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Marine battery blog
Fifty practical articles on starting, house, and trolling-motor batteries for Florida boats. No prices, no fake reviews, no dealer claims.
These articles exist so county and town pages do not have to repeat the same battery lesson. Read the one that matches the boat, then see where we come to you or what we do at the dock.
Showing 10 of 50 articles. Page 2 of 5.
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Guide
Winterizing marine batteries in Florida
Florida winter is mild, but a discharged battery in cool storage still sulfates. Keep lead-acid charged; do not treat January as a northern freeze-down.
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Guide
Storing a boat battery off-season
Weeks on a trailer or in a garage need a charged lead-acid pack, clean connections, and a charger that matches chemistry — or a deliberate disconnect.
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Guide
Florida heat and marine battery life
Heat shortens sealed lead-acid life. Battery University’s guideline is about 8°C (15°F): each step like that can cut life in half.
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Guide
Saltwater corrosion on battery terminals
Salt on posts is a connection problem. Federal boat rules also require real terminal hardware and a path for hydrogen in the same box.
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Charging
Parasitic draw on docked boats
Memory circuits, pumps, and a charger that lost power flatten a bank that “just sits there.” Sulfation follows a low state of charge.
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Guide
Inverter house-bank sizing
Inverters turn amp-hours into AC loads. Reserve capacity and depth of discharge decide how long the coffee maker actually runs.
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A visit from us
Recycling old marine batteries
Used lead-acid and household battery chemistries are hazardous waste in the ordinary sense: they go to a recycler, not a dumpster.
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Flooded, AGM, gel, and lithium
Hydrogen venting on flooded batteries
Charging flooded batteries releases hydrogen, which has no odor. Rotten-egg smell is hydrogen sulfide. The boat still needs a vent path.
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Charging
Gel battery charger voltage
Gel is a sealed lead-acid chemistry with a lower charge voltage than many flooded and AGM programs. The charger has to say gel.
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Flooded, AGM, gel, and lithium
AGM batteries and vibration
Absorbed glass mat batteries are spill-proof and handle vibration well. They are heat-sensitive and need an AGM charge profile.
Also see common battery lines and typical setups by boat.
On the boat
Replacement, coverage, and questions
See marine battery work at the boat, counties we come to, the marine battery blog, and questions.