Leave charger on or not?

[bobcinga]

Our 41 CMY has a CCharles 60amp Model 5000 three bank charger. I just replaced all three batteries with Maintenance free lead acid batteries. My question is should I leave the charger on all the time or turn it off when we are not there? Probably no longer than three weeks between boat visits and while it can get cold, bildge shouldn’t drop below 50 degrees.

Oh one more thing. No idea what setting the charger is set to related to lead acid, gel, or AGM. Not sure what CCharles or Carver was thinking, but the switch to change the setting is on the back of the charger and it is mounted to the back port bulkhead with about 3 inches between muffler and unit. No way to get to it that I can see.

[mjk1040]

I'd turn it off. A little spoiled food is cheaper than a fire onboard should something go wrong while your gone..

[bud37]

The question might be .....does the charger get to float..13.2 to maybe 13.6 volts. This will depend on the charger battery setting if it has one.

If so then I see no reason to worry about it, they are designed for this....but myself, I personally shut everything off when we leave the boat. I wouldn't worry about cold batteries in the bilge , fully charged we leave them all winter at - temps with no charger on them and they are fine.

[g36]

I leave my charger on year round. Have the same start batteries and my trojan house batteries for 6 yrs now. I don't know if you shut your seacocks while gone but if you don't and you have a leak of any size your bilge pumps will drain your batteries quickly I figure if the charger is on it can by some more time

[Viper]

I would leave the charger on as it is a smart charger that will switch to a float mode after the bank is charged. This will maintain the charge while minimizing electrolyte loss. Having said that, it doesn't mean that the fluid levels in the batteries never need checking, they still do. As g36 mentioned, springing a leak is a perfect example of why you'd want the charger on at all times if you're in the water.

I believe the 5000 series comes set from factory to the GEL charge curve. This may have been changed at Carver though prior to the install. The GEL curve however while set to a charge voltage just slightly below the lead acid curve, both the GEL and lead acid setting have the same float voltage.

[Cooler]

Bobcinga - if you have a small mirror to stick behind the charger, you will see the setting. Available at automotive stores for cheap. I keep one on board because there is always a use for it. It is standard equipment in mechanics tool box. If you are in the water, there is probably no real need to shut down. If you are stored in/at a facility on the hard, check with the facility regarding rules of storage. Most storage contractors will require you turn everything off and do not leave power cord plugged in if you are not there. My facility requires no connection, with the caveat that if a power cord is plugged in, it will immediately be unplugged by the owner. That is agreed to on storage contract. I do plug in when I am there, which is at least every couple of weeks. The last boat fire at a marina in our area was caused by a charger. Took out 4 boats, and the owner of the primary said his charger was a smart charger less than a year old. er

[Midnightsun]

Only time the charger is not connected is during winter layup since no power available. My toys such as seadoo, snowmobile and classic car all are plugged in during the off season. FYI, NOCO recently came out with a very compact maintenance charger using the latest tech. These are great for mounting in various toys. https://no.co/genius2d

[Tireless]

I leave my battery chargers on all the time and monitor fluid levels regularly when the boat is in the water. In the winter I top them up with a charge and disconnect the neutrals. I have never had an issue and get a good battery life.

While in the water, I like them on charge for reasons discussed. This was also recommended to me by the Carver dealer when I bought my first boat. In the winter I also top up the charge and disconnect the neutrals an my Jet Boat and dinghy and have yet to have an issue. I have my Camaro on a battery maintainer all winter in the garage, due to the electrical systems on board.

With the temps up here in the winter, failure to top the batteries to a full charge, you run the risk of them freezing.

[bud37]

Source of the post Oh one more thing. No idea what setting the charger is set to related to lead acid, gel, or AGM. Not sure what CCharles or Carver was thinking, but the switch to change the setting is on the back of the charger and it is mounted to the back port bulkhead with about 3 inches between muffler and unit. No way to get to it that I can see.

If you have the one with the analog gauge on the front, I am not so sure there is a switch back there, I just changed ours out ( 2001 model ) and there was no switch, It may have come set from the factory for particular charge profiles. Regardless you should still check your batteries with a volt meter after the charger has been on for a number of hours to see what voltage is being applied. If it is over 14 volts after say 24 hours charge, then the charger or something is off . I would be hesitant to leave a charger running at over 14 volts for long periods with no draw on it.....

I changed our because it would not get to float of 13,2 to 13.6 about....was always 14.2 at the lowest which I believe is the bulk charge number.