The main focus of puzzle games is channeled towards solving puzzles. The player’s problem-solving skills are tested when playing puzzle games. In some of these games, gamers have unlimited time and attempts, while others have a time limit. The historical aspect of puzzle games throughout the centuries goes back to mind teasers and puzzles. Below is a clear picture of the history of how some of the current puzzle games we play were developed.

Traditional thinking games

Traditional thinking games have greatly influenced many puzzle games. An example is seen from the math game, which is a digital version of the Android Nim for the TRS-80. The mastermind and the Hangman are also some of the traditional games that got their early video game interpreted.

Atari Puzzle Games

The Atari 2600 is the first video game from Atari. Game developers were quick to create games for it after its release in 1977. Predecessor, currently known as the Minesweeper, was the first-ever puzzle game for the console.

A blockbuster for the Atari 8-bIt was released in 1981 by Stephen Bradshaw and Alan Griesemer. A copy of the board game was released in the 1970s. Snark Hunt was then released for the Atari 8-Bit in 1982.

Action Games with Puzzles

Konami released locomotion in 1982. The game was an action game that had some puzzle elements. Some of the elements in the game can be seen in the game called the LucasArts’ Pipe Mania which was released in 1989.

In 1984, an action-puzzle game called Puzzle Picnic was released for the Atari 8-bit. In the same year, the game developers also released Boulder Dash. Avoiding rocks and collecting diamonds were some of the things featured in the game. Many clones called rocks and diamond games were developed from this game.

Chain Shot introduced gameplay where gamers were required to remove tiles of the same color. Uncle Henry’s Nuclear waste Dump functioned just like Tetris, although the game developer claimed he was never aware of this aspect.  Way before Tetris reached the Us market, the game had already been released.

Tetris

According to Gaming enthusiasts, Tetris is viewed as a game that revolutionized the puzzle genre. The game was developed by a Russian designer by the name of Alexey Pajitnov in 1985. According to Alexey, he got his inspiration from a traditional puzzle game known as Pentomino. In Pentomino, gamers were expected not to produce any gaps while trying to arrange failing blocks.

After Holobytehas released the game for MS-DOS in 1987, the game became very popular. Atari Games released it in arcades in the following year. More than 30 million units of the game were sold on the Game Boy.

In a nutshell, it is clearly evident that in the past 40 years, the gaming world has undergone a reinvention of new puzzle games that have widely spread globally. The puzzle genre has been diversified over these years, and there is no possibility of it stopping in the near future.

There will come a point in your life where you start questioning your future. You may wonder if you’ll ever make a family of your own, buy your own house, or get your dream car. Another idea you may question is whether you could retire earlier than most people do, and if so, how you could afford it.

It’s difficult not to let your life revolve around money when it’s the very thing that is making the world go ’round. This is indeed the ugly truth because you can’t get anywhere or anything if you don’t have the money to afford it, so you’ll settle with working day-in and day-out to earn your living.

But you can’t always live from paycheck to paycheck; sooner or later, you may need to get a hold of additional resources because of a life-threatening situation that you didn’t foresee. And when this happens, it can be harder to bounce back because you don’t have the resources to make it possible.

That’s why you need to start working on achieving your financial freedom from the moment you find a stable source of income. Financial freedom is not just about having the means to afford anything you want; it’s also about not having to worry about what happens tomorrow because you’re prepared for anything that may come your way.

If you don’t know how to achieve that kind of freedom from the shackles of money, then you’re in the right place. Learning about personal finance and achieving financial freedom can be very overwhelming at first, but here’s a three-step guide that you can use to help you get closer to your goals:

1. Leave the Unbanked Population

The unbanked are people who don’t use traditional financial services like banks because they prefer transacting in cash. This is either because they don’t trust financial institutions to protect their money or because they aren’t qualified to have bank accounts due to the stringent requirements.

However, to achieve financial freedom, you need to have the right avenues to manage your money. Of course, you always have the option to use alternative financial services such as payday lending, check-cashing, or digital wallets, but your money will be more secure if it’s kept in a bank.

Plus, you will only be able to build your credit to buy a house or car in the future if you have an account. This means that the earlier you get a bank account, the longer you can build and maintain your good credit. So don’t be afraid to check out your banking options and choose where to open your savings account.

