Can battery die if not being used?

[frisco]

Hey all, I have a Kirkland group 35 (not AGM)battery with a sticker 4/21 that was bought sometime in 2021. It has been lightly used summer months and removed and stored in the basement during winter. I doesn't sit on concrete.

I haven't used the Impreza for about a year and the battery been sitting in the basement. Yesterday, I brought it outside to charge with my ctek and took appx 7hrs to charge.

Should I leave my ctek charger on even though it's been stored indoors? Any chance of the battery degrading if not used without a charge?

 

[Kira]

Are you asking, say, after this season's use, if you should leave it on the charger the entire off-season 24/7?

 

[hrv]

Simple answer is YES....

 

[frisco]

Are you asking, say, after this season's use, if you should leave it on the charger the entire off-season 24/7?

Pretty much yes, I never thought of charging it since it was stored indoors. Also asking if the battery would degrade without using it.

Simple answer is YES....

Well.... hopefully its still ok. I'll leave the ctek charger on it until it has to be used.

 

[pcoxe]

A battery maintainer is essential for long battery life. I had a U-1 battery last 12 years on a lawnmower by hooking up a BatteryMinder while not in use. Most U-1's are only expected to last one season.

 

[joekingcorvette]

Yes a battery can die if not being used. If it only took 7 hours on a Ctek charger it probably was not drained too low. It didn't help the battery however I doubt it hurt it very much either. Just keep a maintainer on it going forward since maintainers will keep a battery fresh for many years in most cases.

 

[Snagglefoot]

There are exceptions. I have a Walmart EverStart deep cycle boat battery that is stored in doors in a heated garage that I charge with a smart charger in the fall before I put it away, again around the end of the year, and again in the spring. It still checks out fine and this summer will be it’s 8 th year.

 

[930.engineering]

.
What's missing: Which exact voltage before charging it? Your Cetek probably revealed it.

Any battery ages with (excessive) heat, low charge (below 12 V voltage) and time.
.

 

[frisco]

.
What's missing: Which exact voltage before charging it? Your Cetek probably revealed it.

Any battery ages with (excessive) heat, low charge (below 12 V voltage) and time.
.

Before charging it was 12.2v after it was 12.7v

 

[930.engineering]

.
Lucky you. I'd say apparently your battery's fine.
.

 

[Lubener]

Before charging it was 12.2v after it was 12.7v

That's good.

 

[jetman]

Any chance of the battery degrading if not used without a charge?

yes, lead acid batteries "SELF DISCHARGE".

 

[Escape08]

deleted

 

[eljefino]

I wouldn't leave a tender on it but running one for a few hours every month is a good idea.

 

[twX]

Before charging it was 12.2v after it was 12.7v

A battery will start sulfating below around 12.4 V, so it probably degraded a bit.

Batteries will degrade more slowly at lower temperatures, so storing it in a cool garage is better than keeping it indoors.

 

[JHZR2]

They self discharge. Much less when fully removed from a vehicle. Yes, indeed, let it run the youth a number of cycles in the ctek. Even power cycle the ctek, let the battery rest to a regular voltage, and run it again….

 

[bbhero]

yes, lead acid batteries "SELF DISCHARGE".

Exactly… Lead acid batteries self discharge 5-12 percent a month.

Thin plate pure lead batteries like X-2 batteries or Northstar batteries charged to a real 100 percent charge before being left with no tender only discharge 0.1 percent or so per month.