Re: [Cal_Boats] Frozen Batteries

Thanks Joe! Was not aware that a fully charged battery wouldn't freeze but it you think about it that's why car batteries don't freeze . . . if the alternator is working that is. Paul In a message dated 3/20/2014 3:22:20 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, je… [at] mindspring.com writes: On 3/20/2014 3:18 PM, _p… [at] aol.com_ (mailto:pw… [at] aol.com) wrote: I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this question but if your batteries have frozen, they are done, correct? *********** WELL done. Use them for a core when buying new batteries, this saves you about $5 each. I have never bothered to pull the batteries out of our boat and this year we've had lots of really cold weather for somewhat extended periods of time. ********* A fully charged battery will not freeze. The other day I went aboard and tried to turn on a light with the battery switch on "ALL" and got nothing and this is with 2 deep cycle 12V batteries and 2 - 6V batteries. I don't remember how much, if at all, I charged them before haul out but my real question is if I hook a charger up to them am I in danger of anything bad happening ie: fire or whatever? Is there any way to tell if they've been frozen w/o attempting to charge them? ********** If the case is bulged, it's been frozen. You should first inspect them, then charge all batteries, then load test them. Most auto parts stores will do this for free if you bring them your batteries. Joe DeMers - owner Sound Marine Diesel LLC_SoundMarineDiesel.com_ (http://www.soundmarinediesel.com/) phone & fax (860) 666-2184 Thanks - Paul --

KRIS - THANK YOU!! Now I gotta carry those heavy ass batteries down a ladder or rig a hoist off my boom . . . fun stuff . . . but not as much fun as cleaning battery acid outta my quarter berth. Paul In a message dated 3/20/2014 8:17:35 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, cr… [at] att.net writes: Paul, If you haven't hit them with a charger yet, Don't! Take them off the boat to a location you don't mind a mess and then do it. Frozen batteries can have bent or distorted plates and shorted cells. Charging can cause all kinds of havoc if there is internal damage. Years ago, my engineer called me to the garage where he was trying to recharge one of the 8D Starting batteries for our generators. It had been left outside after being removed by the maintenance crew. It had apparently froze while out there overnight. He had it on the bench with the caps all removed and one of those big roll around Charger/Starter units hooked to it. He said "Is this a problem?" as he flipped the power switch on the bench and a geyser of battery acid shot 4 feet high out of every hole! You want that happening in an area you can either hose off or slink away quietly and never admit you were there... Kris From: "pw… [at] aol.com" <pw… [at] aol.com> To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2014 12:18 PM Subject: [Cal_Boats] Frozen Batteries I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this question but if your batteries have frozen, they are done, correct? I have never bothered to pull the batteries out of our boat and this year we've had lots of really cold weather for somewhat extended periods of time. The other day I went aboard and tried to turn on a light with the battery switch on "ALL" and got nothing and this is with 2 deep cycle 12V batteries and 2 - 6V batteries. I don't remember how much, if at all, I charged them before haul out but my real question is if I hook a charger up to them am I in danger of anything bad happening ie: fire or whatever? Is there any way to tell if they've been frozen w/o attempting to charge them? Thanks - Paul

That just makes for one less step after you've confirmed that they are toast and need to be replaced. I'm a tinkerer too and even though I know there's little to no chance that a frozen battery will come back, I just gotta try it... I also helped fish a neighbor out of the water after his battery exploded and tossed him over the rail and into the harbor. He had been charging it with one of those big rolling chargers and he forgot to shut it off at the source before taking the alligator clamp off the battery. Spark,and BOOM! Best place to land in that particular instance tho. Extinguished him, neutralized the acid, and cooled the burns. One stop shopping. From: "pw… [at] aol.com" <pw… [at] aol.com> To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2014 5:21 PM Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Frozen Batteries KRIS - THANK YOU!! Now I gotta carry those heavy ass batteries down a ladder or rig a hoist off my boom . . . fun stuff . . . but not as much fun as cleaning battery acid outta my quarter berth. Paul In a message dated 3/20/2014 8:17:35 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, cr… [at] att.net writes: >Paul, > >If you haven't hit them with a charger yet, Don't! Take them off the boat to a location you don't mind a mess and then do it. Frozen batteries can have bent or distorted plates and shorted cells. Charging can cause all kinds of havoc if there is internal damage. > >Years ago, my engineer called me to the garage where he was trying to recharge one of the 8D Starting batteries for our generators. It had been left outside after being removed by the maintenance crew. It had apparently froze while out there overnight. He had it on the bench with the caps all removed and one of those big roll around Charger/Starter units hooked to it. He said "Is this a problem?" as he flipped the power switch on the bench and a geyser of battery acid shot 4 feet high out of every hole! > >You want that happening in an area you can either hose off or slink away quietly and never admit you were there... > >Kris > > > > > > >________________________________ > From: "pw… [at] aol.com" <pw… [at] aol.com> >To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com >Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2014 12:18 PM >Subject: [Cal_Boats] Frozen Batteries > > > > > >I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this question but if your batteries have frozen, they are done, correct? > >I have never bothered to pull the batteries out of our boat and this year we've had lots of really cold weather for somewhat extended periods of time. The other day I went aboard and tried to turn on a light with the battery switch on "ALL" and got nothing and this is with 2 deep cycle 12V batteries and 2 - 6V batteries. I don't remember how much, if at all, I charged them before haul out but my real question is if I hook a charger up to them am I in danger of anything bad happening ie: fire or whatever? > >Is there any way to tell if they've been frozen w/o attempting to charge them? > >Thanks - > >Paul > >