2. Apply for Life Insurance Coverage

The next step in achieving financial freedom is to ensure that your life is insured no matter what comes your way. There’s no definite way to tell the future, which means you have no choice but to wait and see how it unfolds. However, what if you didn’t have to leave everything up to chance?

Applying for life insurance coverage can help you secure your financial future against all odds. So if you ever find yourself involved in a debilitating accident that causes you to lose your ability to work, you won’t have to worry about where to get your food tomorrow because your insurance will cover that.

You may think that it’s useless and impractical to invest in something you don’t know will happen, but being insured removes the guesswork from the situation. This means that you won’t have to fear for your safety because you’ll be financially protected, and instead, you can just live your best life.

3. Set up a Retirement Savings Plan

The last step to achieve your financial freedom is to plan for the long-term: retirement. You may still be two, three, or four decades away from your retirement age, but it’s never too early to start planning for your future. Besides, planning doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to do anything about it yet.

Retirement planning involves gauging how much money you’ll need to maintain a certain quality of life. It can also help you pinpoint your potential sources of income once you can no longer work as a full-time employee, which means you should either have your own business or look into investing opportunities.

You must understand that you won’t be able to work your entire life. If you don’t start planning for your retirement as early as now, then you might not have enough saved up once you get there because building your retirement fund takes time. And you can’t rely on your pension or 401(k) alone if you want financial freedom.

There’s a good reason some people can only dream of achieving freedom from their finances: they don’t want to put in the work. No one ever said this would be easy, but it’s a worthwhile way to spend your time, especially if you want to be able to live your life without any regrets.

 

Beginners and seasoned smokers alike are always looking for the best smoking tool to perfectly complement their smoking needs. Whether looking for a better smoking experience or a better-looking smoking accessory, getting a glass pipe can be a turning point in any smoker’s life.

There are many types of glass pipes available in the market, and many smokers are confused about which one would be ideal for their needs. Getting double blown glass pipes can be a good idea if you’re new to smoking through glass pipes or need an upgrade from your old one.

How Do They Work?

Glass pipes have a curved bowl at one end to hold your tobacco in, which you can then light and smoke through the connecting pipe. The bowl’s curvature lets moisture seep into the smoke while you’re using it, giving you the best-tasting tobacco there is.

There is a carb on the side of the bowl, which you cover with your finger to control how much smoke you want to inhale. It lets you navigate your smoking session according to your needs and gives you free rein to smoke as much or as little as you wish.

Glass pipes are pretty easy to operate, and most smokers get the hang of it on their first try. It comes in various sizes, from 3 inches to larger ones at 15 inches.

Bigger pipes with bigger bowls allow more tobacco to be used and are ideal for seasoned smokers.

Variations in Design

Buying a glass pipe is similar to buying an art piece. Each time you order your glass pipe, you can get a variation in size, shape, color, and design. As most pipes are hand-made by experienced industry artists, no pipe is the same.

It lets you own a one-of-a-kind piece that you can carry around and even show off to other people. It’s fun to look at and appealing to use too.

Quality and Durability

Many glass pipes are not double or triple blown. You will be able to tell the difference between a normal low-quality and a double-blown glass pipe. Not only are double-blown pipes heavier, but they’re more durable for the long term too.

You can use double-blown glass pipes with ease wherever you are, as they are convenient to carry around and do not get affected by regular wear and tear. It’s easy to clean and maintain too, which makes it ideal to use for daily purposes.

Buy Double Blown Glass Pipes for the Ultimate Experience

Looking for the ideal smoking implement can be a long and arduous journey, especially when you have no clue what to look for. Glass pipes have become increasingly popular because they’re easy to use and give a smooth smoking session with every use.

Whether you’re considering buying a glass pipe because it’s becoming trendy or because you want to smoke tobacco without any nasty chemicals or artificial filters, it is an affordable investment that’s sure to last you a long time with proper care and handling.

You can find glass pipes online for discounted prices, which will save your wallet while giving you a superior smoking experience.

 

If you are looking to embrace a way of living that’s a bit outside of the ordinary, the thought of living in a mountain area may appeal to you. This setting is ideal for individuals who appreciate tranquility, natural beauty and the chance of inhabiting a slice of mostly untouched nature. This is also for people who want to get away from the busyness and stress present in city life.

