carbon monoxide

Today when I went down to my boat the carbon monoxide alarms where going off.I found out 2 batteries where almost dry.This happen one other time at this marina.I have never had this problem at other marinas I have stay at.I have a isolated transformer my systems are 240 volts.The marina has a 208 system and i believe the voltage is less then that.Could the love voltage cause the battery charges to cause the batteries to not function properly cause the batteries to cook?I have a 40FT 2007 Mainship trawler.Ive bind here 2 years and stayed a 2 others for 2 years never had trouble at the other 2. Tom

I add water to my batteries every 6 months. How often do you add water to your batteries?

Is this a case of the water disappearing in 3 months or a case of the batteries were never checked for water until now.

If your battery water was low enough to expose the lead plates then you have permanently lost the capacity of the exposed section.

I learned the hard way to check the water levels. Cost me 2 batteries. It's a good idea to check once a month or at least every other month. If you notice the level drops, you need to find out why. I found leaving the boat plugged in can cook the batteries. I plug in when needed and unplug when not needed. That reminds me, time to check my water level!

Our Tolly's current batt bank consists of four LA, group 31, deep cycles hooked up in parallel. They are from Batteries Plus chain of stores and manufactured by East Penn Battery Company.

Purchased early summer 2010 makes them 8 yrs old. I've added distilled water as needed; always distilled! And, do not let them drop below 50% charge before 100% recharge again topped off. These batts are not same quality as some other rather expensive deep cycle batts. However - they cost me only right at $400. So, divided by 8 yrs. = $50 per year for batt power aboard.

Are they as strong now as when new 8 years ago - Well, no! But, do they still work well enough for our general needs - Well, yes. Do I expect much more out of them - Well, maybe this summer or next will be their end. Will I purchase the expensive deep cycle batts or again buy similar at low price from Batteries Plus - We shall see!

Bottom line I'm trying to get across here: Boat's batt bank can be outfitted with considerably affordable deep cycle batts that by keeping maintenance up correctly and when utilized/re-charged correctly can make boating pretty easy to enjoy for years on end before batt bank needs new batteries.

batteries

These batteries were checked 5 weeks ago where I winterize I trust them to do there job.. The only thing that makes sense to me is the low voltage at this marina. I had the same problem when I stayed here 2 years ago.The last 2 marines I stay at for a season I had no problem. Again I have a 240 volt system which runs through a isolating transform. Anyone have any thoughts on this. Tom

Something I do not catch here is the link between CO detector going on and the batteries? Gazing batteries releasing hydrogen not CO.

L

I don't know what the batteries release but they were hot and smoke was coming out of the cells and they ran dry. Tom

Tom; your charger is 240 or 120V? a 208 marina shows 120 to neutral.

But, if you take the 208 thru a straight iso transformer, you will be feeding only 104 V to your 120 volt legs.

tomsboat said:

I don't know what the batteries release but they were hot and smoke was coming out of the cells and they ran dry. Tom

Click to expand...

Ok did not notice they literally burned!

L

Hydrogen gas can set off a carbon monoxide detector. Hydrogen is a part of the detection process and some detectors can give a false CO in the presence of hydrogen.

Art said:

Bottom line I'm trying to get across here: Boat's batt bank can be outfitted with considerably affordable deep cycle batts that by keeping maintenance up correctly and when utilized/re-charged correctly can make boating pretty easy to enjoy for years on end before batt bank needs new batteries.

Click to expand...

Very good point.

On sailboat, I always had a dehumidifier running in the boat. This emptied into the galley sink. I put the drain hose into a water bottle in the sink. The water bottle would fill then overflow into the sink. Every time I got on the boat, I would put the dehumidifier away and check the batteries which were under the galley sole. I would top off the any cell that was even slightly down with the water from the bottle.

I started to do this after allowing some batteries on my prior sailboat get too dry because I failed to check on them. I found that using the distillate from the dehumidifier was a lot easier than trying to remember to take jugs of distilled water down to the boat. Those batteries did great.

dhays said:

Very good point.

On sailboat, I always had a dehumidifier running in the boat. This emptied into the galley sink. I put the drain hose into a water bottle in the sink. The water bottle would fill then overflow into the sink. Every time I got on the boat, I would put the dehumidifier away and check the batteries which were under the galley sole. I would top off the any cell that was even slightly down with the water from the bottle.

I started to do this after allowing some batteries on my prior sailboat get too dry because I failed to check on them. I found that using the distillate from the dehumidifier was a lot easier than trying to remember to take jugs of distilled water down to the boat. Those batteries did great.

Click to expand...

Sounds near to a full-cycled system... with a solar charger - no muss, no fuss, no cost at all for keeping active-elect power aboard - except $$ for the batts themselves!

Batteries

My boat has a 50 amp 240 volt plug which feeds a 240 volt isolating transformer. This feeds a 240 volt 120 panel. The 240 volt breakers are on one side of the panel the 120 volt the other side .My AC is 240 volt and I have other equipment that operate on 240 volts,The boat came with 2 8d batteries which controlled the engine ,house windless and bow and stern thrusters this was hooked up to a 240 volt charger.When I got the boat I had a separate charger put in for the thrusters.The charger for this is 120 volts because there were no spare 240 volt breakers.This was done by a marine electrician and I never had any trouble
at the other marinas.This yard today put a boost transformer on my pole and I checked my outlets and I'm now getting 118 volts so the voltage is now where it should be.I think I'm out 2 8d batteries.I just hope this solves the people again these batteries where just serviced 6 weeks ago and I'm in the north east the weather has been cool.PS the generator battery is OK it runs off the generator alternator. Tom