Winterizing Your Marine Batteries

Winter is officially here and it's time to put your boat away until the spring. Taking the time to properly take care of your battery during the winter season will ensure a smooth start for your boat when you're ready to hit the water again.

Improper battery care can lead to corrosion and sulfation, freezing, self-discharge, and parasitic draw.

Your boat battery has been exposed to moisture constantly throughout the spring and summer seasons, leaving it very susceptible to corrosion and sulfation. Improperly storing a discharged marine battery will allow sulfate crystals to form on the plates, and its lifespan will be dramatically reduced.

Make sure you regularly check your battery and use our video guide to learn how to effectively clean corroded terminals.

Storing your battery in a non-climate-controlled environment can lead to freezing, especially if it has not been fully charged before storage. If possible, store your battery somewhere with moderate temperature.

Whenever your batteries are not in use (whether they are connected or not), they naturally lose charge. We recommend using a maintainer or trickle charger to combat self-discharge and sulfation while avoiding any overcharging. Similar to self-discharge, parasitic draw occurs when your battery has been left connected to a vehicle. The electronics will drain your battery whether they are on or not, so it is important to ensure your battery is disconnected during the off-season.

What are some best practices for boat battery storage?

Following some simple guidelines can ensure an easy start to your next boating season.

1. Keep your battery disconnected. To reduce parasitic draw and sulfation, disconnect the battery from your boat and hook it up to a maintainer or trickle charger in a clean, moderately temperate location. Canadian Energy carries a range of battery chargers and power supplies for all types of marine batteries.

2. Keep your battery clean. Before putting your boat battery into storage, it's important to clean off any dirt and corrosion debris to make sure it's in good shape for next season.

3. Test your battery. To ensure your battery doesn't die while in storage, test it before putting it away. A fully charged battery has a much better chance of lasting through the winter months. Watch our video to learn how to properly test your battery.

Canadian Energy has a team of battery specialists and an extensive range of battery technology available for every application. Visit on of our 19+ branches across Canada and allow one of our product experts to help you find a battery that fits your need.