WOW . . . did his boat sink too for the trifecta? Thanks again! You too Joe for your earlier advice! Paul In a message dated 3/20/2014 8:37:10 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, cr… [at] att.net writes: That just makes for one less step after you've confirmed that they are toast and need to be replaced. I'm a tinkerer too and even though I know there's little to no chance that a frozen battery will come back, I just gotta try it... I also helped fish a neighbor out of the water after his battery exploded and tossed him over the rail and into the harbor. He had been charging it with one of those big rolling chargers and he forgot to shut it off at the source before taking the alligator clamp off the battery. Spark,and BOOM! Best place to land in that particular instance tho. Extinguished him, neutralized the acid, and cooled the burns. One stop shopping. From: "pw… [at] aol.com" <pw… [at] aol.com> To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2014 5:21 PM Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Frozen Batteries KRIS - THANK YOU!! Now I gotta carry those heavy ass batteries down a ladder or rig a hoist off my boom . . . fun stuff . . . but not as much fun as cleaning battery acid outta my quarter berth. Paul In a message dated 3/20/2014 8:17:35 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, cr… [at] att.net writes: Paul, If you haven't hit them with a charger yet, Don't! Take them off the boat to a location you don't mind a mess and then do it. Frozen batteries can have bent or distorted plates and shorted cells. Charging can cause all kinds of havoc if there is internal damage. Years ago, my engineer called me to the garage where he was trying to recharge one of the 8D Starting batteries for our generators. It had been left outside after being removed by the maintenance crew. It had apparently froze while out there overnight. He had it on the bench with the caps all removed and one of those big roll around Charger/Starter units hooked to it. He said "Is this a problem?" as he flipped the power switch on the bench and a geyser of battery acid shot 4 feet high out of every hole! You want that happening in an area you can either hose off or slink away quietly and never admit you were there... Kris From: "pw… [at] aol.com" <pw… [at] aol.com> To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2014 12:18 PM Subject: [Cal_Boats] Frozen Batteries I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this question but if your batteries have frozen, they are done, correct? I have never bothered to pull the batteries out of our boat and this year we've had lots of really cold weather for somewhat extended periods of time. The other day I went aboard and tried to turn on a light with the battery switch on "ALL" and got nothing and this is with 2 deep cycle 12V batteries and 2 - 6V batteries. I don't remember how much, if at all, I charged them before haul out but my real question is if I hook a charger up to them am I in danger of anything bad happening ie: fire or whatever? Is there any way to tell if they've been frozen w/o attempting to charge them? Thanks - Paul

Didn't sink but had much better access to that part of the bilge area afterwards. No annoying decks or gunnels in the way. Wish cellphones had cameras then... From: "pw… [at] aol.com" <pw… [at] aol.com> To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2014 5:41 PM Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Frozen Batteries WOW . . . did his boat sink too for the trifecta? Thanks again! You too Joe for your earlier advice! Paul In a message dated 3/20/2014 8:37:10 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, cr… [at] att.net writes: >That just makes for one less step after you've confirmed that they are toast and need to be replaced. I'm a tinkerer too and even though I know there's little to no chance that a frozen battery will come back, I just gotta try it... > >I also helped fish a neighbor out of the water after his battery exploded and tossed him over the rail and into the harbor. He had been charging it with one of those big rolling chargers and he forgot to shut it off at the source before taking the alligator clamp off the battery. Spark,and BOOM! Best place to land in that particular instance tho. Extinguished him, neutralized the acid, and cooled the burns. One stop shopping. > > > > > > >________________________________ > From: "pw… [at] aol.com" <pw… [at] aol.com> >To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com >Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2014 5:21 PM >Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Frozen Batteries > > > > >KRIS - THANK YOU!! > >Now I gotta carry those heavy ass batteries down a ladder or rig a hoist off my boom . . . fun stuff . . . but not as much fun as cleaning battery acid outta my quarter berth. > >Paul > >In a message dated 3/20/2014 8:17:35 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, cr… [at] att.net writes: > >>Paul, >> >>If you haven't hit them with a charger yet, Don't! Take them off the boat to a location you don't mind a mess and then do it. Frozen batteries can have bent or distorted plates and shorted cells. Charging can cause all kinds of havoc if there is internal damage. >> >>Years ago, my engineer called me to the garage where he was trying to recharge one of the 8D Starting batteries for our generators. It had been left outside after being removed by the maintenance crew. It had apparently froze while out there overnight. He had it on the bench with the caps all removed and one of those big roll around Charger/Starter units hooked to it. He said "Is this a problem?" as he flipped the power switch on the bench and a geyser of battery acid shot 4 feet high out of every hole! >> >>You want that happening in an area you can either hose off or slink away quietly and never admit you were there... >> >>Kris >> >> >> >> >> >> >>________________________________ >> From: "pw… [at] aol.com" <pw… [at] aol.com> >>To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com >>Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2014 12:18 PM >>Subject: [Cal_Boats] Frozen Batteries >> >> >> >> >> >>I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this question but if your batteries have frozen, they are done, correct? >> >>I have never bothered to pull the batteries out of our boat and this year we've had lots of really cold weather for somewhat extended periods of time. The other day I went aboard and tried to turn on a light with the battery switch on "ALL" and got nothing and this is with 2 deep cycle 12V batteries and 2 - 6V batteries. I don't remember how much, if at all, I charged them before haul out but my real question is if I hook a charger up to them am I in danger of anything bad happening ie: fire or whatever? >> >>Is there any way to tell if they've been frozen w/o attempting to charge them? >> >>Thanks - >> >>Paul >> >> > >