Battery storage/charging station ideas

[signcrafter]

I have a few batteries that sit around most of the year. One is for our camper, two for lawn tractors, and I have two good used batteries that I use for my winch on trailer when needed. Right now they all just lay around the shop and I trickle charge them once in a while. I would like to organize this a little better instead of having batteries just laying around. Was thinking about getting one of these metal wire shelves and set all my batteries on it and keep my chargers there. I have one big wheeled charger I will set next to it and then a smaller charger and just picked up a clore smart charger and also have one of those little trickle chargers.

Found this shelf on amazon for 30 bucks and looks like it would fit what I need. About the right size and I have some other of these wire rack shelves and they are pretty sturdy at 250 pounds per shelf.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0XLTT5/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Thinking this will work pretty good to get everything in one spot up off the floor. But seeing what everyone else does with their batteries they take out of vehicles for the winter to see if there is any better options. Any other suggestions or advice?

 

[nadogail]

I have a plugin battery maintainer on my stationary engine, a solar panel on my occasionally driven van and the Daily Driver gets enough exercise to keep it ready 24/7.

 

[BruceMc]

Invest in some battery boxes and you can both protect them and stack them. I need to pick up a couple more myself.

 

[signcrafter]

Invest in some battery boxes and you can both protect them and stack them. I need to pick up a couple more myself.

Battery boxes are around 10 bucks each and I would need 4 to 5 of them. Also they aren't very user friendly when switching battery charger from battery to battery every few weeks.

I ordered one of the shelves I linked to today and will set it up when it comes and post some pics. I'm really thinking it will work pretty good for what I want.

 

[BruceMc]

Battery boxes are around 10 bucks each and I would need 4 to 5 of them. Also they aren't very user friendly when switching battery charger from battery to battery every few weeks.

Honestly, I don't find I need to charge anywhere near that often. Put a healthy battery away with a clean top and fully charged and they really shouldn't need that kind of attention.

 

[signcrafter]

Honestly, I don't find I need to charge anywhere near that often. Put a healthy battery away with a clean top and fully charged and they really shouldn't need that kind of attention.

And that's fine. I like to charge mine with a smart charger every once in a while just because batteries are so expensive. But even if not charging I still think a nice heavy duty shelf would be better then plastic boxes, especially when boxes would cost more then a nice wire shelf. But different solutions for different folks.

 

[62civa]

Lead acid batteries self discharge at a rate of about 4% per week at normal temperatures. It’s a go idea to trickle charge them once a month or put them on a good quality battery maintainer style charger.

 

[BruceMc]

Lead acid batteries self discharge at a rate of about 4% per week at normal temperatures. It’s a go idea to trickle charge them once a month or put them on a good quality battery maintainer style charger.

If by normal temperatures you mean what you might find in a typical garage (60º to 65º F), it's more like 3-4% per month. Modern, maintenance free batteries have pretty low self-discharge rates if they're in good shape (not abused), fully charged, and kept cool . The batteries in the picture above are both several years old and haven't been charged since the beginning of December. I just checked - the one on the right reads 12.8V and the Napa on the left is sitting at 12.77V.

 

[BruceMc]

And that's fine. I like to charge mine with a smart charger every once in a while just because batteries are so expensive. But even if not charging I still think a nice heavy duty shelf would be better then plastic boxes, especially when boxes would cost more then a nice wire shelf. But different solutions for different folks.

All I was suggesting is to put the batteries in the boxes on the shelf. Makes handling them a lot easier, and likely a bit safer when surrounded by all that metal grid. I knew those shelves - I have probably a dozen of the full size units.