10 Things you need to know about Marine batteries - BRAVA

WHAT ARE MARINE BATTERIES?

Marine batteries are special starter and deep-cycle batteries designed for use in boats and other recreational equipment used on water. They are used in place of traditional lead-acid automotive batteries and employ features that support specific requirements of your boat’s engine and running systems. Some marine batteries protect against brutal operating conditions that include vibration, high temperatures, and include maintenance-free plate designs that minimize battery corrosion and fluid loss.

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What Are The Different Types Of Marine Batteries?

What are the different types of marine batteries? There are three basic types: starter, deep cycle, and dual purpose. Each has a specific job to do.

• Starter battery. This type of marine battery starts your boat’s motor. It’s also called a cranking battery. Starter batteries “crank” out a big dose of power in a short amount of time. But it won’t keep your motor going. That’s a job for the next battery on this list.
• Deep cycle battery. These batteries have thicker plates than starter batteries. These plates allow them to provide steady, consistent power. You can charge them and discharge them for many cycles. They’re perfect for keeping your trolling motor going, and powering your lights, GPS, fish finder, and more.
• Dual purpose marine battery. As its name suggests, this battery can do the job of both starter batteries and deep cycle batteries. But like some “jacks of all trades”, dual purpose batteries have the reputation of being “master of none”. Some won’t provide enough power to start certain engines. Others last for far less cycles than typical deep cycle batteries. The only exception is lithium batteries. Both our 12V 100Ah and 12V 125Ah batteries are both dual purpose!

Marine Battery Chemistry: Flooded, AGM, Gel and Lithium

AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat)

Gel Cell

Lithium Ion

Can You Use A Marine Battery In A Car

Both marine and car batteries share many similarities in terms of voltage, capacity, size, weight, CCA (Cold Cranking Amps), MCA (Marine Cranking Amps), chemistry, battery terminals, and similar.

When having issues with a car battery, replacing a car battery with a fully charged marine battery can be tempting, but can and should this be done?

Yes, if and only if the marine battery is of the same or very similar size, it has the exact chemistry as a car battery, has the same or better capacity/CCA/MCA and other discharge features, can be properly secured in its position, and can be properly connected to the car’s electric system.

Choosing The Right Battery For Your Vehicle

It does make more sense to pick a battery that is specifically designed for your car. This is because batteries are put through a very rigorous process in order to ensure they are of the utmost quality and the most fitting.

Before investing in a battery, you should make sure to take a look at specific factors in order to make the right choice. These are as follows:

Battery Group Size

This term refers to how big the battery is and how accurate it is to fit the dimensions of your car. This is denoted by a series of letters and numbers that are allocated to different group sizes and usually based on the model and make of the car they are meant to go in.

Cold Cranking Amp

This rating will define how well a battery can start a vehicle in chilly temperatures. It refers to how many amps 12-volt batteries are able to generate 0° at least 30 seconds with a minimum of 7.2 V.

Reserve Capacity

This figure will tell you how long batteries that are charged 100% are able to keep generating power for the accessories of a car if the alternator is unable to do so.

Are Marine Batteries Better Than Regular Batteries?

Marine batteries are not better or worse than car batteries, they are just meant to be used in two different applications and are built differently to accomplish that. The main purpose of a car battery is to provide power to the starter to crank the engine. Marine batteries are used for this purpose as well but are also used to power all of the electronic accessories on your boat and are designed to be used in the harshest conditions when out on your boat. They need to be able to withstand the bouncing, vibrations, and shaking that are common while out on the lake enjoying a day of watersports or fishing.

Marine batteries also come in different designs to suit your needs. Marine starting batteries are designed to provide that jolt of power to start your boat’s engine and then will recharge as you are out boating. If you need a workhorse battery that will start your boat and power the electronics, then the marine dual-purpose batteries are for you. For boats that have a lot of power demands, trolling motors, fish finders, etc. where just a starting or dual-purpose battery won’t be enough, marine deep-cycle batteries will provide the power you need to run all of those toys.

