Storage Time Soon - Controller Settings

[travellerw]

Alright, hurricane season is fast approaching and many of us will be storing our boats. I have my own thoughts and have asked some local advice, however I thought I would consult the hive mind to see what eveyone else suggests.

We have a proposed plan to store for 3-4 months. I'm leaning towards leaving the battereies connected but all cicruits disconnected EXCEPT bilge pumps. The batteries are standard Coscto 6V connected in series/parallel for a 12V bank (6 6v batts). I have fully adjustable MPPT solar controllers (I can set any voltages for any stage).

How would you set the charge controllers for this scenario?

I look forward to the responses.

[john61ct]

Keep them full on float, voltage specs as per mfg, IMO not different from regular heavy cycling just they'll benefit from lighter usage.

Do have a way to check on them regularly in case something fails. Fancy battery monitors are remotr internet-enabled these days but for hundreds of dollars.

[a64pilot]

I leave the boat with absorb and float set to float voltage, that way when the controller wakes up in the morning, even if it thinks its in absorb, voltage is of course float voltage
(Outback 80)
I would absolutely leave my bilge pump connected, you never know

[travellerw]

Sorry.. I forgot to mention it will be stored on the hard.. I plan to keep the bilge pumps running as I have heard too many stories of boats being flooded on the hard.

[john61ct]

Yes make sure if the V-absorb is higher than float, it's not set with a long minimum absorb time.

No great harm for a while, but minimize your topping up the water level

[travellerw]

That brings up another point.. Water.... In the 4 months we will be stored, we need to top up as little as possible. I'm hoping I can hire someone to top up only once! If I set my float voltage to 13.6V (maybe a 14.4V absorb for 15 min per day), I'm thinking I can avoid topping up!

[john61ct]

Sure, long as the bilges aren't working hard. But really don't neglect at least checking in on them, even if just a cheap volt readout where someone walking by can see it, have them keep a log.

Maybe too much trouble for cheap GCs, up to you

[a64pilot]

I wouldn't go into absorb at all, there is very little discharge overnight, and there is some charging in float, very little, but that is all that is needed.
Maybe go to min float voltage or .1 or so under?

[SVNeko]

Originally Posted by travellerw

Alright, hurricane season is fast approaching and many of us will be storing our boats. I have my own thoughts and have asked some local advice, however I thought I would consult the hive mind to see what eveyone else suggests.

We have a proposed plan to store for 3-4 months. I'm leaning towards leaving the battereies connected but all cicruits disconnected EXCEPT bilge pumps. The batteries are standard Coscto 6V connected in series/parallel for a 12V bank (6 6v batts). I have fully adjustable MPPT solar controllers (I can set any voltages for any stage).

How would you set the charge controllers for this scenario?

I look forward to the responses.

Will you be on shore power with a charger plugged in?

[travellerw]

Originally Posted by SVNeko

Will you be on shore power with a charger plugged in?

No.. 100% solar.. We will be 1000s of miles away so trying to monitor it is pretty much impossible (Internet is not available everywhere down here). We will try hiring someone to check on it once or twice, but its not gauranteed.

However, we have 1000W of solar in 3 banks (with 3 solar controllers). I would most likely disconnect a whole bank and just have 2 running (in case one fails).

[ccannan]

I would disconnect your panels from your controllers, and your controllers from your batteries. If you want leave one or two batteries connected to bilge pumps. I wouldn't, but apparently you think rain could flood your vessel while on the hard.

[belizesailor]

As others have suggested, I stow mine (both ashore on off grid home and on boat) with solar charger set to float only. Been doing that for years with happy batteries. No problems.

Charge em good before storage, top up, set to float. If they are healthy you should get little off gassing with FLAs on float. For just 3 months they should be fine.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by ccannan

I would disconnect your panels from your controllers, and your controllers from your batteries. If you want leave one or two batteries connected to bilge pumps. I wouldn't, but apparently you think rain could flood your vessel while on the hard.

Rain can flood a boat on the hard...have seen it...and there are posts here of such events. I leave my bilges on too.

Why disconnect the panels/controllers?