Charging another battery

[vanboosh]

At the marina I'm in, someones boat has taken on a lot of water after their calorifier failed (they're getting someone in to fix all that stuff). But to get the water out, another boater has lent her a water pump and a battery. most of the water has been pumped out, but the battery has now died. I've got some jump leads and I'm on electric hook up, can I just charge the battery by putting the jump leads somewhere on my battery bank?

[Alan de Enfield]

6 minutes ago, vanboosh said:

can I just charge the battery by putting the jump leads somewhere on my battery bank?

 

Yes.

Ensure you put the red leads on the + terminal and the black leads onto the - terminal

 

Make sure your battery charger is switched on so as not to deplete your own batteries.

[nicknorman]

5 minutes ago, vanboosh said:

At the marina I'm in, someones boat has taken on a lot of water after their calorifier failed (they're getting someone in to fix all that stuff). But to get the water out, another boater has lent her a water pump and a battery. most of the water has been pumped out, but the battery has now died. I've got some jump leads and I'm on electric hook up, can I just charge the battery by putting the jump leads somewhere on my battery bank?

Basically yes. Well obviously not "somewhere" on the battery bank, but positive to positive and negative to negative. But you knew that! If the battery is very flat it might be a bit sparky. Once connected it might be a good idea to cycle the shore power off and then on again, so that the charger goes into "charging" mode, as opposed to float mode. Just be careful with jump leads, if the positive gets knocked off and touches hull etc, there will be a lot more than a few sparks!

[vanboosh]

Thats great, thank you! I just didn't want to kill my own batteries but sounds like I should be fine as long as the charger is 'charging'. I guess it doesn't matter which terminals I use on the bank as long as its obviously + to + and - to -?

[Tony Brooks]

1 minute ago, vanboosh said:

Thats great, thank you! I just didn't want to kill my own batteries but sounds like I should be fine as long as the charger is 'charging'. I guess it doesn't matter which terminals I use on the bank as long as its obviously + to + and - to -?

Correct but it would be slightly better to use the terminals that the boat circuits, probably, but not always, the ones at each end of the bank.

[Alan de Enfield]

7 minutes ago, vanboosh said:

Thats great, thank you! I just didn't want to kill my own batteries but sounds like I should be fine as long as the charger is 'charging'. I guess it doesn't matter which terminals I use on the bank as long as its obviously + to + and - to -?

 

Ideally the terminals that your battery charger is connected to, then you charge his battery with nothing coming from your batteries.

[vanboosh]

Got it! Much appreciated from both me and I'm sure from the very wet boat. Good thing we're slowly coming into spring/summer. I think it'll take a while for her to dry it all out completely. 

[Alan de Enfield]

34 minutes ago, vanboosh said:

At the marina I'm in .............

 

 

Just a thought ...............

 

If they are in the marina do they not have electic available ?

Do they not have their own battery charger ?

[pete.i]

4 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

Just a thought ...............

 

If they are in the marina do they not have electic available ?

Do they not have their own battery charger ?

I think this a far better solution. Buy or borrow a stand alone battery charger ( you can buy cheap ones just for what you want to do) and use that to charge the borrowed battery. Much better than faffing around with your boat stuff which might all go tits up. Believe me I know all about that.

[Slim]

Assuming that the pump is a bilge type it will leave a few mm of water. A wet and dry vaccum cleaner will suck out whatever's left in no time.

 

 

Edited March 8, 2022 by Slim

[vanboosh]

52 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

Just a thought ...............

 

If they are in the marina do they not have electic available ?

Do they not have their own battery charger ?

This would have been my first choice, but they have a really odd set up with no battery charger and apparently their wiring needs to be totally redone.

[Alan de Enfield]

Just now, vanboosh said:

This would have been my first choice, but they have a really odd set up with no battery charger and apparently their wiring needs to be totally redone.

 

Sounds like they have a 'project boat'.

 

Well done for helping out.

[vanboosh]

47 minutes ago, pete.i said:

I think this a far better solution. Buy or borrow a stand alone battery charger ( you can buy cheap ones just for what you want to do) and use that to charge the borrowed battery. Much better than faffing around with your boat stuff which might all go tits up. Believe me I know all about that.

As above, no charger. I think she'll get one, but they're quite keen to get the water out in the meantime!

48 minutes ago, Slim said:

Assuming that the pump is a bilge type it will leave a few mm of water. A wet and dry vaccum cleaner will suck out whatever's left in no time.

 

 

Its actually a jabsco water pump we've attached hoses to. Gets in all the nooks and crannies! 

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Sounds like they have a 'project boat'.

 

Well done for helping out.

I think you are probably correct in this assumption!