Fancy Clamps

8605092201_420e27dd2b_oThis may just be the most fancy battery charger ever. Sleek lines and an aluminum-colored body speak of luxury. Clearly, it will charge a dead battery, but what else can it do? If only you could read those foreign characters you might know.

Types of Marine Battery

Whatever marine battery you need, whether it’s for a houseboat or a 30-foot sailboat, you’ll want to know the different options available to you, and the pluses and minuses involved. Selecting the right battery for you will depend on how you use your boat, the cost, and the kind of boat you have. The most common chemical types are: gel, flooded and Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM). Here are the key points of each.

Gel

These battery types include a silica-type gel made of fumed silica, phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, and pure water. These are generally a little bit more expensive and not as powerful as an AGM battery of similar size. Gel batteries are charged at a lower voltage than the other types, so it’s crucial to carefully regulate charging.

Flooded

These batteries are the cheapest and most common marine battery. They generate power with a pool of liquid sulfuric acid creating a pathway linking lead plates. Flooded batteries necessitate regular checking and the addition of distilled water. Positives include that they handle overcharging better in comparison to other battery types, they are cheaper, and used batteries are 98% recyclable.

AGM

Absorbed Glass Mat batteries include a mat doused in acid electrolyte separating a battery’s negative and positive plates. They are the preferred power source if you need a high burst of power periodically as well as steady deep-cycle ability. They require little-to-no maintenance and also have a long life expectancy. Because of these pluses, they are usually among the most expensive type of marine battery.

Click here to learn more about marine batteries in San Diego.