Storing deep cycle battery in unheated garage?

[Slyster]

Our garage is unheated and gets nearly as cold as outside. If I keep my deep cycle battery fully charged all winter, is it fine on the workbench?

[ice_it_06]

Slyster:

Store it at a full charge when you first put it in the garage. Every six weeks bring it in and warm to above freezing temp or at night and charge following morning.

Take note of how much charge you lost in that time when you hook up the charger.

Top it off twice during the winter storage period and you will be fine.

**I use a plastic battery box slipped over the battery and store in the corner of my hall closet. Does not freeze the battery, is protected out of the way ans stays at about 50 degrees which is perfect.

[Whoaru99]

Mine stay in the boat, parked outside all winter, with the OB charger plugged in 24/7.

Batteries are 5 or 6 years old and still worked just fine last time I had her out this fall...

I think many people fuss a lot over their batteries and don't get much, if any, more life from them that I do. Keep in mind these are not high-end batteries just your standard mid-grade deep cycle variety.

I'd have no qualms at all about leaving them unheated all winter - provided you keep them charged up. I would not leave just any charger on them, it would have to be an automatic charger with a trickle/maintenance mode.

[Ufatz]

I agree. There are quite a few batteries around here and all we do is charge them up slowly, to full, late in the fall. Then store them OFF the floor on shelves. Spring we put 'em back on the charger and they start doing their job again. I also have three batts that sit in the boat all winter, after being fully charged in the fall. No problem come spring....if I give them a fresh charge. I think the main thing is you don't want to store away a battery that is half charged etc.

[SUICK]

best thing to do is to buy a $30.00 battery tender and leave it hooked up all winter

[kais24]

I have two chargers (1 1/2 amp I think) that I picked up at Wal-Mart for $20 each. Look around, you can find 'em even cheaper...

[Surface Tension]

Storing in cold weather is fine as long as they start out fully charged and then maintained every month or so.

[cjromano]

My OB charger (Pro Mariner) says that it can be left connected indefinately - and that it won't harm the battery. That was what I was planning on doing this winter. What do you think?

[Northlander]

A lot of guys do it but I dont leave anything plugged in that long no matter what the owners manual says. I just either take the 10 minutes to bring them in the house or plug the on board charger in about once a week and check the levels.