Some good information from Optima's website
VERY FEW BATTERIES DIE A NATURAL DEATH, MOST ARE KILLED
Tips to extend battery life - Never leave it flat
For best battery life, it is advisable to fully charge your battery prior to installation, as it can take between 10 and 50 cycles to reach full capacity (depending on battery type).
All batteries are damaged if left flat, so always remember to fully recharge your battery as soon as possible after use. Never leave it flat. Make sure your battery is maintained in a state of full charge between use.
Your battery must kept as clean as possible. Your terminals should be kept clean and tight. If your battery is flooded technology, then ensure it is watered regularly, so that the plates are always covered.
All batteries gas when in service. With valve regulated AGM and Gel batteries this gassing in normal service is recombined inside the battery whereas with flooded batteries this gas is vented externally. Even with the valve regulated technology, in cases of severe and protracted overcharge the valves may release excess gassing to ensure worse case scenarios do not occur. so please remember do not fit batteries into fully sealed air tight containers.
Charging batteries to ensure they are returned to a full state of charge and maintained that way is not rocket science. All it requires is a correctly sized battery charger set to the charge voltages recommended for the batteries you have. So please know or ask what voltage the particular battery requires to recharge correctly, and then make sure the charger has the capacity to fully charge your battery in 8 - 12 hours. A simple rule is to ensure the charger has a current output at least 10% of the C 20 A/H rating and remember always use a regulated and automatic multi-stage charger.
Deano
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