OPERATIONAL MAINTENANCE
BATTERY MAINTENANCE:
Many boaters who are meticulous about maintaining their
water skis, fishing equipment and motor boat
in
tip-top shape for some reason are
inclined to ignore their boat's battery. But the battery
is
as
important to the operation of
your rig
as
any item aboard. Here
are
several suggestions for the care and cleaning of
your marine battery.
THINGS YOU SHOULD
DO:
DO wear eye protection and rubber gloves wl)en working on or around
batteries.
DO take care when connecting or disconnecting battery charger cable
clamps.
Be
sure charger
is
turned off and unplugged from power source
when making or removing connections. Poor connections are common
causes of electrical arcs which could cause
an
explosion.
DO use a voltmeter or hydrometer to check the battery charge condition.
THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT DO:
DO NOT smoke or bring a flame near a battery at any time.
DO
NOT
place your head directly above a battery when making or breaking
electrical connections.
DO NOT use a metal object to spark between battery posts to check for
charge condition.
DO NOT make or break electrical circuits at the battery terminals; a spark
usually occurs when a
live
circuit
is
opened or made.
To clean your battery, wash down the battery case with a diluted ammonia or baking
soda solution to neutralize any acid, then flush with fresh water. Keep the fill/vent caps
tight so the neutralizing solution does not get into the battery cells.
The electrolyte level should
be
checked every 30 days. The
level
should be maintained
between the top of the plates and the bottom of the fill/vent cap opening by adding
distilled water.
Do
not overfill and remember that batteries contain sulphuric acid which
can cause severe burns.
090192
4.12
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