Boat batteries and freezing temps?

[HATH]

When do you guys pull your batteries out of your boats? I still want to hit DC and Strawberry before ice up, but I'm worried about my batteries freezing, especially since 32 degree weather is headed this way this week.
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[SkunkedAgain]

I don't think the cold will hurt your batteries as long as they are charged. I left mine in the boat so I could fish Bear Lake last December with no problems. Your car batteries are okay in your car all winter. I think keeping them charged is the key. Later J
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[HATH]

A few winters ago I kept a battery tender on my motorcycle battery, it froze, then it charged, and consequently ruined my battery. So since then I pull my motorcycle battery and stick it in my garage with the battery tender hooked to it. I assumed I would need to treat my boat batteries the same. The difference with car batteries during the winter is you're using them daily, keeping the battery thawed and charged, during the winter you probably wouldn't charge your boat batteries that often.
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[bassrods]

I leave the battery's in my boat all winter, and only put the charger on about once every 3 weeks or so..

And have done this for years (over 30+) and not had any go bad..

You may have over charged your battery and that can kill them and then they can freeze..
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[tomegun]

Bring them inside after Thanksgiving. Make sure you have them charge(plug them in at least once before March). Do not leave them sitting on concrete-elevate off the floor if needed.

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[SkunkedAgain]

I should be smarter about this than I am but I've never really looked into it very deeply but I was told at one time that when the battery is charged it won't freeze. I don't know if that has something to do with the acid water mix being such that the freeze point is quite low like adding anti freeze to the water in your radiator. Or if that is just folklore. But I do know my battery has been okay in the boat through some very cold temps. It was -20F last year when I tried whitefish at Bear Lake and my motor started okay. But I have had batteries freeze and break before but I know it had a low charge going into the winter and may have been dead when it froze. Sorry guess I'm not a lot of help. Later J
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[Kent]

I have left my batteries in my boat for years and never had a problem. I make sure that they are fully charged going into winter and then I hook the charger up to them every couple months.
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[GottaBite]

Not that it matters much, but I have a Bach Deg in Electronic Engineering and a boat battery will not freeze in the CHARGED state. Kinda like the one guy sez about it being like antifreeze. I have had boats my whole life and I never take batteries out, just make sure they're full of DISTILLED WATER to the line and CHARGED...good to go!!
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[flygoddess]

[quote tomegun]Bring them inside after Thanksgiving. Make sure you have them charge(plug them in at least once before March). Do not leave them sitting on concrete-elevate off the floor if needed.
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This is not true anymore. Hasn't been for years. Concrete will not drain a battery.
We left our batteries in the trailer every year with the Trailer plugged in so it was constantly getting a charge. However, water got in the battery box and froze the batteries a couple years ago...ruining them.
I bring them in now.
I like the Thanksgiving idea.
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[tomegun]

I believe in taking care of my equipment. I've had never to had to return home cuz things don't work. Hell, ran the big engine/trolling motor at Strawberry in 5 degrees(all gauges and electronics didn't work).


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[flygoddess]

I didn't mean to imply you didn't. I was just referring to placing batteries on cement. It use to be a bad thing, but old batteries had tar bottoms.
I have three batteries for my pontoons, one for a boat and two for my trailer. I have a crawl space under the house I was thinking of placing them this year. Furnace is down there so should work.
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[tomegun]

I didn't take it as negative, its all good.

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