BoatHowTo · video

What this video covers

Battery temperature sensors mounted on top of a lead acid battery are useless, Nigel Calder explains, because an internal airspace insulates the top of the case from the heat generated inside.0:55 Two sensor types exist: a bolt-on type that attaches to the battery post (preferably the negative, which runs hotter) and a stick-on type that must be placed at least halfway down the side of the battery case.1:00 In a multi-battery bank, the stick-on sensor belongs on the interior face of one battery, pressed between two batteries where heat concentrates most, and taped firmly in place.1:05 Mounting it on top instead of the side can allow a temperature-compensated charger to misread cell temperature and lose control of the charge cycle, risking thermal runaway.1:22 Jan Attenstedt and Calder reference their Bodelectrics 101 course for deeper coverage of charging regimes and lead acid battery management.1:37

More from BoatHowTo

Boat ELECTRIC PROPULSION with only LEAD ACID Batteries ?? | Ask The Expert with NIGEL CALDERSept 2026MaxProp: More Pitch in Reverse than in Forward? 🤔 | Ask The Expert with NIGEL CALDERSept 2026Common Ground Point with Isolated Saildrives | Ask The Expert with NIGEL CALDERSept 2026How to keep you TANK CLEAN in the days of BIODIESEL.. | Ask The Expert with NIGEL CALDERAug 2026

From BoatHowTo — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analysed video.

The Sailing Directory Newsletter

One email with the fleet's best finds — the moments, boats, and stories worth your watch time. Enter your own address to get your own copy.