Hi all, I was informed that when off grid over the winter, a good way to keep the auto bilge pump functioning would be to use a solar panel to trickle charge the battery. I am not 100% sure if this is what the guy said to me. Assuming this is possible, I wish to know (1) if a very small solar panel (12V, 4.5W) linked to the battery via crocodile clips would suffice?; (2) is there a recommended solar panel wattage considered appropriate for trickle charging the battery over winter, if above version is not appropriate; (3) could such a trickle charge solar panel overcharge the battery with no escape for potential gas build-up in the battery?
As a newbie, these are the first of many naïve questions that I may ask - hopefully, once you have jettisoned your world weary sagely countenance, you might take pity upon this pathetic wretch and offer a modicum of advice. Thank you in advance for reading this.