I have a CTEK smart charger and closed cell marine battery so no gases escape. I keep that battery on charge constantly, except when I go on vacation nine days tops. By posting this topic, I'm really just fishing for whatever information might help me come to a new decision. I'm assuming the smart charger is probably close to 100% safe. That's how I normally use it: As if it were. My wife and I go to work; the house does not burn down. If I will keep that charger on while we go on vacation, it will be better for the battery. I guess I'm trying to see if I can make up my mind as to whether taking that risk (?) is worth the savings in battery life. Or does taking it off charge for a week to nine days really make negligible difference, and I might as well unplug the charger for that period? Some of you have real insight into a topic like this; I've read the comments on a somewhat related post. Thanks for any help.

That short of time isn’t enough to have any effect on your battery.   My batteries were out of my boat for 2 months last fall while it was at the factory for warranty work.

I don’t leave my batteries on the charger all the time but I use them and charge them regularly.  I would not be concerned about leaving them off the charger for nine days.   Nine months might be a problem.

 

If my boat is in the garage, it's plugged in. But I'm sure that they'll be fine if you unplug them. How long do you think they went uncharged on a shelve before you bought them?

That's a really good point--how long unplugged on the shelf. Thanks everyone else, too, but keep them coming if any more ideas.

I've got a lot of equipment and some are on a maintenance charge year around and some I simply charge periodically.

 

What you want to avoid is a complete discharge.

Couple of weeks unplugged won't hurt a thing but will admit, when the wife and I travel for a couple of weeks, I leave the battery tenders connected.

 

Mine are plugged in all the time along with other equipment. The boat and the other equipment are all plugged into a GFI outlets.