batteryquestion

C

cpt vic

New member
we are replacing the 6yr old original batteries, came with 2 starting group 24's. was always careful not to draw much more than anchor light. but now would like to consider one starter and one deep cycle.. which battery position is default for bilge pump? #1 or2.. staying with group 24 any suggestions for purchase? the old ones were :best" brand cca 880
 
The purpose of wiring a bilge pump directly to a battery is so that if all the other switches are off, the bilge pump will pump when there's an emergency and no one is around. This is standard C-Dory factory procedure, with a fuse in line with the pump. Bilge pumps also have a separate power line which goes to a switch on the instrument panel so that it can be turned on for checks, or anything else.

That said, wire directly to the battery which will keep that pump going for the longest time in an emergency. I would pick the deep cycle battery.

Boris
 
Capt. Vic,
you should find your bilge pump hot line connected directly to the house battery positive terminal with a fuse in the line close to the battery terminal. The negative line from the pump is connected to the negative bus bar. Wired this way when the pump float switch closes with rising water the pump turns on, regardless of the battery switch position, 1, 2, both or off.

At least mine is wired that way and works as described. Other wires from the pump go forward to the bilge pump switch on the dash to start and stop it manually.

Unusual that you had 2 start batteries instead of one start and one deep cycle or dual purpose. My boat had 2 group 24 dual purpose batteries and this spring I bought a new group 24 start battery and wired the 2 dual purpose batteries in parallel for house batteries. A start battery does not make a decent house battery and probably won't last long using it as one.

Rich
 
Cpt Vic,

I am also replacing my original batteries. I had good success with my originals and am replacing them with the same.

I use group 24 Exide Nautilus batteries, 1 start battery and 1 dual-purpose.

My bilge is wired directly to the dual purpose battery.
 
I don't know, Don't much like making tough decisions so I got 2 group 27 dual purpose Interstates, and run them in "Both" most of the time. Tried the "Odd # on Odd days and even # on even days" for a while but with an inconsistent schedule, found that they were not keeping even, so went back to the both on all the time program.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
You guys are getting 5 to 6 years out of original batteries?? Way to go! We replaced two of the three original batteries the first year. Most marine batteries have a one year warranty vs up to three years for a car battery. I'm lucky to get 3 years out of a boat battery.
 
I just replaced my series 24 battery with a duel purpose marine series 27 . Now I have 2 series 27 one is 6 months old the other is new last week . I'm hoping to get 5 yrs out of these .I use a 10watt solar collector and keep battery switch on number 1or 2 depending on need . My last battery is a series 24 that was mfg in 7/05 and still is rated at 12.45 volts . I gave that batery to a vo-tec school . Jim

BTW before using solar collector I would only get 2y rs out of a battery so solar works here in fl.
 
We use two group 27 deep cycles still going strong on their 4th year. We leave our shore power plugged in our house with battery charger on in whenever we are not out cruising. No Blue Sea charging regulator just a standard two battery switch with one, two, off, or both postions. Interstate batteries. I would look at Sears Diehard deep cycles as they get good reviews and are about a hundred each. my two sense
D.D.
 
I'm about to start season 4 with my original batteries. I have three deep cycle bats. During the winter I baby them - no colder than 60 degrees in the basement, elevated off the floor, ensure fluid levels are good, and put them away fully charged. I charge them again at the start of the season.

We'll see how they go this year.
 
How to decide when to replace the batteries? I bought my 22 in Sept. of 04 and it came with Optima blue top dual purpose batteries. I have had zero problems. One time I ran down a one of the batteries watching a movie on a laptop - just used the other to start and charge.

After 7 years I am starting to think they could die suddenly and leave me with little choice of what to purchase if on a trip. The Optima batteries are twice the cost plus a little more than the Seavolt sold at WM. I have liked the no-maintenance Optimas but not sure they are worth the price difference.

Any one have experience with the WM Seavolt or recomend other batteries?
 
I generally get 3 to 4 years out of batteries and then replace them. I don't get any really fancy names. Just WM group 27 start and deep cycle. My last summer at WM I had a customer heading for Alaska with 12 year old batteries! He didn't want to replace them with me. He called 2 days later from Sechelt wanting me to ship him a couple as he couldn't start his engine . No can do. Hazardous goods. So he paid the going rate in Sechelt. Way more. Compared to other things on the boat, batteries are pretty inexpensive
 
We are down to just a couple of battery manufacturers these days; most batteries you see for sale (Costco, Walmart, Sam's, Autozone, Kragen/O'Reilly, etc.) are private label varieties from either East Penn or Johnson Controls.

When I needed a replacement battery for my BMW M Roadster I had a choice of buying a Johnson Control battery with a BMW label for $285, or with a Sam's Club label for $95. Guess which I picked...

Johnson is also the manufacturer of Optima, and East Penn is the manufacturer of Deka.

Cheers!
 
Add one more, Exide,. made in America. For some god-forsaken reason I bought a Exide after the Motorcraft died on the Ford. A year later the battery is self discharging (or something,) so that it will not start the truck after a couple of weeks sitting. They're arguing over replacing it.

This is the second time I've had trouble with Exide, so shame on me. They tell me Motorcraft is made in Mexico by Johnson Controls, so I guess I was spoiled by the Mexican Motorcraft.

Boris
 
I'll add some more testimony:

The Interstate battery especially made for my BMW Z3 has a vent to conduct any gasses created on charging to out side of the rear truck battery compartment. Only the vent doesn't fit the drain tube: one's round and the other elliptical. I had to buy a replacement, so went to Costco and one that fit exactly the same, period. $180 vs. $65. I'm no genius, but I'm not that stupid, either!

I have four group 27 Deep Cycles on my CD-22 and three more of the same on my Sea Ray 265 SB. 7 x $65 = $455. WM: 7 x $170 = $1190. The Difference = $735. The Costco batteries cost 38% of the WM batteries, and I can't see any performance differences.

Just MHO, YMMV!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
My boat was put in service in April of 2007, with an Exide Nautilus NC24 Dual purpose and an Exide Nautilus xxhd-m-24 start battery and I have had zero issues to date. Decided to replace them because of age only, and piece of mind.

I went to a battery store in Fort Walton Beach, Florida and was charged:

66.88 for NC24 dual purpose and 68.84 for the xxhd-m-24 1000ca start battery.

Not a bad price as far as I'm concerned....now lets see if these last five years??
 
well ended up going with interstate marine batteries one starter rated at cca of 800 and a deep cycle the best 2 in group 24--putting the deep cycle in #2 postion , not sure which the bilge is wired to .anyway we paid 104.and 108. of course a few days later wm has seavolt dual duty on sale oh well hopefully these will do well. just have to get used to switching to both after starting up on #1.
 
I am, certainly no expert, but I recently noticed my Yamaha 100 was overcharging at about 16 -17 volts. The dealer said the batteries, which were 9 years old were resulting in the overcharging and subsequent burn out of the voltage regulator. Two new batteries and a new regulator and everything is working fine. I always charged the batteries after each outing and didn't realize they were bad. He encouraged me to replace the original deep cycle batteries with two marine cranking batteries, stating that mixing a cranking and deep cycle battery may cause problems with the charging cycle.
 
Back
Top