what killed my dang batteries?

rasbury

Well, tried to squeeze a few hours boating in today but just was not meant to be-first, changed a flat on my trailer when I went to pick it up- brand new tire with a nail through the side wall so no fixing that one. Then, before we left the storage (right by the river) and I asked my wife, did you grab the boat key/ We all know how that one ended. So, after going back to the house with boat in tow and back to the ramp, in the water and turn the key and nuttin. Both batteries deader than a door nail. So, went below to grab my jumper box and well, that needs a charge as well. Has been 5 weeks since I've even seen the boat. I did have my helm switch and battery switch turned off. I know, I think that my VHF radio works even with everything turned off. When I put the jumper box on the bilge  pump came on and thought to myself well I left that on and it was running the battery down after 5 weeks. Further thought however I'm not sure if I heard it start running after I turned everything on (battery and helm switch) or not...Everything I'm sure is still wired as from factory...would that pump run with everything off? Anything else that could be running?? New battereies...

Michael T

On my last 3 Rinkers: 2011 226 XL, 2013 EC 310 and 2014 EC 360 at least one bilge pump would run no matter what I did - as long as there was sufficient charge in the batteries.

Hamdog

Ras,

Yes. You cannot disengage the bilge pumps. They are hard wired to the battery. Even with everything off......they will still run.

Black_Diamond

Mercathode will kill your batteries quickly if in the water and no shore power/battery charging on. 

Michael T

Ras I think we got at some of this on a thread the other day? If I remember correctly there are a lot of parasitic loads on the batteries (stereo heads, Gps, Axius etc..... unless everything (except the bilge pumps) aren't shut off.  I have heard of bilge pumps killing the batteries of boats left in the water and the shore power has tripped allowing the boat to sink.

rasbury

so the bilge, with battery and helm switch off will run if left on? I kind of hope it is this simple...otherwise something else is going on! 

summerx

on my previous boat, the carbon monoxide detector came hard wired to the battery from the factory.  I stored that boat in dry storage indoors, and if I went more than a few weeks bw visits, both batteries were dead.  I always turned the switch off.  once I had the CO detector wired to the switch, never had another problem.
I was told, they didn't want someone to be asleep in the cabin, batteries turned off at the dock, and have potential fumes from an adjacent boat sneak in without any alarm.  I couldn't imagine EVER being on the boat with the batteries in the off position, so I had it rewired.

MarkB

Above my battery switch on the panel by the stern doorway, there's about 5 or 6 breakers that are on 24h circuits (permanently connected). Definitely CO detector, emergency bilge pump and merc cathode system. Can't remember what the other ones are. 

Have a look above your switch and let us know. 

rasbury

Yes, I did figure out that with the battery switch and helm switch off you can still turn on the bilge, good thing for sure and I left it on 5 weeks ago, those batteries never had a chance. They are not,however, hard wired-the only thing on my battery terminals extra as I recall is my generator terminals? Will have to look, thanks as always.