Tips on Charging Houseboat Batteries - How to keep the Battery Bank Charged

How do I keep the houseboat batteries charged, or is charging the battery bank a separate system?

I will have a 12 volt battery on my 22ft trailerable houseboat for lights only. What would be the best way to keep the battery charged?

Would a Solar Panel provide enough power? Or can I keep the system charged by connecting it into the outboard electrical charging system?

Thanks, Mr. B.

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Reply - Answer
Well Mr B, that's a good question that can confuse a lot of people. Now be forewarned, there's many different ways to keep the battery charged up.


Here's a few different scenarios:

1) One of the simplest methods would be to use the charging capabilities of your outboard motor to charge the battery.

2) You could use a Solar Panel for power, yet you would have to get an adequately sized panel to actually charge, instead of just trickle charging the battery.

3) You could use a 12 volt battery charger when you are at the dock (or at home) to replenish or recharge your battery when you get back from a day of boating.

4) You could get a portable generator, to provide the 120 volt city power necessary to run your 12 volt battery charger, while you are out on the lake. (you could also use the portable generator for your 120 volt household appliance use on board)

5) If you're worried about running out of battery power, you could always just pick up a Battery Pack to use as extra portable or boosting power.

6) Add a second or third battery to your battery bank, as this will prolong the time between having to recharge them.

7) Lastily, depending on your budget, you could use a combination of all of the above.



BATTERY BASICS:
Now all of this depends on how much power you consume, as this will dictate how fast your battery or batteries will discharge.



As you can see, there is many different ways to solve your situation. Personally, I use a combination of all of the above, since one of my pet peeves, is running out of power, or having a dead battery bank.



Lastly, hopefully some of our readers will share and post comments about their charging or houseboat battery bank experiences. Feel free to use the "Click here to post comments." link found near the bottom of this page.


Thanks again for sharing, IAN from all-about-houseboats

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