharge.  With proper recharging and maintaining comes an extended battery life, so it is certainly important to invest in the charger/ maintainer for your battery.  The average user does not have the ability to manually adjust the voltage being used to recharge the battery.  For most, investing in a battery charger/maintainer that will perform all the steps for you is the easiest solution.

To recharge (and maintain) a battery, electricity is sent via the charger/maintainer through the “water” portion of the battery’s electrolyte solution.  The electricity separates the water into hydrogen and oxygen gasses which then remix the electrolyte solution.  This also helps to break down the sulphation that builds up during the use of the battery.  Sulphation is actually lead sulphate, and as the battery is recharged it is broken down into lead and sulfuric acid, the makeup of the electrolyte mixture in a battery cell.  It is this constant back and forth process that constitutes the discharge/recharge cycles.  It also explains why it is so important for users to recharge and maintain their batteries as quickly as possible – the longer the lead sulphate is allowed to harden, the harder it will be to convert it back into its liquid state.

When you first hook your battery up to the charger/maintainer, it will undergo the bulk charging stage.  This is where the majority of the battery’s capacity is recharged.  Bulk charging requires a constant high rate of charge, usually upwards of 13.6 to 14.4 volts.  Leaving your battery at this rate of charge for too long can cause it to emit gasses and suffer water loss.  This is why an intelligent charger is helpful – it will assess when the battery has been charged to about 80% and will then slowly reduce the voltage until the battery is charged to about 98%.  This reduction in voltage, called absorption, is considered the second stage of a three or four stage battery charger.

Once the battery has been almost fully recharged the third step, a float charge, takes place.  In this step a low voltage, usually about 13.2 volts, is conducted through the battery.  This keeps the battery charged, but it also doesn’t cause water loss and corrosion from being charged at too high a voltage.  Additionally, this type of charge prevents battery stratification which occurs in the electrolyte mixture when the water and acid separate.  Stratification is the main reason why stored batteries do not hold their charge.  There is a fourth step available on some battery charges/maintainers, called an equalization stage.  Chargers with this function will perform a cleaning cycle.  This drastically reduces sulphation and will extend the life of your battery.

Investing in a battery charger/maintainer that can competently complete a full charging cycle will undoubtedly extend the life of your battery.  These chargers are an excellent investment for anyone who will be regularly recharging (and maintaining) batteries.