Newbie question

[Chief fan]

New AR250...........do i turn on house and start batteries to charge with a deep cycle charger?
Also should i leave both start and house battery on when in wet slip?

Thanks these are simple questions but new to the dual battery setup. Thank you

 

[captras]

I have a NOCO dual bank battery charger/maintainer so I dont have to worry about the charging question. As for the wet slip, I am not sure which battery powers the bilge pump, but whichever one it is, I would leave that on! Having that bigle pump available all the time may be a huge deal if something happens causing water to get into the boat. Of course this is assuming you are going to leave the charger on all the time. I am sure others, more knowlegeable about this than I, will chime it.

 

[Dave burke]

If you’re boat is like mine, the bilge is connected to the house battery. So I always leave the house battery on and the starting battery off. If the boat is wet-slipped of course. Otherwise both switches should be off.

In terms of charging, in my experience doesn’t matter if the switches are on or off.

If I were you, I’d make sure the batteries were connected to a charger if you’re going to be away from the boat for more than a couple of days. Mine almost swamped a few years ago because the house battery died because there was a lot of rain.

 

[1WetBoat]

New AR250...........do i turn on house and start batteries to charge with a deep cycle charger?
Also should i leave both start and house battery on when in wet slip?

Thanks these are simple questions but new to the dual battery setup. Thank you

You dont need to turn on the batteries for charging when in storage.

The bilge will come on with both batteries in the off position. Until I had an issue recently with a busted cooling hose, my bilge pump had never turned on on its own. So i tested it with the batteries in the off position and filled the bilge with water. Bilge pump turned on until the level dropped.

However, as mentioned before, this can drain your house battery if left unattended. The Bilge pump checks for water every 2 mins by spinning the impeller. If its dry then there is no resistance and it stops. If its full of water the impeller senses the resistance and stays on until all the water is out. If rain water gets in the bilge due to a lot of rain, it can drain your battery.

 

[Sean R]

You dont need to turn on the batteries for charging when in storage.

The bilge will come on with both batteries in the off position. Until I had an issue recently with a busted cooling hose, my bilge pump had never turned on on its own. So i tested it with the batteries in the off position and filled the bilge with water. Bilge pump turned on until the level dropped.

However, as mentioned before, this can drain your house battery if left unattended. The Bilge pump checks for water every 2 mins by spinning the impeller. If its dry then there is no resistance and it stops. If its full of water the impeller senses the resistance and stays on until all the water is out. If rain water gets in the bilge due to a lot of rain, it can drain your battery.

I did the same bilge test. Both batteries off, filled with a garden hose and the bilge turned on ?

 

[Chief fan]

Thanks guys I will just turn the batteries off in the wet slip overnight and not worry knowing the bilge will still operate! As far as leaving the boat in a storage unit near the lake just plug charger in and leave it? Would leave it for a few weeks between boating. Just worried leaving charger on it and not being around.

 

[tabbibus]

Thanks guys I will just turn the batteries off in the wet slip overnight and not worry knowing the bilge will still operate! As far as leaving the boat in a storage unit near the lake just plug charger in and leave it? Would leave it for a few weeks between boating. Just worried leaving charger on it and not being around.

A smart charger is completely safe.

 

[Chief fan]

What brand model of charger? So just hook to one battery and both will be charged?

 

[1WetBoat]

What brand model of charger? So just hook to one battery and both will be charged?

I have a NOCO branded charger. I hook up to both at the same time.

 

[Chief fan]

how do i charge the batteries on the AR250 and get in and out of the boat on trailer? My old ar240 you did not need to open the engine compartment. I have not driven the boat for 3 weeks and going down to where i store it and charge or top them off. Not sure if it needs it and will check it out after my 3 hour drive to the lake where i keep it. Any advice?

 

[1WetBoat]

Correct, on the newer models with the battery in the engine compartment there is no other way to get to them. Unless you wire the NOCO(or charger of choice) to the batteries and install the battery charger under the Port seat where the battery switches are. I keep meaning to add the plug somewhere else on the boat but im dreading having to drill into the boat.

Three weeks of non use shouldn't require you to re-charge your batteries, unless you are leaving something on the boat while away. Ive gone as long 2-3 months(i know, shameful) with the boat in storage and the batteries were still topped off.