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Dead battery? wonk wonk

bradleyheathhay

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Hey everybody. I've got a '91 Hunter 27 sailboat that wasn't used much last summer, not at all this past winter, and only twice this summer. Went down there last week to do some maintenance and the battery switch and meter reads no current at all on one of the two batteries. I guess this means the battery is a gonner.

What could this possibly be besides the battery and how could I check it?

Also, I'd like to have the replacement battery with me the next time I go down, but I have no idea what kind of battery to look for other than a marine battery. I know the size and the dang weight of the ones in the now but other than that I know nothing about them.

What kind / amp / voltage? battery should I look for to replace it?

Thanks
 
Gas or diesel engine? Bigger battery for diesel. Battery could have something on that discharged it completely. Probably no good, but you could try charging it. For starting a regular battery, for house use (lights, etc.) deep cycle. For starting I always buy the battery with the longest guarantee and highest cranking amps. They last much longer than the cheaper ones. In my diesel pickup the batteries are from 2010. In boats I use 8d, but I have big diesels.
 
you never said how old the battery was or its use....or if you did any maintenance on it...

I would charge it and re test it unless you know its old (over 5 yrs).

Lepke covered starting batteries pretty well...for a house battery, you need to size it by your needs, in amp-hours.

As a rule, you get what you pay for when it comes to batteries...
 
Hey everybody. I've got a '91 Hunter 27 sailboat that wasn't used much last summer, not at all this past winter, and only twice this summer. Went down there last week to do some maintenance and the battery switch and meter reads no current at all on one of the two batteries. I guess this means the battery is a gonner.

What could this possibly be besides the battery and how could I check it?

Also, I'd like to have the replacement battery with me the next time I go down, but I have no idea what kind of battery to look for other than a marine battery. I know the size and the dang weight of the ones in the now but other than that I know nothing about them.

What kind / amp / voltage? battery should I look for to replace it?

Thanks

I realize that this thread is cold by now.
If the OP comes back, here are my suggestions after having done marine electrical work for many years.

Wet cell batteries tend to work best for our Marine needs and requirements.

Starting batteries should be just that..... a Start Battery that meets the cold cranking amp demands.
Deep Cycle batteries are not built for heavy amp loads such as cranking.
(an exception to that would be cranking from a large bank of multiple Deep Cycle batteries)

House batteries should be true Deep Cycle batteries.
As mentioned, calculate your anticipated daily loads in terms of Amp Hours.
Lights, fans, pumps, frig (typically 50% of amp load due to cycling), radio, TV, etc.
Size the house bank to offer 200% of that demand.
To keep the house bank healthy, do not allow it to be drawn down below 50% of the total Amp Hours that are available.

Note that wet cell battery damage occurs when a battery is left in a SOD for any duration.
This is due to the plates absorbing the electrolyte's sulfuric acid, rather than keeping it in solution.

Keep all batteries charged sooner than later, and you will extend their life expectancy.
This may mean using a maintenance or float charger to keep them up to snuff.





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