How long can a battery stay out of the car and be "ok"?

[TiGeo]

Decided to swap in a lighter H5 battery for my H6 AGM. I am tryign to sell it as it's only ~6mos old but if I can't, how long you just store a batter on the shelf? Does it need to be charged regularly?

 

[Rand]

Charge it when you take it out..

Storage temp is very important colder is better. 50F preferred. every 2-3 month
If you are storing it somewhere warm (ie above 70f) charge monthly.

 

[Lubener]

If the battery is kept charged, it will last a very long time sitting on the shelf. Longer than if it was in use on a vehicle.

 

[atikovi]

I have four in the laundry room right now, (down from nearly a dozen a year ago) some that have been there 2 or 3 years. I keep them on maintainers though.

 

[TiGeo]

Good info all, thank you.

 

[ChristianReske]

I have to put my Motorcycle and Convertible in Winter storage here, i am doing this since decades. I had never a problem with the battery removed, stored in the house (Preferable at a cold place) and charged it once in a month. The batterys have almost zero self - drain, according to my meassuring.

 

[sky jumper]

I have four in the laundry room right now, (down from nearly a dozen a year ago) some that have been there 2 or 3 years. I keep them on maintainers though.

View attachment 117495

you make your wife step over that to load the washer??? and you're still married???

 

[Aredeeem]

Atikovi, my hats off to you. Drying engine parts in the oven and charging batteries in the laundry room? I could not even imagine getting away with any of that. You’re situation is unique. That’s all I’ll say.

 

[atikovi]

you make your wife step over that to load the washer??? and you're still married???

I do my own laundry, I can charge batteries in the laundry room.

 

[Donald]

I have four in the laundry room right now, (down from nearly a dozen a year ago) some that have been there 2 or 3 years. I keep them on maintainers though.

View attachment 117495

What does wife say?

 

[Donald]

I am not convinced they need to be on a battery maintainer 24x7. Maybe one week a month.

 

[atikovi]

What does wife say?

What wife?

 

[repairman54]

I swear by, not at, BatteryMinders. I get 10 yrs. out of my motorcycle and snowmobile batteries for example. And only have changed them due to age, not lack of cranking power. Always plugged in when in garage. The maintainers have paid for themselves many times over.
8 batteries currently plugged in.

 

[TiGeo]

Well...no matter now....sold it this weekend. $100.

 

[zzyzzx]

I'd be putting something between those batteries and the floor. If one leaks it's going to cause a big problem.

 

[atikovi]

I swear by, not at, BatteryMinders. I get 10 yrs. out of my motorcycle and snowmobile batteries for example. And only have changed them due to age, not lack of cranking power. Always plugged in when in garage. The maintainers have paid for themselves many times over.
8 batteries currently plugged in.

^This. That's what I have on mine in the photo above.

 

[Silver]

I swear by, not at, BatteryMinders. I get 10 yrs. out of my motorcycle and snowmobile batteries for example. And only have changed them due to age, not lack of cranking power. Always plugged in when in garage. The maintainers have paid for themselves many times over.
8 batteries currently plugged in.

Bought one a year ago. Already brought two batteries back to like-new performance (from my perspective) that could have easily been toast. One had an inch of plate exposed.

 

[Donald]

^This. That's what I have on mine in the photo above.

+1 for Battery Minders. Their more expensive ones have high and low temp compensation. And desulfation.

I have many. From basic maintainer to 8 amp charger/maintainer.

 

[meep]

I just bought a fuse box and a bunch of sae connectors so I can gang the “winter batteries” together on one maintainer during the off season. Kind of excited about the project. A noco genius will power it, and each leg is fused at the hub and at the battery.

 

[John105]

I have four in the laundry room right now, (down from nearly a dozen a year ago) some that have been there 2 or 3 years. I keep them on maintainers though.

View attachment 117495

I always keep the old ones and my oldest right now is mfg 2006 and came out of a car 2011. It does "not" pass a load test but it can power lights, cell phone charge, etc for hours. I have a total of 3 batteries that I hit with a tender and have around just in case to be used with an inverter. Be curious to test the Bosch it was only 1 year old and I just didn't like it seemed that our car was charging at a high voltage too much (adaptive I believe). I just chalked it up as a loss and got a Costco....