BATTERY RATINGS EXPLAINED

I get so many people coming to me each year that need a battery for their boat and have no clue what they need. The big box stores are no help , they might have what you need but have nobody with the experience needed to guide you. So , I am going to explain in language you can understand , the different types and ratings of flooded and AGM batteries. Let's begin with starting batteries. A starting battery is engineered to produce a surge of power to start an engine. They are designed with more , thinner plates to produce this power and the higher the rating then the thinner the plates which can produce problems down the road. You are far better off with a little more power than your motor requires than getting the most power you can. These batteries are usually rated in (CA) CRANKING AMPS or (MCA) MARINE CRANKING AMPS. This is a measure of how much power is available at 32 degrees temperature and (CCA) Iis how much power you have at 0 degrees. A marine starting battery is essentially a car battery with two extra stud posts on it and if you drain them and recharge too many times they will fail in short order. They only have a limited amount of charge cycles when compared to the next battery , the "DEEP CYCLE" which by it's very name suggests a lot of charging cycles. These are constructed with fewer thicker plates to put out a little power for a long time and in most cases are not used for starting although they do have some starting power for smaller engines. They are usually rated in AH@20hr. rate. This usually means you take the amp hours of your battery, let's say it is a 100 amp hour rating. You divide your 100 hours by 20 which is the rating and you get 5 , so you can draw 5 amps for 20 hours before the battery needs to be recharged. You also have a RESERVE CAPACITY rating on the battery. This is a rating of how long you can draw 25 amps continuously before recharging is needed. Some of these deep cycles also have a cca rating or call themselves dual purpose but in actual fact you cannot be both , you are giving up some of either or both I hope this clears up up some confusion , if you have any questions give us a call at 902-488-2745 , we carry a full line of batteries for any application and have 30 years experience in the battery, starter and alternator field.