There are three lead-acid technologies available today in the marine market:
Flooded, Gel, and AGM.
Flooded cells are containers in which the electrolyte can move freely between the plates that make up the cells.
Gel batteries immobilize the electrolyte by adding a thickening agent.
AGM batteries use a fiberglass mat instead of a gelling compound to hold the electrolyte.
Neither AGM or Gel cell will leak if inverted or pierced. AGM and gel cell batteries are popular for marine applications because they will work even if at an odd angle and will not slosh in rough seas. They also do not put out gas as much as flooded cell batteries because of a slightly different plate composition. They will however accumulate a build up faster.
A further distinction between batteries must be made by application. Broadly speaking, there are two applications that manufacturers build their batteries for: Starting and Deep Cycle.
Starter batteries are meant to start internal combustion
engines. They have thin lead plates which allow them to discharge
a lot of energy very quickly. However, they do not tolerate being
discharged deeply, as the thin lead plates needed for starter currents
degrade quickly under deep discharge and re-charging cycles.
Most starter batteries will only tolerate being completely discharged
(below 10 volts) a few times before permanent damage is done.
Deep Cycle batteries have thicker lead plates that make them resistant to degradation due to deep discharges. They cannot dispense charge as quickly as a starter battery although deep cycle batteries can be used to start combustion engines (you just need a bigger battery than if you used a starter type instead.)
One for starting the engine and another for operating all other loads. This is especially true for cruise sailboats. Since the two banks should be isolated from each other, The Battery Life Saver electronic device should be used on each bank. If current draw is critical, The Battery Life Saver electronic device can be wired through a relay that allows it to operate only when engine or APU are operating.
Many sport boaters replace the batteries on their boats every year or even every 6 months to avoid problems and be sure they can start the engine when needed.
Boats frequently are allowed to sit for long periods between uses or are stored several months each year. This is a killer situation for a battery because sitting allows the battery to self discharge and the resulting low charge accelerates the build-up on the plates.
More information on deep cycle.
More information on The Battery Life Saver electronic device.
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Vector Marine Power Inverter for shore power and offshore power.
Vector Products Customer Service: Phone: 1 (800) 618-5178 Battery Life Saver Contact Information Email: bls @ batterylifesaver.com Phone: (727) 446-8400 936 Cleveland St. Unit C, Clearwater, FL 33755 Designed by Danstrog 2003-2010 © INVENTIONEERING®. All Rights Reserved.INVENTIONEERING® is a registered trademark owned by Charles A. Van Breemen The BATTERY LIFE SAVER electronic device is a trademark owned by INVENTIONEERING® and is used with its permission. |