Re: [A/S] Shore power all winter?

["Jim Dunmyer" <jdunmyer@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Chuck,
 Someone else asked about the heat from his UniVolt; yes, they generate a
bunch of it, even when no load is applied, it's their nature. Guess what? It
takes electrical power to generate heat, so yes, it'll use some while
plugged in all Winter. No, I don't know how much. It won't break your bank,
but it will use some power.

You don't need to leave it plugged in all Winter to treat the batteries
kindly. Make sure that they're OK on water now and fully charged. Either
check them with a hydrometer or use a good DVM to measure the voltage AFTER
THEY'VE BEEN SITTING for at least 24 hours. They should read 12.6 volts
after a good rest.

Be sure that the tops are clean and dry!

Then, plug in the Univolt once every month and leave it on for 24 hours.
That won't cook the water out of your batteries but should top off their
charge. As you probably know, a lead-acid battery loses a certain percentage
of its charge every day, and one of the worst things you can do to them is
leave them in a partially-discharged state. A dirty battery can lose its
charge overnight, believe it or not.

                                                               <<Jim>>