On board Battery Charging

[briancayko]

I have a 2010 210 Challenger SE twin 155’s, the owners manual says not to charge the battery while it’s in the boat. It also says nothing about jump starting (as with these new portable jump start packs). I have seen several guys on here install onboard battery tenders. So I guess her are my questions,
1. Why does seadoo say not to charge the battery while it’s installed in the boat?
2. How is it then okay to install a tender onboard?
3. What happens if you are out on the lake & the battery dies for whatever reason, how do you get started again?

Thanks in advance…

 

[rcookr1]

A battery tender is fine I just turn the battery selector switch to off when I charge.

 

[go_panthers]

The issue with onboard charging is related to people not using marine-rated chargers. Using a standard charger can spark, which is dangerous in an enclosed hull.

Jump starting can be dangerous for the same reason. You need to make sure the hull is ventilated.

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

Also charging batteries produces hydrogen gas and connecting/disconnecting the charger can cause sparks if not done correctly according to the instructions.

Basically, these warnings are to avoid lawsuits BUT they do have merit. As go_panthers and others suggest, ventilation is key to avoiding explosions and fire within the bilge as well as remember to not allow hazardous or inflammable liquids to leak and collect. Gasoline and propane fumes for instance, are heavier than air and will settle to the bilge bottom and collect there.

So yes, I do charge batteries and yes I do jump start boats using jump packs and never had a problem but it COULD happen. If I smell gasoline, I first clear the bilge completely (This may take days of ventilating bilge in some cases)

Also, in the case of seadoo, I and others recommend turning off the battery switch or disconnecting the battery while charging. Also, don't use jump start cables from a running vehicle b/c the voltage may be too high. Jump starting from a vehicle that isn't running should be okay. Some seadoo owners and shops won't even do that.

The reason is, while a vehicle is running, system voltage can be over 15V for some vehicles. This might damage a Seadoo MPEM. This also why I recommend disconnecting(or turning off the battery switch) the battery while charging from a charger, b/c some chargers, by definition, raise battery voltage close to or perhaps over the limit of Seadoo's design.

I forgot to disconnect the battery a few times while charging and didn't have a problem but others have not been as "lucky".

 

[gb387]

We have a NOCO on board waterproof charger installed on ours and it works great and its is supposed to be 'spark free ultra safe'. Our boat is always ready for the water and the expensive battery is being taken care of without our intervention. As mentioned above has more to do with a stray spark igniting a fire, boats tend to hold potentially flammable fumes in the engine compartment. Just be smart, use common sense and you won't have any trouble.

 

[briancayko]

Ok. Thanks guys. A few questions to clarify.
1. When the onboard tender is connected, that is always connected correct? & then you just have a plug installed for the tender somewhere on the hull that you plug into when not In use?
2. Do you leave the tender plugged in all winter?

My boat is in a heated garage so I wasn’t planning on removing the battery if I went this tender route…

 

[gb387]

https://www.seadooforum.com/showthread.php?87990-On-board-battery-tender&highlight=Noco

Above is what I did. I added an pass through outlet on the swim deck. My tender stays plugged in when ever my boat is not in use. Tenders DO prolong battery life for e especially on boats and other vehicles not used daily. My boat and pwc batteries are plugged in all winter as well

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

For my boat using a lead-acid battery, I use an Battery Tender 800. These are designed for leaving connected and float-charging indefinitely if you want. I confirmed it charges and floats correctly and have used this model for well over a decade connected for months in some cases (accidentally) so I know the battery isn't boiled out or damaged by it.

But that's not how I intend on using it, for various reasons.

For my Seadoo boat, I installed a stainless marine cigarette lighter live outlet at the helm that I use for powering water toy air pumps, etc. and occasionally, a 100W spotlight. This live socket is connected directly to the battery +/- terminals with it's own circuit using 12AWG (20A capacity) marine wire and fused inches from the battery + using a marine 15A blade fuse holder.

So during winter before covering the boat, I turn off the battery switch and plug a 10ft battery tender charging cord into this live 12V outlet and leave the cord hanging outside the hull. Periodically (once a month or less), I connect the battery tender to confirm the battery condition. Usually the charger quickly goes to float mode within 30 seconds and I disconnect it. If not, I leave it connected and recheck a few hours later or next day.

This way, I'll know if some problem with the battery might be occurring. A lead-acid battery should hold it's charge quite well for over a month, most often for a few months. Say for instance the battery develops a shorted cell, it wouldn't charge correctly and this method will immediately reveal some problem exists.

This frees-up this same float-charger as well, for use maintaining other toys in a similar method.

Anyway, I prefer not leaving stuff connected to AC power when it's unnecessary. Maybe b/c I've witnessed what has gone wrong for others a few times and have experienced other battery chargers fail with less than stellar results.

And I've had lead-acid batteries last upwards of 15 years when maintained using this recipe. New batteries do fail as well, this season I witnessed 3 failed new batteries.