Boat Battery Maintenance

Proactive boat battery maintenance will help your battery run better and last longer. It'll also help extend the time until you need to visit a boat service department and pay for expensive repairs. Proper maintenance is important, but sometimes it can be hard knowing where to start. We've created the following beginner's guide to boat battery maintenance. If you want more tips or need to visit a boat service department, visit the experts at Nisswa Marine. We proudly serve those in Minneapolis and St. Cloud, Minnesota.

Pick the Right Battery

A key part of boat maintenance is using the right battery from the start. There are many different marine battery options on the market and different ones suit different types of vessels. These choices include deep-cycle, dual-purpose, and cranking models. Make sure you get the right type of battery for your vessel. Once you install it, mark the date of installation. It'll make it easier to remember how old the battery is and when you need to replace it.

Clean Your Battery

Regular cleaning is an important step of boat battery maintenance. Corrosion can build up and result in poor performance. All you need to do is create a solution of baking soda and water, which can be used to clear away the corrosion. If you notice the battery isn't working as it should, a great first place to check is the posts for corrosion. Once the posts are cleaned, you will want to lightly grease them with dielectric grease.

Recharge After Each Use

Your boat battery and car battery have a key difference. Cars are built to be used on a daily basis. Their battery system does not need much in the way of maintenance. Boats, on the other hand, are rarely used on a daily basis. You likely won't want to rely on your alternator alone to keep your battery charged. Instead, you will want to recharge your battery each time you use it. Make sure you are using the right charger for your battery. Check the manufacturer's recommendation to see which charger to get.

Storing the Battery

There are key boat battery maintenance steps involved in storage as well. When it's time to put your boat away for the winter, you will want to do a few tasks. First, clean the battery to help prevent gunk and corrosion that has built up to cause damage in the weeks over storage. Second, place it in a dry and temperature-controlled environment. You don't want it to suffer from damage due to moisture, fluctuating temperatures, or extreme temperatures. Third, make sure it is fully charged before you place it into storage. Finally, make sure your battery is not left hooked up to the motor during storage. If you forget one or more of these steps, you could return in the spring to a damaged or even dead battery. If the damage is severe enough, you could be faced with buying a new battery altogether. That's why preventative boat battery maintenance is key to saving you time, money, and the hassle of repairing or replacing a battery.

We hope you found our boat battery maintenance guide useful. If you have any questions or need any help with boat maintenance, head over to Nisswa Marine. Our knowledgeable staff can answer questions, provide advice, and get your boat running good as new in no time. We also offer a range of boats for sale if you are looking to buy. You'll find us in Nisswa but we also serve those in St. Cloud and Minneapolis, Minnesota.