Storing Marine Lithium Batteries
Store a marine lithium battery safely during winter, haul-out or long periods away from the boat.
Storage instructions vary by manufacturer.
Check recommended storage state of charge, maximum and minimum storage temperature, self-discharge, BMS standby draw, monitoring draw, whether chargers should remain connected and inspection interval.
Hidden loads
A boat can slowly discharge while unattended through BMS electronics, shunt, bilge alarm, tracker, router, stereo memory, inverter standby and DC-DC standby.
Know what remains powered after the "main switch" is off.
Diagnose before replacing parts
A shutdown or low-output symptom can begin in the battery, charging source, protection, cable path, monitor configuration or the load itself. Record evidence before resetting equipment so the original cause is not lost.
- Capture alarms, BMS history, state of charge, voltage at the battery and voltage at the affected equipment.
- Inspect for heat, looseness, corrosion, damage or water ingress before attempting another high-current test.
- Stop and isolate the system if there is swelling, unusual heat, odour, smoke, damaged cabling or repeated protection operation.