Before you shop for the best mortgage rates and purchase your serene residential property nestled among the wildlife and trees of the mountains, you need to be aware of the possible difficulties and challenges of living in the mountains.

Here are some things you should consider before you start this kind of unique homeownership:

1. The Transition

This is crucial for buyers moving from a city to a mountain. You’ll need to think about what you might be losing about suburban or urban living. Remember that some conveniences found in cities will not be available in your new mountain life.

1. Wildlife

The diverse wildlife found only in a mountainous location is both a pro and a con to mountain living. On one hand, finding deer prints or watching a family of fluffy rabbits hopping along from your window can be delightful.

On the other hand, you need to be aware of the risks of living so close to wild animals. Hawks, foxes, coyotes, wolves and bears are all predators. If you have a family pet, such as a dog or a cat, that likes to spend time playing outside, you’ll need to consider when and where it would be safe for them to play.

Consider if you need to put up a covered area or have to supervise the time of your pets outdoors to help look out for those unwanted predators. If the area you want to live in, for instance, has black bears, remember that they can get into your garbage cans like raccoons.

Then, there are the smaller animals. Some of them are more than just a nuisance. Bats, which can carry rabies and other types of viruses, can be dangerous if they find a way to your house.

1. Weather and Seasonal Issues

When you reside in a sloped area, you can expect the weather to affect you and your household more than usual.

Heavy rains, for example, could provoke mudslides. The trees and rocks caught up in those falls could seriously damage your residential property. This can make your home insurance a little more expensive. What’s more, this kind of natural weather could make driving impossible and keep you stranded until the situation calms down – or worse, until rescue comes.

Another natural calamity that you should think about is wildfires. Forest fires are common in some states. If these fires occur in your area, consider taking precautions in case the flames get too close to your residential property.

During wintertime, heavy snow or freezing conditions can make the roads dangerous. The weather can even keep you snowed in for a few days. If you purchase your house in a private community, the city snowplows may not salt or clear up those private roads.

When purchasing a property in the mountains, you’ll have to go beyond weatherproofing your home. Think about the weather risks in your chosen area and consult your real estate agent about emergency protocols and preventative measures during extreme weather conditions.

1. Communication

The seclusion of a mountain house can mean that the cell service in your chosen location is spotty. If you find that you constantly have zero bars, you might need to install a landline.

1. Commuting

Mountain living often means limited access to bigger roadways and highways. Getting to the main road may take you a while, especially if you choose to live in a far-off location.

If you want to travel from the mountain to a nearby city, do a few trial runs during the evening and morning rush. You’ll take longer to get your medications, groceries and other day-to-day items that people often take for granted. Forgotten grocery items, such as milk and eggs, will end up being more than just a nuisance. You, therefore, should be more organized when you’re doing errands.

1. Power Outage

Outages tend to happen often in the mountains. You need to be ready for these events by purchasing extra candles, batteries and flashlights. Store extra water, as well.

You may also want to buy a standby generator and a propane tank for cooking. Power outages in mountain areas can last up to several days.

The mountains have a lot to offer to prospective homeowners – unrivaled views, simple living and fresh air. Before you buy a house in the mountains, think carefully if this environment or setting is right for you and your family.

 

Finding the right balance in life can be tricky, especially when you have to find time to do your work commitments, spend time with the family, and hang out with your friends, never mind finding any time to be creative!

So, to help you find the right balance for you, here are some ways you can balance studio time with your work commitments, family, and social life.

Avoid stress where possible

Do you have an upcoming gallery opening? Or is your work about to be revealed in a prominent collection or gallery like Charles Saatchi? If so – then try to plan your time wisely, allowing time for unexpected occurrences and things that might go wrong.

Though it is easy to feel the stress, especially if this feels like your big break, its all in the art of planning. Make sure that you still have plenty of time to socialise, spend time with your family, and get your work done, as our loved ones can be fantastic stress relievers!

Have a studio space separate from your home

Successfully implementing boundaries has long been regarded as the key to a successful work-life balance. This shows that it is important to make sure that your studio space is a separate area of its own, away from where you would normally relax.

