Your marine battery is showing signs of wear and tear. What can you do to keep it running like new?

Keeping the Battery Terminals covered in Vaseline or Grease protects them from Corrosion especially during Winter months it's easy to ensure the Grease or vaseline is kept replenished on the terminals whilst doing daily weekly and monthly checks

Battery maintenance is intrinsically compulsory in service life of Marine batteries. In addition to ensuring that the lead plates are covered by acid, The terminals connection (positive & negative) are to be tight enough to avoid leaks possibly grease to avoid corrosion. The electrical cables have to be of the correct wire gauge and properly terminated. Breakages and frailed sections if any found on the wires are to be replaced and weak cables discarded. There must be a battery charger connected to the Battery to avoid draining. The shelf live of the Battery should be checked prior to purchase because this will affect the lifespan of the Battery in service. The load requirement of tge system should not exceed the capacity of the Battery.

Get yourself a battery conditioning smart charger. Smart chargers optimize battery health with precise control, multiple stages, diagnostics, and safety features, ensuring long-term efficiency.

Do not place a battery on steel deck, it will discharge slowly, place a piece of wood or other non conductive material. If gel batteries are used, you will need to use pulsating chargers to prevent batteries from expanding and "bleed out at terminals". If you have many batteries do not stack them, leave air space in between them for cooling.

It depends by battery type : if battery is wet type : check liquid level and density. check terminal connection tightening check venting system sometimes a renew of the liquid can have results.(rinsing maybe the deposits on bottom can be removed partially). For dry type sometime a refresh can solve problem temporary (complete discharge and a complete charging cycle)

To keep your marine battery running like new, you can start by ensuring that it's properly charged and maintained. Regularly checking the electrolyte levels, cleaning the terminals, and securing the battery in place can also help extend its lifespan. Also ensure vents are free from dirt and dust.

Terminal must always be clean. For longer charging corrosion would build up.Check the charging out is correct. Normally 5years is the life span of the battery. That will show batt fault.It has to be replaced.

Corrosion on the terminals of battery affects the life of the battery and performance. Cleaning is the main preventive maintenances for batteries performance. check continuously the charging status of the battery

Clean the battery terminals and cable connections regularly to prevent corrosion. Use a mixture of baking soda and water to clean any corrosion, and ensure the terminals are tightened securely.

Cleaning and tightening of the battery terminals should also be part of the maintenance schedule, The terminals can be cleaned manually or by using bicarbonate of soda ( baking soda). The cables and connection should always be cleaned and a good contact should be made prior to putting grease or Vaseline on the terminals.

The term we follow is Trickle charge and most marine engineers are aware of this term. Apart from checking the health of the battery, it is utmost important to check whether the charger is functioning correctly or not.

The trickle charge is very important in order to keep his perfomance excellent.therefore even with good levels of electrolite if the trickle charge is not set properly , the life of the marine batteries will be a short one.

Ensuring that the charging rate is set to the battery type is also very important. Gel/AGM/lead acid all have different charging requirements. The wrong settings on the charger could cause batteries to fail prematurely.

Follow the manufacturer's guidelines for charging your marine battery. Overcharging or undercharging can lead to premature battery failure. Consider investing in a smart charger that automatically adjusts the charging rate to optimize battery health.

The more the battery is discharge the higher the charging rate will be, ie. A low 24v battery will charge at about 28-29volt which is an indication that the battery is low, A low 12v battery will charge at a rate of around 13-14v

Store batteries in a cool dry place, with good ventilation and away from any direct sun light. Ensure that housekeeping in the area is maintained.

When not in use, store your marine battery in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and extreme temperatures. Proper storage helps prevent self-discharge and extends the battery's lifespan.

Regularly test your marine battery using a multimeter to measure voltage and resistance, indicating its charge and condition. Use a load tester to measure cranking amps and reserve capacity, indicating starting and deep cycle power. Look for physical damage and replace the battery if necessary. Proper maintenance can extend the battery's lifespan and enhance your boating experience. If unsure, seek advice from a professional marine engineer or mechanic.

Testing regularly, one of the tests we carry out on batteries on board ships is a battery discharge test. Any PMS (planned maintenance system) routines on batteries, specifically emergency batteries shall never be compromised. This is the best we can do on board ships to avoid difficult circumstances and ending up in trouble due to negligence.

Fully agree with Jasmeet below, to perform discharging and charging test, always keeping the times it takes to complete. In that way you will know the full performance of the battery at that instance. Batteries do not like rapid weather changes, i.e. many changes of temperature and also humidity for connections and fixtures

Perform regular battery tests to check its voltage and overall health. This helps identify any issues early on and allows you to take corrective action before they worsen.

Checking the electrolyte levels,SG and voltage of the batteries should be part of your planned maintenance. Equipment required, 1. Volt meter 2. Hydrometer 3. Thermal gun (temperature check) Batteries should be secured correctly, preferably in a plastic, fibreglass or wooden containers, avoid batteries/acid getting in contact with metals as the electrolytes is extremely corrosive

Nowadays maintenance free battery are the way to go, change it every 18-24 months. Hassle free and routined maintenance minimise human error.

I believe in having good battery monitoring, this way you have the ability to check various things such as: Early detection of issues Optimised performance Improve safety Enhance reliability A visual check of terminals etc is very much needed and a check on connections (check they are tight) these things are just as important!

In my experience, it can never work as new. Officer should take regular rounds to check for the condition of battery. It’s essential and thats why battery checks are included in company SMS.

Ship's batteries whether used for GMDSS or the general service emergency batteries, are classed as 'DEEP CYCLE BATTERIES' be aware of the meaning of what all is contained in this term.

Other factors to consider for optimal battery performance include avoiding deep discharges, using a battery maintainer during long periods of inactivity, and replacing old batteries promptly to prevent damage to other electrical components.