Battery Storage question

[swinada]

I will not have time to get any electrical done this year before it freezes up. So I decided to take my 3 Marine batteries inside. They are brand new bought at COSTCO 3 months ago. Never been hooked up or used or charged.
What would be the better way to store them? Just have them sit in the basement (they are sitting on a piece of Hard Foam insulation) or rig up my Xantrax true charge 40 to the batteries and set the switch to flooded? I do have the battery temp sensor for the Xantrax.
So what would in your opinion be better for the batteries?

[frank-id]

There are many methods of storing batteries. My method is to remove the cables. I connect my 10 amp battery charger with a weekly time clock. The time clock is set for one hour charging every other day. I monitor the battery condition with a digital multimeter. A fully charged battery will indicate 12.6 volts.
A battery showing 12.0 volts is 75% discharged.
I think ya bought the Cosco batteries prematurely. I think that battery has just a limited 18 months waranty. I also used to buy all Cosco batteries, but I have now discovered Walmart batteries. Regular batteries rated as RV or Marine mostly have an 18 month warranty. The new batteries seem to have a 7 or 8 year warranty with the first 3 years, free exchange of another battery. Frank in Idaho

[swinada]

yeh I know I bought them to soon, however I did not expect to get stuck with doing many other things (not bus related) before I get to the electrical, I was hoping to have that part all done by now. I also hoped that I would at least be able to do 1 camping trip this fall with the bus, but we are far from that point.

[the_experience03]

They make a multibank version as well, but individual units are cheaper. You could always buy one and change it every Sunday night to a different battery or something. There are other brands out there that are cheaper and I'm sure they work just fine, but Deltran brand maintenance chargers really are top of the line and I love mine.

[swinada]

I got one of those

it can charge 3 banks, so that isnt the problem. The question is, is it better to have them hooked to a charger or just let them sit for the winter and then hook them up next spring when they go in the bus?
Will letting them sit without any exercise damage them?

[the_experience03]

Here's the straight poop on lead acid batteries. If their whole life was just sitting fully charged and never being used they would last the longest. Just look at a UPS for a computer. So why do car batteries last so long you might ask...well they really aren't being used all that much. You use them to start the engine and to smooth out high draw at idle, but realistically your alternator is doing all the work.

Batteries that are fully charged will not freeze to -92 to -93* F. They also will not sulfate. Batteries that sit will self discharge (up to 1% per day depending on conditions). When they become discharged they will sulfate and possibly freeze. The long and the short of it is that you should have a GOOD automatic charger on them all the time or do as Frank does and use a manual charger on a regular, as-needed basis.

[eleskooly]

ABSOLUTLY .... Like the man said: Keep your batteries under a trickle charge at all times if possible. Else keep a skedual seeing that each battery gets a full charge once a week. Also, very good that you have the batteries up off the floor, a battery sitting on cool or cold concret is a battery soon to be buried as useless, the concret "sucks" the life out of them.
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT have any kind of value relationship with the following company other than as a satisfied customer but I do like their product line. "VDC Electronics, Inc." 800 379 5579 They offer a 5 year warranty on all products. I have been using the "BatteryMINDer" unit 12112 for over a year and it does a great job of keeping 4 different batteries up to snuff
I have an 1978 school bus that still needs some work done it before it begins running on a regualr basis, so the battery never gets charged except when I put the "BatteryMINDer" on it weeky. Another older van also needs work yet I keep its battery charged w/ that same unit. Then I have an RV deep discharge battery I use for ham radio events and I keep it charged w/ that same unit. Last is a 12 VDC 7 AH get cell used in back pack radio system which also gets a regular dose of juice from the "BatteryMINDer".
Give those folks a call and ask for literature on their chargers & other battery products. I think you will be surprised and happy with the info they send out.
Happy bussing. David 73 w 0 r m v ... LONG LIVE LINUX

[lapeer20m]

Originally Posted by eleskooly

a battery sitting on cool or cold concret is a battery soon to be buried as useless, the concret "sucks" the life out of them.

i think that's an urban legend. i can find no credible evidence that leaving a battery on a concrete floor has any adverse effects. After all, it's in an enclosed plastic case, it's not as if the acid is sucked out by the concrete.

[the_experience03]

Originally Posted by lapeer20m

i think that's an urban legend. i can find no credible evidence that leaving a battery on a concrete floor has any adverse effects. After all, it's in an enclosed plastic case, it's not as if the acid is sucked out by the concrete.

Here's the deal as I learned it from those whom make their money selling batteries. That myth has its roots in truth. Years ago batteries were made in a wooden case with a tar coating. This allowed a path to ground via the case provided a ground (concrete) was provided. However, modern batteries are put in a plastic case and as such do not conduct electricity so any battery made in the last 20-30 years should not suffer from the concrete myth.

People still believe in the concrete myth because their batteries go dead just sitting on a concrete surface. However, this would (and does) happen on a wooden surface as well. Self-discharge sucks.