There is a limit to everything. And knowing when a battery has had enough, could mean the difference between a battery that lasts for years or one that has to be replaced every other season. More serious than the loss of the battery, is that the battery could become dangerous, and, unfortunately, I have seen my fair share of battery explosions. I know of a situation where the battery was so seriously over charged that it melted while out boating and took out the entire electrical system. (not one piece of electronic equipment survived the failure) So, in an attempt to keep yourself from that fate, at least learn these basics.

Note: The likelihood of a battery explosion increases significantly as the temperature and charging rate increases and the electrolyte level decreases.

To avoid damage, charging rate must be reduced or temporarily halted, if:

1. Electrolyte temperature exceeds 125^o F (52^o C).
2. Violent gassing or spewing of electrolyte occurs.

Battery is fully charged when, over a two hour period at a low charging rate in amperes, all cells are gassing freely and no change in specific gravity occurs. For the most satisfactory charging, the lower charging rates in amperes are recommended.

Full charge specific gravity is 1.260-1.280, corrected for temperature with electrolyte level at split ring.

Continuous charging with a trickle charger weakens a battery. In situations where a battery charger has to be on line all the time, make sure that the charger has a cycling feature that completely shuts off all charging to the battery when charging isn't needed. Most marine automatic chargers do not have this feature as a general rule.

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