Recovering an OPTIMA YELLOWTOP

We print our 800 number (1-888-8-OPTIMA) and e-mail address (info@optimabatteries.com) on every battery we sell. Some folks would prefer to ask OPTIMA Jim and have their questions answered here, on the Power Source blog. Today's questions come from us from Tim, who says,

"I have YELLOWTOP from 2007 that I used seasonally for an outboard runabout boat. I haven't kept it fully-charged and I'm wondering how long they last like that? Is it possible to equalize the battery (currently at 12.57 volts) or do you have any other suggestions? Thanks!"

Hi Tim, the best advice I can give you is to properly-maintain voltage in your battery whenever possible. Fully-charged, your YELLOWTOP should measure about 13.0-13.2 volts. If your battery is resting at a voltage level of 12.57 volts, it probably still has life left in it, even though it sounds like it is around eight years old. We don't recommend exceeding 10 amps when charging our batteries, but fully-charging your YELLOWTOP up to about 13.0-13.2 volts and cycling it by discharging it down to about 11.5 volts and charging it back up again two to three times can help break up some of the sulfation that may have formed and restore some of the performance in the battery.

Once you have fully-charged your battery, I'd suggest taking it to a local battery professional or auto parts retailer. Those folks will be able to perform a load test on your battery and help you determine whether it can be counted on to keep working, in spite of it's age. Remember, all batteries are consumable items with finite lifespans. When proper voltage is maintained on a regular basis, batteries will perform better and last longer.