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Dangerous battery situation?

mherrcat

Contributing Partner
I usually leave the boat connected to shore power with the battery charger on when I am away from it and while I am there if I am not sailing. Normally the battery charger will show it to be in "float" mode, unless I have been out sailing using the auto pilot, VHF, portable refrigerator, stereo, etc., then it will show "absorption" mode for several hours after being reconnected to AC power.

Two days ago I notice the charger was in "absorption" mode when I got to the boat after a week away. I didn't think much of it and figured I would check it again later. On Saturday I moved the boat to another slip to watch the Christmas Boat Parade, then took about a 45 minute cruise through the harbor after the parade, then docked back in my regular slip.

This morning I checked the batteries, as I do every couple of weeks, and #1 was very hot and I could hear the bubbling inside. I carefully removed one of the filler covers and the electrolyte was vigorously bubbling and was not clear as usual but a brown color; like coffee ordered "dark" in New York (just a little milk.) The #2 battery was not hot and the electrolyte was clear and just a few very small bubbles visible. I then turned off the battery charger, closed up the boat and came home.

Never seen this before and figured it must be time for new batteries. I think they are 5 years old.

Is there a reason to suspect any other problem that could be causing this?
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
I have read that a dark color indicates overcharging. I'll be interested to hear if anyone suggests a possible fault with the charger.

I too watch the lights on my Xantrex and what they show often puzzles me. A "fault" light goes on often, then goes off.

I wonder if we need a battery monitor. Because I'm typically on the shore power charger I'm never quite sure what the alternator is actually doing, or where the batteries are when off the charger.
 

Stu Jackson

C34IA Secretary
Either the battery died and may have hurt the charger or the charger killed the batteries.

What charger and why do you leave your boat plugged in when you're not there?
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Either the battery died and may have hurt the charger or the charger killed the batteries.

What charger and why do you leave your boat plugged in when you're not there?

While I cannot speak for the OP, we have left our shore power plugged in when at the dock, year around, since we put the boat into this moorage in 1994.
Since I installed the fridge in '02, the fridge also runs almost year around too.
Good to have full batteries all the time. I only have the house bank (two GC we cells) on the charger.
The starting battery is an AGM and lives a lonely life with occasional charging from the engine under way -- self discharge is very low on that battery type anyway.

Maybe others do this differently and probably have good reasons... but this scheme works for us.

Loren
 

Frank Langer

1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
Similar to Loren, we leave our shore power plugged in if we have anything running in our absence. For example, in the summer we start our refrigerator the night before leaving to get it cold, and in winter whenever we have the flat silver fan/dehumidifier from West Marine running, so as not to run the batteries down. I know the fan doesn't use much (about .65 amps) but if I can't get back to the boat, that will add up during the week.

So far, we haven't had a problem with anything and batteries and Heart/Freedom 10 system works great.

Frank
 

Stu Jackson

C34IA Secretary
Gentlemen, there has always been a philosophical discussion about whether or not to leave ones boat plugged in and/or to keep running the fridge. Mayo notwithstanding. :rolleyes:

When the shorepower breaks and you have to clean up the mess, you'd maybe wished you'd just stopped off at 711 and bought a six pack of cold ones. :nerd:

But:

Your boat, your choice.
 

Vagabond39

Member III
If you hear a battery bubbling, DO NOT OPEN IT TO LOOK IN. That is a SULFERIC ACID solition, not eyedrops.If a Battery is hot, stop charging it. Let it cool down, before checking it further, other than a voltage check. If there are batteries in parallel, isolate the hot one.
 

supersailor

Contributing Partner
Shore Power

A strong argument in favor of continuous plug in to shore power is a boat I know of that developed a leak and sank after the house batteries went flat while pumping the boat out. It would have stayed afloat if it was plugged in. I also like an hour meter on the bilge pump so you can tell if it has been running a lot or not. I always check the battery banks when I board the boats. I haven't had a battery problem in over 30 years but I also replace the charger every five years or so. I also check the boat a couple of times a week.

Bob Morrison
Terra Nova
 

mherrcat

Contributing Partner
A strong argument in favor of continuous plug in to shore power is a boat I know of that developed a leak and sank after the house batteries went flat while pumping the boat out.

This is exactly what one of the guys at West Marine said when I took my batteries in for testing.

BTW, my problem has been solved by replacing the batteries. (See separate thread. I started the new thread when I was standing in Costco looking at their marine deep cycle batteries thinking I might get a faster response that way...)
 

clp

Member III
In addition to two larger bilge pumps, my 'ace-in-the-hole' is a high water alarm. As simple as the float switch for the pumps, but wired to any alarm that suits you. The choices are endless, from small piezo buzzers that you can barely hear, (pointless), to a large klaxon that will wake the NEXT marina over. I just use a simple automotive buzzer that is sufficiently loud and annoying enough to be heard, which subsequently would lead a neighbor to investigate, or at least call me. You get one loud enough, people eventually will do SOMETHING to stop the noise.
Batteries, chargers, cords plugged or not, all good stuff, really. But the leak needs to be stopped! Damn a sinking boat that is just keeping itself bailed..
 
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