Like all vehicles that have a motor, pontoon boats require power to get things moving, and this power comes from the battery.
If your battery runs out of power your pontoon will become useless, and if you are really unlucky this can happen while you are in the middle in the lake with nobody around to help you. But luckily those kinds of problems are really easy to avoid and to solve. All you need is to know how the pontoon battery works. So let’s have a quick look at them.
The battery on a pontoon boat is charged by the alternator that is on the boat. The alternator sends energy to the battery as the motor is running, making sure that it doesn’t deplete. If a battery is not used for long periods of time you will have to manually charge it with jumper cables.
So this is the short version, now let’s take a quick look at the whole process.
Table of Contents
How the Alternator Charges the Pontoon Battery
Most people mistakenly believe that the battery is responsible for the whole electricity that runs through a boat, a car or any other vehicle. But that is not the case. The battery is only able to store a small amount of electricity, with that amount you won’t be able to run your boat for more than 5 minutes.
The role of the battery is actually to start everything on the boat, including the main energy source, the alternator. Once the battery does its job to start everything, the alternator starts running and creates energy that fuels everything that uses electricity.
One important role of the alternator is to make sure that the battery always receives the amount of energy needed to stay full all the time. And with the help of an built in regulator, it makes sure that it only sends enough energy, so that the battery doesn’t fry.
The alternator works very similar to a generator. It uses mechanical power generated by the motor that burns fuel, and it transforms it into electrical power.
Now let’s go over the parts of a generator and their role. If something goes wrong with your alternator, you will have a good idea of what the problem might be.
The parts of an alternator are:
- The rotor inside the alternator is spun by the pulley and belt drive system and acts like a small spinning electromagnet.
- The slip rings are the part that provides the direct current that the rotor requires to function properly.
- The stator is a stationary piece thin metal that is coiled and that sits outside the rotor. The role of the stator is to create electrical current when the magnetic electric field is generated by the rotor.
- The rectifier is the part that turns the AC current into DC current.
- The drive end bearings are the parts that support the rotation of the rotor shaft.
- The pulley is connected to the rotor shaft and the belt drive system. The spin that is created by the motor is what creates the power that activates the belt drive system which turns the pulley and thus begins the battery charging.
While knowing these things will help you get an idea of what is wrong with your alternator, I won’t suggest you try and repair them yourself, In my opinion it’s better to let risky things, like electrical current, to the experts. There is no need to risk your health.
Now let’s take a look at some common battery/alternator problems that you can easily and safely solve by yourself with little to no effort.
Common Battery and Alternator Problems
Loose Connections
One of the most common reasons why your battery doesn’t properly deliver power to the rest of the system is a bad connection.
If the connectors weren’t tightly secured on the battery from the beginning, there is a good chance that at some point the connectors will come off and electricity won’t be able to properly reach vital components.
To solve this you simply have to secure the connectors to the battery.
Corrosion
Another common problem is corrosion on the battery. If water reaches the battery there is a very good chance that corrosion will occur on the battery and it will become unusable.
If there is only a little rust you can easily remove the battery and clean it. But if the battery is completely rusted you shouldn’t try to repair it, just get a new one.
Sulfate build-ups
Sulfate build-ups appear when a battery is deprived of a full charge.
Sulfation builds up and remains on battery plates. When too much sulfation occurs, it can impede the chemical to electrical conversion and greatly impact battery performance. Up to the point when it becomes completely unusable.
There are three reasons why sulfation appears:
- Overcharging
- Stored in temperatures over 75 degrees
- Stored without being fully charged
If sulfation occurs you have to change the battery with a new one.
Dead Battery
And finally a dead battery. Sometimes things don’t have to be complicated, it’s possible that your battery is simply empty. This is very common especially after long periods of time when it hasn’t been used.
To solve this you have to simply charge it. This can be done with either jumper cables, on an alternator. There are multiple types of alternators, some are like the one in your car or boat, and other types that are connected to a wall socket and then to the battery.
As for the jumper cables, they work just like the ones in your car.
Broken Alternator Belt
Now let’s talk about the most common alternator problems.
The belt of an alternator is responsible for powering the alternator. The motor makes the belt spring the rotor which puts everything into motion.
Unfortunately there is no way to properly fix the belt. So to prevent this from being a big problem, is to have a spare alternator belt with you.
As you use your boat the alternator belt will get worn out, there is noting that you can do to prevent this. The only thing that you can do is to be prepared with a spare, or to occasionally take a look at it and see it’s condition. If you notice that it’s nearing its end you should be prepared to change it.
Now let’s take a quick look at what you have to do to properly take care of your battery and alternator so that they work in perfect condition and you won’t have to change them too often.
Battery Care Guide
The most important thing that you have to do when you clean your battery is to disconnect it completely, make sure that there is no water near the battery or you, and if possible wear rubber gloves and boots.
Remove any corrosion that you see on the surface of the battery. Persistent rust can usually be cleaned with a wire brush and some degresant. But if the rust already affected the interior of the battery, it’s better to simply change it.
Make sure that the electrolyte levels of the battery are at the correct levels. If your pontoon has a maximum line, make sure there is enough distilled water in it so it reaches that line, but don’t go over it. If there is no indicator that shows you where the maximum line is, then you can fill it up to about ⅛, this will be enough for it to work properly and it shouldn’t be too much.
Get a battery tester and check the charging level. The charging level should always be at 100%. If it’s lower than that it usually means that there is something wrong with your battery and it can’t function properly.
If you take a look at your battery 3 or 4 times per year it should be enough. Overall it shouldn’t take you more than 5 minutes to clean a little bit of rust and make sure that the battery is charged. And those 5 minutes will definitely save you a couple hundred dollars in the long run.
Alternator Care Guide
Just like the battery the alternator is quite easy to maintain, you just have to do a few checkups two or three times a year.
The first thing that you should check are the electrical connections. You want to make sure that they are free from any kind of dirt and grime. Just like in the case of the battery where dirt and rust stopped it from working properly, the same will happen with the alternator. If there is dirt on the alternator connections you have to simply clean them, just like the battery.
If your alternator is air cooled, you have to check the vent for anything that will stop a proper air flow. If there is a fan inside the vent you have to make sure that the blades are clean and that there is nothing obstructing them.
If your alternator is cooled with liquid or oil you will have to make sure that there is enough liquid indie. If there isn’t you simply add more until you have enough. After that you should check the coolant lines for any newly developed bends or kinks.And ensure the vent, or drain, lines remain clean and clear.
Final Thoughts
So the battery of a pontoon boat is charged by the alternator, which is started using the power of the battery.
The battery is not responsible to power everything on the boat, that is the job of the alternator. The job of the battery is to send a small quantity of energy to the alternator to wake it up.
Batteries and alternators are quite resistant, but if you don’t take care of them, at some point they will break up. So make sure to check them at least 2 times a year. This will increase their lifespan, and will help you avoid unpleasant situations.