In order to use a winch properly, you must have good automobile knowledge. Some winches operate on a battery and so it is important for you to know how long will a winch run on a battery. We carried out the necessary research on your part and put together a summary of all our findings in this article. Read on to know more.
Our Best Winch Battery
Depending on the battery
The length of time that the winch can run on a battery depends on the duty cycle of the winches as well as the number of winches being used with a single battery. Most winches consume around 0.7 kwh energy per hour. This means that a single battery will be able to run about 4 electric winches in a day.
Batteries constantly lose capacity with time. This means that it is not wise to leave the winch attached to the battery when it is not being used. This will only result in loss of efficiency.
Tips for improving battery life
1. Proper maintenance
If you do not take proper care of your battery, it will lose capacity with time and will become less durable. Therefore, in order to ensure a long life for your battery, you must take care of its maintenance. You must charge it only when it has been switched off properly.
2. Proper charging
For a better performance, you must ensure that you are recharging the battery properly. Charge it fully in one go and ensure that the voltage meter is on and at the end of charging the charging current value is full.
Put the battery back into service condition after one complete charging and ensure that it does not go near salt water for at least one month before the next use.
3. Consider operating conditions
Make sure that there is no spillage near the charging equipment. Also, ensure that any sharp objects and corrosive substances are kept at bay because they may injure the people nearby or even damage the battery.
The charging equipment should be marked with its safety instructions and other specifications and it should also be kept clean and maintained properly. While the charger is operating, only the required load should be attached to it.
4. Capacity of battery
The greater the battery capacity, the more runtime will be offered by the winch.
The Runtime of a Winch
Usually, you attach the winch to the vehicle’s battery to run it. This way the winch can run as long as the vehicle is running. This helps elongate the winch runtime. However, winches should not be used for a very long time.
Run your car engine at high RPM and attach the winch to it. This way you will be able to run the winch for as long as required. This way the battery will be recharged as soon as it is drained. Therefore, the alternator keeps operating at peak power. However, if you are not using your car battery, you can expect the winch to run for a few minutes only.
Winch running time formula
If you know the exact amperage of your battery, its reserve capacity minutes as well as the winch’s amperage draw, you can easily calculate how long your battery can last. Once you have all these values, just apply the following formula:
Winching time (max) = Reserve capacity minutes x (Amp draw of winch/Amp of battery)
The constants for the above formula are that the draw should be constant and the ambient temperature should be around 85 F.
This proves that the runtime of a battery or a winch is dependent on the battery’s reserve capacity minutes, its amperage and the winch’s amperage draw. If the battery is not attached to an alternator or engine, it will last only a few minutes as the used-up battery is not being recharged.
How to use a battery with a winch?
In order to run a battery using a winch, just create a circuit for complete current flow. This should connect the winch to the engine so that it may run continuously. Turn on the engine so that maximum voltage is generated and use fully plugged cables. This will ensure that maximum power level is produced by your battery.
The battery terminal should be connected with the positive cable and after that the engine bock should be connected to the negative cable. Before you start the winch motor, make sure you remove all shrouds away from it. Also, ensure that the leads have been connected properly.
Now you may start the winch engine. However, winches should not be operated for a long time so ensure that you turn it off after 5 minutes at most. Disconnect all the connections after you are done with your work.
Conclusion
Batteries help in automating winches. We hope this article helped you understand how long will a winch run on a battery. We conclude that the length of time is inversely proportional to the load on the battery. Make sure you check the electric system of the vehicle before you begin working. Let us know if you have any other questions.
FAQ’s
1. Can you run a winch off a battery?
Answer: If the battery has the capacity to run the engine as well as the winch simultaneously then you will be able to do it.
2. How big of a battery do you need for a winch?
Answer: Most electric winches need a 55-amp winch with a voltage output of 12V to operate.
3. Can a jump box power a winch?
Answer: No, jump boxes do not have the capability to provide stable power for a long time.
4. How long can you run an electric winch?
Answer: Most electric winches will run for around 10 minutes in a day.