Is the battery charger onboard my 27 ft cruiser a "trickle charger"?

Lastrapes

I am new to the cruiser boat scene and have questions that will make you veterans chuckle, but oh well....the batter charger onboard, is it a trickle charger so I don't have to worry about "over charging" or it becoming defective from staying on a few days?

aero3113

I would think your charger is a “smart” charger and will maintain your batteries once they’re fully charged.

Lastrapes

the boat is a 2007, so not so sure things were "smart" then.  but if your answer means "yes" it is a slow charger, I appreciate it

Cableguy Greg

It should not overcharge the batteries. It should be a Progressive Dynamics PD2020 charger unless it has been replaced by the PO.

LaRea

Right ... during normal use, you can connect the boat to shore power and leave the charger turned on all the time.  No need to turn it off when you leave the boat for a few days.  

If you have non-sealed lead-acid batteries, you should check the water levels a few times over the season, and refill when needed (distilled water only).  

It won't overcharge unless you have a faulty battery, which is rare but it does happen.  Easy way to check:  after the batteries have been charging for several hours, put your hand on the side of each battery.  If a battery is hot, it probably has a shorted cell.  Replace ASAP.  But again, it's a rare condition.

Welcome to the forum!  

LaRea

Oh - and if you ever notice that the batteries aren't charging properly, you might need to replace the charger.  A lot of people here have reported charger failures starting at around 10 years of service, so your boat is a candidate.