Battery care for winter

[Airborne5.0]

Hi everyone, I would like to hear how everyone cares for their batteries over the winter. I previously left it and boosted it in the spring, I picked up a trickle charger from Amazon this year but am now getting sort of paranoid about a fire happening in my garage while away.


What does everyone do?

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[MNstang]

Last year I did nothing with my battery. I did start the car and let it idle for about thirty minutes every 4 weeks. I had it in my garage from mid December to late March. No battery issues this year. Your results may be different...

 

[Dana Pants]

you could give yourself a reminder to put a charger on for 30 minutes at the beginning of every 2nd month and get the same result as a trickle charger. Up to you.

 

[Droog]

Trickle charger. Cheap to buy, cheap to use, and your battery will last longer compared to letting it go dead and boosting it every spring.

 

[WD Pro]

Hi everyone, I would like to hear how everyone cares for their batteries over the winter. I previously left it and boosted it in the spring, I picked up a trickle charger from Amazon this year but am now getting sort of paranoid about a fire happening in my garage while away.

What does everyone do?

I understand your concern and I think I would make that decision based on the quality of charger you have bought i.e. known make = relax a little / unknown Chinese make = hhhmmm ....

If its a quality make I wouldn't worry about it too much, what's the difference to electrical stuff that's plugged in around the house 24/7 ?

If it still plays on your mind, just put it on a timer to come on twice a week for a couple of hours - at least that allows you to minimise the time / risk balance in your own mind

Personally I have a CTEK and have put my faith in it being a quality item.

WD

 

[StangTime]

Hi everyone, I would like to hear how everyone cares for their batteries over the winter. I previously left it and boosted it in the spring, I picked up a trickle charger from Amazon this year but am now getting sort of paranoid about a fire happening in my garage while away.


What does everyone do?

What trickle charger did you buy?

 

[ORRadtech]

Did you get a trickle charger or a battery maintainer? There's a real difference between the two but people often use the terms interchangeably. A trickle charger delivers a low charge to the battery no matter its state of charge. A matainer has electronics on board to determine the batterys condition and deliver a charge appropriate to its needs. It also helps to prevent sulfating of the battery plates.
A maintainer will keep the battery charged and healthy and is as safe as any other electrical device that is left plugged in.
A trickle charger has the potential to over charge the battery which can lead to dangerous situations like the battery exploding.
So it's important to know what you have and use it accordingly.

A good option for caring for a battery over a cold winter is to remove it from the car, fully charge it then store it somewhere warm.

 

[WD Pro]

A 'cool' place is better for long term storage of an out of service battery

WD

 

[ORRadtech]

Last year I did nothing with my battery. I did start the car and let it idle for about thirty minutes every 4 weeks. I had it in my garage from mid December to late March. No battery issues this year. Your results may be different...

I know lots of people do this but...
Running the car at idle for a few minutes during the winter is not really the best thing for it.
Idling it never really gets it to full operating temperature to heat out any moisture and the warming/cooling cycles can induce more condensation than it would have just sitting. You'd be better off to pick a nice day occasionally and drive it for that half hour.

 

[boB]

If there is no power nearby then a solar charger may be your only option. Good ones are not cheap, these (or the next larger size) are what the US military specified for their construction equipment: https://www.pulsetech.net/catalog/p...ry-solar-charger-maintainer-3w/category/4717/

Note that the output may be reduced by 50% or more if the panel is placed behind a windshield.

 

[ORRadtech]

A 'cool' place is better for long term storage of an out of service battery

WD

Cool or warm doesn't really matter that much, it's extreme temperatures either way that are bad. The website Batteries 101 notes it's best to store it above 32f and below 80f.

https://northeastbattery.com/battery-101-store-batteries-off-season/

 

[kz]

I've done nothing. Last winter car was up on a QuickJack for month and half and not ran sometime before that. Battery was fine. In fact even now (it's 3+ years old) still shows as "Good Battery, 98% health). Trickle Charger crowd is overthinking it a bit (unless you have a car that has some parasitic loss).

 

[WD Pro]

Cool or warm doesn't really matter that much, it's extreme temperatures either way that are bad. The website Batteries 101 notes it's best to store it above 32f and below 80f.

https://northeastbattery.com/battery-101-store-batteries-off-season/

But one end of that scale i.e. the cool end is better ...

WD

 

[Strokerswild]

Did you get a trickle charger or a battery maintainer? There's a real difference between the two but people often use the terms interchangeably. A trickle charger delivers a low charge to the battery no matter its state of charge. A matainer has electronics on board to determine the batterys condition and deliver a charge appropriate to its needs. It also helps to prevent sulfating of the battery plates.
A maintainer will keep the battery charged and healthy and is as safe as any other electrical device that is left plugged in.
A trickle charger has the potential to over charge the battery which can lead to dangerous situations like the battery exploding.
So it's important to know what you have and use it accordingly.

A good option for caring for a battery over a cold winter is to remove it from the car, fully charge it then store it somewhere warm.

This.

I have a couple of battery maintainers that I move around to each vehicle in my shop monthly during the winter. Once I get a green light, on to the next one, repeat until the rotation is complete until next month. Along with normal use in the on season, I've found that doing so extends battery life significantly.

 

[Airborne5.0]

I understand your concern and I think I would make that decision based on the quality of charger you have bought i.e. known make = relax a little / unknown Chinese make = hhhmmm ....

If its a quality make I wouldn't worry about it too much, what's the difference to electrical stuff that's plugged in around the house 24/7 ?

If it still plays on your mind, just put it on a timer to come on twice a week for a couple of hours - at least that allows you to minimise the time / risk balance in your own mind

Personally I have a CTEK and have put my faith in it being a quality item.

WD

Did you get a trickle charger or a battery maintainer? There's a real difference between the two but people often use the terms interchangeably. A trickle charger delivers a low charge to the battery no matter its state of charge. A matainer has electronics on board to determine the batterys condition and deliver a charge appropriate to its needs. It also helps to prevent sulfating of the battery plates.
A maintainer will keep the battery charged and healthy and is as safe as any other electrical device that is left plugged in.
A trickle charger has the potential to over charge the battery which can lead to dangerous situations like the battery exploding.
So it's important to know what you have and use it accordingly.

A good option for caring for a battery over a cold winter is to remove it from the car, fully charge it then store it somewhere warm.

This.

I have a couple of battery maintainers that I move around to each vehicle in my shop monthly during the winter. Once I get a green light, on to the next one, repeat until the rotation is complete until next month. Along with normal use in the on season, I've found that doing so extends battery life significantly.

Hi everyone, thanks for the replies.

Thanks for the suggestion to put it on temporarily and then remove it as required vs leaving it in for the duration of the winter. A buddy who uses this year through the winter recommended it.

I purchased his recommendation.

NOCO GENIUS1, 1-Amp Fully-Automatic Smart Charger, 6V And 12V Battery Charger, Battery Maintainer, Trickle Charger, And Battery Desulfator With Temperature Compensation : Amazon.ca: Sports & Outdoors

Let me know your thoughts and advice please!

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