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Abyc positive ground isolator12/26/2023 If there are gasoline vapors, a spark created during the normal cycling of the charger might cause an explosion. Installing such a device in your boat is a significant safety risk. Many automotive chargers do not meet this requirement. This means that in its normal operation, the device must not be able to ignite a specified mixture of explosive gas. The final stage is the float stage, which maintains the battery at full charge.įederal law requires that electrical devices in the engine space and connected compartments of a boat powered by inboard gasoline engine must be ignition protected. The charger will then shift into the absorption phase where the final 20 percent is replaced at a constant voltage and declining amperage. For maximum battery life, the charger has a bulk charge phase, which will replace the charge up to 80 percent of capacity. Fortunately, most marine battery chargers have options to suit each battery chemistry and are programmed as three-stage “smart” chargers. Gel batteries have different charge rates and charge profile than wet cell batteries. The battery charger output must match the requirements of the battery chemistry. The charger’s maximum output should be approximately 20 to 40 percent of the battery’s storage capacity, often rated in cold cranking amps (CCA). It’s a subject worthy of a separate article. These are the most important factors in selecting a charger. The selection of the best battery charger for your boat is first a function the size of your battery bank measured in amp hours, the chemistry of your batteries, and the duty cycle of the boat. As such, a careful and proper installation is essential to ensure safety. The battery charger is one of the few boat components that connects to the boat’s shore power alternating-current (AC) system, supplied from shore power, and the boats direct-current (DC) battery system. They cost less, but they are inappropriate and even dangerous for a permanent marine installation. It might be tempting to buy an inexpensive automobile charger, but that’s not a good idea. Adding a battery charger is the obvious solution, and it’s a good winter project. Left unattended, unchecked and uncharged, these battery drains will drop the battery voltage below what is required to turn over the engine. A common lead-acid wet-cell battery will discharge about five percent a month. Even without parasitic loads, batteries will slowly discharge. Add in bilge pumps and pump switches, engine control modules and alarm systems, and it pulls down your battery voltage over time. In today’s boats, there are a lot of parasitic loads-minute electrical loads inherent to the vessel such as stereo memory, carbon monoxide detectors and LED indicator lights- built into a variety of pieces of marine hardware. Few boating experiences are more frustrating than preparing to go for a cruise and finding that your battery doesn’t have the power to start the engine.
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