subject: What You Should Know Regarding Marine Batteries? [print this page] What You Should Know Regarding Marine Batteries?
Normally marine batteries are supposed to be used as sources of power for watercraft vehicles however you'll also find them being used in RV's. Most commonly, Marine batteries are made to be lead acid storage batteries because they're comparatively cheap to purchase and don't need a lot of upkeep. They're however heavy, somewhat less durable and susceptible to creating harmful gas emissions. These specific batteries are either starting batteries utilized to jump start the motor, deep cycle batteries utilized to provide power on-board when the boat is sailing or a compromise between the two.
The electrolyte within a lead acid storage battery, being acidic, can cause chemical burns if it touches your skin. In addition, while the battery is charging it creates hydrogen gas which is extremely explosive. The electricity produced by the battery is sufficient enough to cause ignition if the appropriate steps aren't taken and the battery chamber is not adequately vented. Boat owners should preferably dress in protective eye wear and heavy duty gloves while handling these kinds of batteries. With the appropriate care, there's no reason why you should not use these particular batteries for the advantages that they provide. This is of course provided that you take the essential and sensible precautions like not allowing the electrolyte to come into contact with your body or salt water which makes chlorine gas and getting rid of the hydrogen gas.
Gel cell batteries utilize electrolyte materials that are made in the form of a gel. This ensures that the electrolyte is kept immobile. Even if the battery casing is broken, the battery will continue to operate. Furthermore, the gel ensures that the electrolyte does not slosh around the casing. Because these are sealed units, you need to be careful during recharging so as not to break them.
Absorbed Glass Mat kinds of batteries represent the most modern technology in Marine batteries and use separators made of a glass mat substance to hold the electrolyte stationary. This means that this specific battery is not only spill proof but also better able to withstand vibration and impact. They're also able to function better than gel cell batteries since they can produce a charge at a higher rate and normally without any type of gas emission. You must remember that these are also sealed unit batteries and therefore treat them with care so that they aren't broken during recharging.