On yachts, fishing boats and other vessels, specialized marine batteries are usually used. In this article we will talk about their application, what you should pay attention to when choosing a battery, how boat batteries differ from car batteries, their specialization and types of operation, as well as their varieties in terms of chemical composition.

Batteries are required for autonomous power supply of the outboard electric motor, navigation instruments, lighting devices and other electrical equipment on various boats. Before choosing and purchasing batteries, it is worth determining for what purposes and with what frequency it will be used on the boat, what type of motor is installed on it, whether other functions besides starting the engine will be assigned to the battery.

When driving, strong pitching and roll of the motor boat, as well as splashes on the equipment are possible. Therefore, the batteries that ensure the operation of the engine must be resistant to vibrations, mechanical damage and high humidity, and also, they better not be afraid of deep discharges. Important parameters when choosing a battery for a boat electric motor are:

• the presence of an electric motor, as well as the mass of the boat;
• battery capacity, since the battery life of the electric motor and additional equipment on a single battery charge depends on them;
• maintenance requirements - sealed maintenance-free batteries are probably the best choice in this category;
• the ability to work with strong pitching, the ability to function in a wide temperature range;
• self-discharge level - it should be minimal to eliminate the risk of deep discharge of the battery during storage.
• voltage - it can be 12, 24, 36 or 48 volts;
• weight and dimensions of the battery - the lighter and more compact the battery, the more convenient it is to use;
• ease of transportation and storage, safety of use, fitting for the current water area, vacation style or fishing conditions.

The Difference Between a Marine Battery for a Boat and a Regular Battery

Batteries in small boats are not used in the same way as in cars. On powerboats and sailing yachts, batteries are discharged more deeply. Trying to apply automotive experience to boat batteries results in batteries only lasting 1-2 years before losing capacity and failing. Some fishermen or small boat owners often opt for car batteries in the beginning to save money, but as practice shows, the lower price is not justified.

Automotive batteries are starter-type power supplies designed to supply short-term starting current. When used as directed, they will last for years. But when they are used in continuous DC mode and brought to deep discharges, car batteries quickly become unusable.

How long a car battery lasts depends on the intensity of its use. Typically, a new battery lasts half a season or a whole season, most often in the range of five to seven charge cycles. Therefore, it is worth using a car battery only in combination with an engine, running on fuel. And the electric motor needs a traction battery or a universal dual-use model.

In essence, the electrochemical processes of marine batteries are almost no different from "land" ones, but they have their own characteristics. Modern marine batteries almost always have a so-called double terminal. That is, traditional cone terminals are duplicated with studs. This is done in order to be able to quickly connect an additional load. To provide increased vibration resistance, the plates are also stuffed in a slightly different way. They also have a special rating system for output energy in amperes and charge cycles.

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Marine Battery Types

When choosing a battery, it is necessary to focus not only on the size, capacity and brand that represents it. It is necessary to clearly understand the purpose of the battery and its scope. At the moment, three types of batteries are widely used when completing boats and other watercraft: marine starting batteries, marine deep cycle batteries and marine dual-purpose batteries. Let's dwell on each of them in more detail.

Marine Starting Batteries

Boats with internal combustion engines are traditionally equipped with such batteries. They provide a quick start of a diesel or gasoline engine, their task is to generate a current of 500- amperes within 5-10 seconds, which allows you to start the engine. They are designed only for such short-term supply of high currents and should not be operated in a continuous output mode, such as powering a trolling motor or electrical equipment. Under prolonged loads, starting batteries quickly lose their charge and fail prematurely.

Deep discharge for this type of battery is a situation where too much battery power is used up in a short time – then the battery loses about half of its capacity.

Marine Deep Cycle Batteries

This type of battery is designed for stable cyclic operation in charge-discharge mode. They are designed for long-term use, give off the maximum of accumulated energy, provide a stable current and resist oxidation. Depending on their chemical composition, they withstand from 500 to operating cycles.

It is deep cycle batteries that are designed for intensive use in constant mode and frequent deep discharges. It is a good choice for powering outboard electric motors on PVC boats and fishing boats, they never self-discharge and also endure dynamic vibrations.

They are also able to provide power to a variety of equipment on the yacht, such as a winch, energy-intensive on-board electronics, radars and depth gauges, lighting lights and thrusters. Although they are more expensive than their counterparts, they are unrivaled for cyclic and heavy-duty use.

Marine Dual-Purpose Batteries

One of the main tasks facing the developers of power sources for boats and boats is the successful combination of the positive properties of traction and starter batteries. Universal marine dual-purpose batteries are able to provide high starting current, as well as work as a deep-discharge power source in charge-discharge mode.

That is, they combine the properties of traction and starter batteries: they allow you to start the internal combustion engine, feed the electric motor and the entire power consumption system of the boat. But their weaknesses are also universal: some of them last far fewer cycles than typical deep cycle batteries, others do not provide enough power to start certain engines.

Marine Battery Types by Chemistry

According to their chemical composition and manufacturing technology, batteries for boat electric motors are of several types:

• Wet lead acid (WET) are serviceable workhorses. They are inexpensive, frost-resistant, withstand up to operating cycles, and have good initial capacity. But they must be transported and used strictly in an upright position, and charged in well-ventilated rooms. Traction type models are manufactured using thicker plates and special anti-oxidation additives. However, in terms of ease of use, they are inferior to competitors, and if they are often discharged, then part of the capacity will be lost.

• Created by AGM technology - models with absorbed electrolyte. AGM lead-based battery technology involves the use of absorbed fiberglass. It is produced without the use of liquid - using pressed fiberglass of a cellular structure, due to which it does not require maintenance, since it is not necessary to fill in the electrolyte. Due to the minimal addition of acid, the risk of sulfation of the electrodes is practically minimized.

  They are safe and easy to use, operate over a wide temperature range, are vibration resistant and can be tilted or flipped on their side. But such batteries are afraid of deep discharges, so they are not recommended for use in cyclic mode. Their resource usually does not exceed 400 cycles.

• Gel (GEL) - sealed, maintenance-free deep-cycle batteries. This is the second sub-type of lead-based battery used with electric outboard motors. By design, these are sealed, maintenance-free batteries in which the electrolyte is in the form of a gel, which prevents the risk of leakage.

  Such models are well suited for the use of boat electric motors. Gel batteries are not afraid of deep discharge, can withstand up to 700 operating cycles, can produce a high starting current when starting the motor, can be turned over, and work seamlessly at both low and high temperatures. When idle, they are able to quickly restore the original resource.

  GEL batteries are superior in performance to WET and AGM types, but they cannot be recharged.

• Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are maintenance-free batteries with high energy density, light and easy to use. They are reliable, meet high safety requirements, withstand up to operating cycles, have a wide temperature range and low self-discharge. They charge quickly and require no maintenance.

  They have a protection board against all kinds of risks during operation. The category of batteries includes models with different chemical composition. Manufacturers are experimenting with the composition of the cathode and anode, creating batteries with different technical characteristics - different values of capacity, voltage, current loads and cyclic life.

It is also worth paying attention to lithium-iron-phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries - a subspecies of lithium-ion. Working resource - more than cycles. These are traction type batteries with high energy intensity, thermal and chemical stability.

Marine Battery Group Size

The marine battery group size chart refers to physical dimensions, it is presented by battery length, width and height, as well as C-rate, and cranking amps. This sizing system was created by the Battery Council International to standardize the industry.

Group Size Lenght, " Width, " Height, " Ah (Capacity) Estimated CAA 22NF 9.43 5.5 8.94 40-56 300-550 24M 10.25 6.81 9.75 75-85 500-840 25 9.06 6.88 8.88 - - 27M 12.5 6.81 9.75 66-110 640-870 31M 13 6.81 9.44 75-125 600- 34M 10.25 6.81 9.44 50-75 750-880 35 9.06 6.88 8.88 - - 65 12.06 7.56 7.56 - -

When you decide, for example, to purchase a group 25 battery, you know exactly the size you are buying. Regardless of the battery manufacturer, the group size is a standard value that can be trusted. Boat manufacturers use the same dimensions when installing pallets or battery compartments.

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