Closed cell battery or not?

[psatushek]

I just purchased a 14' and need to replace one of the two batteries. The batteries are seperate, not hooked up with a "T" or any other switch. They are group 24; the one that's still good is an Interstate 24M-XHD. The only extra accessory I have is a depth/fish finder.

Should I replace the failed battery with a simple cranking battery or opt for a more expensive closed-cell battery.

Also, I'm not sure if I really need a deep-cycle battery since I don't expect to be running accessories when the engine isn't running.

[jyasaki]

For a light load (especially if not using it while at rest) a cranking battery is cheaper and easier to find.

Closed cell? There are no closed cell marine batteries; rather there are "maintenance free" (if wet cell, actually a "less maintenance" in truth); AGM, non-spillable, but still can vent hydrogen; and Gel Cell, which require special charging circuits.

If you are a "normal" boater (i.e. don't get too crazy on the water), a regular flooded battery should be fine (use a battery box to trap acid should the case fail.) You may have to keep on eye on electrolyte level, but you'll save money.

jky

[Hightower]

What you want is a SFL (Sealed for life) battery. No need to top up and no worries about acid spill.

Regular lead acid battery's have great starting amps for the size but they dislike being run flat. These are the cheapest to buy. Keep it topped up and for your needs it'll be fine.

Deep cycle Battery's (leisure) are great at recovering from being fully discharged but aren't so hot on the cranking amps so you'll need a physically larger battery for the same CCA as a lead acid batt. These are more expensive than the lead acid Batts but might well have greater life expectancy and last longer.

Whatever battery you get make sure it's big enough for your needs and you want a long warranty 3 years being about the maximum here in the UK