Thanks Thanks:  0
HaHa HaHa:  0
Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 21

Thread: Battery freezing?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Posts
    8,237
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default Battery freezing?


    I remember reading about batteries freezing and should be removed from boats in very cold weather.
    Does anyone actually do that?

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app
    G3PO

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Newport, SC
    Posts
    6,694
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    Never heard that Brett! I don't move mine until needed to be replaced. Mine are on a on board charger and I think the heat from that keeps the water from freezing. I use to have a old aluminum boat I kept outside in the weather and never had a problem with the battery in it. I do know if it matters! I'm sure I'm about to learn something though

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Indian Land Sc.
    Posts
    2,402
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    Up north they do that when they winterize their boats and put them in storage till spring .

    Sent from my SM-G973U using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 1996
    Location
    Central Florida
    Posts
    25,842
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    Naw, car batteries don't freeze. Same for our big boat batteries. I lived at the IL/WI border my whole life, froze my you know what off all those years till I wised up and moved to FL.

    Sure, some might take them out to keep a charge on them, so they don't die over the winter (cause 3-4 months of cold with no use/charge will certainly do that).
    Owner
    "Wear your PFD" "No texting n driving" slab
    Crappie.com members are the best
    Likes trypman1 LIKED above post

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Lexington, South Carolina, United States
    Posts
    8,924
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    The amount of charge in lead acid batteries is a function of the specific gravity of the fluid in the battery. Pulling this out of the cobwebs in back of my mind but I believe the specific gravity of water is 1. When fully charged the SG of a battery is around 1.125. The more fully discharged a battery becomes the more like water the solution becomes. So a "dead" battery could freeze and burst just like a hose or spigot left unprotected.
    Because we don't get a lot of " pipe busting" cold in SC batteries don't often freeze and burst.
    Leaving a battery on a smart charger full time is the best insurance against freezing plus it's best to keep fully charged anyway to avoid sulfation of cells.

    More than you wanted to know, right? Engineer's curse.
    Mark 1:17 ...I will make you fishers of men
    Likes Redge, BigDawgg, "G" LIKED above post

  6. #6
    Redge is offline Crappie.com Legend - 2017 Man Of The Year
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    OK
    Posts
    27,548
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    Thanks SeaRay!
    I’m always learning something new.


    Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com
    Proud Member of Team Geezer!

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 1996
    Location
    Central Florida
    Posts
    25,842
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    Just to add to my story, all the time I lived up there, I never once heard of someone's battery freezing and bursting, and I heard many go dead on folks. I'm not trying to discredit anyone, I'm sure SeaRay is 100% right, I'm sure they'd eventually burst, but IMHO extremely rare indeed. I have seen "so to speak" koozies on batteries! Wrapped in insulation, never understood that, unless it was to protect it from the heat.

    Now off to SC for a writers camp where it's supposed to be freezing. First time I've put pants on in many months, yuck. ttyl all
    Owner
    "Wear your PFD" "No texting n driving" slab
    Crappie.com members are the best

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Lexington, South Carolina, United States
    Posts
    8,924
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    I too have never seen a battery burst from freezing. I was speaking in theory as to the possibility. I would venture to say that if you were to place a completely dead battery outside in the coldest SC weather and checked the water in the battery it probably would be at least partially frozen.
    Would it freeze solid enough to burst the battery. Probably
    not.

    Slab you've managed to pick the nastiest weather we've had in months to come visit our great state! Hope your visit is a good one.
    Mark 1:17 ...I will make you fishers of men

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2019
    Location
    Westminster SC
    Posts
    658
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    well I've had them go bad, as well as freeze/crack case


    so they go in the basement up here...fwiw

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Posts
    8,237
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by SeaRay View Post
    The amount of charge in lead acid batteries is a function of the specific gravity of the fluid in the battery. Pulling this out of the cobwebs in back of my mind but I believe the specific gravity of water is 1. When fully charged the SG of a battery is around 1.125. The more fully discharged a battery becomes the more like water the solution becomes. So a "dead" battery could freeze and burst just like a hose or spigot left unprotected.
    Because we don't get a lot of " pipe busting" cold in SC batteries don't often freeze and burst.
    Leaving a battery on a smart charger full time is the best insurance against freezing plus it's best to keep fully charged anyway to avoid sulfation of cells.

    More than you wanted to know, right? Engineer's curse.
    JUST TELL ME WHAT TO DO!!Battery freezing? Battery freezing?

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app
    G3PO

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

BACK TO TOP