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Winterizing Your Deep Cycle Battery

by Yvonne Johnson

Many of our buyers in states with severely cold winter temperatures are concerned about what they should do to winterize a 12-volt deep cycle battery.

Here's the good news. Basically, you don't have to do anything but keep the battery charged. According to the Trojan Battery Company, you will not have any problems with a battery freezing if it is 85% to 100% charged. Below those charge levels, in some states, you could have a problem with freezing as shown in the table below.

Temperatures Cold Enough to Freeze a Battery

Freezing usually results in irreparable damage to the plates and containers, so if for some reason you can't keep your battery charged in the winter, you should store it in a warmer location. If the batteries have been in use prior to storage, they should be given a boost charge before being stored and again immediately prior to returning to service.

General Battery Care

A good deep-cycle battery should last about 6 years with proper maintenance. To get the longest battery life possible, follow these three rules: