Switching the negative post vs. the positive post when storing a battery

[Mike14k]

Not sure where to exactly post this, so I'll ask a general question.

I'm adding a battery disconnect switch to my ATV so the battery does not drain when I'm not riding for a while. It's one of the rotary type with a removable key.

Does the disconnect switch have to switch the positive on/off ??? Or can it be used on the negative side of the battery ?? The reason being there are a lot of connections on the + but only one on the -.

Something I've just never thought about... anyone know ??

 

[Gary S]

As long as you remove all connections from one post, the circuit is no longer complete so no power can flow. Breaking the connection at either post serves the same purpose.

 

[rmc115]

Batteries lose 1% of the charge everyday even when disconnected, better solution is a battery tender if power is available. Mike

 

[Mike14k]

@ rmc115 .... I have a battery tender, actually several on various vehicles. I just want to be able to shut it off if I'm not riding for a week or two.

Many thanks gents.

 

[Gary S]

I leave my unused batteries for months at a time. After a few months if I plan to use them, I top them off for 24 hours with a tiny trickle charger, start the car and go. A decent battery does not need or want constant charge to keep it in good shape.
Battery tenders are a huge waste of money in the expense to purchase them, and the power they consume.

 

[BD1]

''Battery tenders are a huge waste of money in the expense to purchase them, and the power they consume.''

That may hold true for autos. I have a Polaris Ranger that when used for snowplowing ***** up so much power I don't think the charging system could keep up. Lights, strobe,winch, heater fan, wiper, and heated cushion takes some power. The battery tender brings it up to full charge and the cost is worth it.

 

[sthojlft]

I leave my unused batteries for months at a time. After a few months if I plan to use them, I top them off for 24 hours with a tiny trickle charger, start the car and go. A decent battery does not need or want constant charge to keep it in good shape.
Battery tenders are a huge waste of money in the expense to purchase them, and the power they consume.

Are we talking lead acid batteries?

 

[justanengineer]

@ rmc115 .... I have a battery tender, actually several on various vehicles. I just want to be able to shut it off if I'm not riding for a week or two.

I regularly leave wheeler, dirt bike, and mower batteries hooked up and idle for months on end through the winter and cant say Ive ever had serious issues. In the odd event that one gets run down and I want to use it, I simply jump it off a charger.

Irregardless, not sure it makes a bit of difference which is disconnected so long as you dont trust that switch to be a disconnect for maintenance/repair.

 

[Gary S]

Are we talking lead acid batteries?

Yes, we are.

 

[Bubbles]

I park my sled in April, unhook the battery and hook it back up in december. Then turn the key and rider.

 

[socapots]

the way i would think of it is...

If this switch for whatever reason faults to ground.

And its in the positive line. you will be shorting out your battery until some part of the system opens.. or the battery burns up..
Not cool.
If you have it in the negative, nothing will burn up. you wont be shorting anything out. worst case you just don't have an open system anymore.

no idea what kind of switch it really is. But if all you want is to disconnect the battery. Just disconnect the negative when its not in use.

 

[srmofo]

I leave my unused batteries for months at a time. After a few months if I plan to use them, I top them off for 24 hours with a tiny trickle charger, start the car and go. A decent battery does not need or want constant charge to keep it in good shape.
Battery tenders are a huge waste of money in the expense to purchase them, and the power they consume.

You have some things to learn. While i will agreed with you about batteries not wanting constant charging, there is a huge difference between a trickle charger and a battery tender. Battery life is greatly reduced if voltage is not kept full. That is a fact, proven by science. Not an opinion

 

[HTGTS350]

Battery isolators should always go on the negative side.

 

[Mike14k]

I should clarify my previous post... where I said I had battery tenders. I have have is several 6v/12v battery "maintainers" purchased at AutoZone.

Not sure what the exact difference is between a tender and a trickle charger.

 

[lt1driver]

SRMOFO is right, I work at a battery company and the owner/boss has worked there off/on since the mid 50s and he would agree with SRMOFO. I can also personally vouch for tenders/minders working as I know people who use in corvette world and have got 7-8 years from a battery....4 is average. But to each their own.

 

[Doug Arthurs]

Those disconnects work great. I have a forklift that isn't used regularly and the battery was always dead. I put one on and it always seems to be ready to go when needed. You just have to remember to shut the propane off and spin the knob on the disconnect. It would be a pain in this case to undo a battery cable.

 

[justanengineer]

I can also personally vouch for tenders/minders working as I know people who use in corvette world and have got 7-8 years from a battery....4 is average.

The sad part is that so many people ruin good batteries through piss poor vehicle maintenance. Automotive batteries should be a one/decade item if the vehicle is driven with any regularity.

 

[theoldwizard1]

The sad part is that so many people ruin good batteries through piss poor vehicle maintenance. Automotive batteries should be a one/decade item if the vehicle is driven with any regularity.

Keep it clean, even if that just means hosing down the outside case once or twice a year.

I guess I'm ****, because I pry the caps off of the maintenance free batteries and top the off once a year.

 

[brwbier]

Less chance of spark at the neg. side

 

[nomuffintop]

You have some things to learn. While i will agreed with you about batteries not wanting constant charging, there is a huge difference between a trickle charger and a battery tender. Battery life is greatly reduced if voltage is not kept full. That is a fact, proven by science. Not an opinion

^^^^^What he said! Agree totally

 

[KPSquared]

Being as this post is about Disconnects and not the old "tender vs. trickle charger" debate. . .

Disconnect on the negative side.

 

[Gary S]

You have some things to learn. While i will agreed with you about batteries not wanting constant charging, there is a huge difference between a trickle charger and a battery tender. Battery life is greatly reduced if voltage is not kept full. That is a fact, proven by science. Not an opinion

As long as my batteries don't know that, they last just as long with no fussing and wasting money on a tender.