However, you may not have the hours in the day to have to commute between not only your home and work, but to a studio across town too. Therefore, you might like to set up a studio in an unused part of your home. Could you convert your loft, garage, or even your garden shed into a purpose built art studio, for example?

Set time limits and a routine

Setting yourself time limits and having a daily routine can not only affect your work-life-studio balance, but also improve your overall mental health. This is because it can help to keep you grounded, and make sure that you learn to work smart and not hard!

Some artists might prefer to wake up early and start working on their pieces before anyone else is awake. For other, working in the moonlight might be more inspirational.

Make production goals

As with any business, it is important to make clear production goals – how many pieces you aim to produce per quarter, what competitions you want to enter, what exhibitions you want to go to, how many pieces you want to sell per year, and so on.

To make sure that you balance your life effectively, you might also want to do the same for your work life, and for social events such as holidays, parties, and trips. Then when you look back at your production goals, you can make sure that they are achievable without sacrificing your precious family time.

Reduce the risk of interruptions

And finally, get rid of any interruptions. Turn off your phone, don’t answer the door, and warn people you are going to be busy for the next few hours so that you don’t get distracted.

Once you get into the habit of doing these things, it might be useful to take a step back and assess how well things are working. If you’re still finding it hard, just readjust and try again. Just remember, the most important thing is to stay happy and healthy.

Abraham Lincoln, considered by many as the most loved president of the United States once said that if he’s given the task of chopping down a tree, he’d ask for six hours. The first four hours would be spent on sharpening the ax, the rest for the actual chopping. Indeed, such a route of action may sound unwise at first glance. But it makes a lot of sense when you take a closer look at it.

What the beloved president was saying was that preparation matters a lot in whatever you are set to do. Truth be told, failing to prepare is preparing to fail. And this is very much applicable to preparing for the year’s worst season: winter.

Apparently we view summer as the long days to enjoy the sun and have the adventure of our lives, especially true with the vaccine against COVID-19 all out. But summer can also be the best time to prep for winter. Because prepping for winter when winter comes makes no sense at all. That would be like carrying an umbrella filled with holes on a rainy day hoping to fix it as you use it on the road.

Thankfully, the long days of summer can be just the time you need to prep for winter as much as you can. If that has you confounded, fret not. Below, we’re giving you the lowdown on what to do to get things going your way.

Home Maintenance

You may find it hard to do but a little creativity can go a long way to get the job done. To do that, think aboutwinter. What are the things that break down usually during the sweater months?

To boot, one of the most vital things during winter is the heating system. Check your boiler and ensure that everything is working perfectly fine before winter. You sure don’t want to deal with cold water during winter and the house not being warm enough. So get these things checked.

Also, check the windows to ensure that they are well-secured. A secured window would help prevent your house from being colder than it already is during winter. Another thing you can do is invest in good curtains. With thick curtains, you can help improve the heat generated in your house. The good thing is if you get it now, they would probably be less expensive.

It will also be a good idea to check the doors. Ensure that there are no gaps between the doors and the floor as well as the walls. Gaps between will make the house colder during winter. So get it sealed and covered if there are gaps.

You should also check out roof tiles. Ensure there are no cracks or breaks in the tiles. If there is an issue, try to fix them now, or better still, get an expert to fix it now. Getting an expert to fix it during winter would be more difficult, considering they would be a lot busier.

Now, this is where it gets tricky. You might think that snow removal should be taken care of in winter. But here’s news for you. Usually, the process of finding a good snow removal company can take months. Worse, finding one when winter is at its peak can be a greater challenge.

In this regard, looking for a reliable snow removal expert early on is wise. Not only will you not have to worry about not being able to find one when the snow starts but also you can avoid hiked prices this way.

Save for Winter

This might not seem as important, especially since you have a blast during summer. But then remember that a lot would have to be sorted out in winter. Home maintenance, for one, would cost you a few bucks. So saving for winter is a great idea.

You can do that by saving a few bucks every week during summer. If for example, you save $5 every day in summer, you would have about $450 at the end of summer. This might not go a very long way during winter, but it will sure come in handy.

Gardening

More often than not, gardening is one notion many people don’t pay as much attention to. Indeed, you can invest in planting and growing crops before winter. When you harvest your produce, you can store them in the freezer or dry them. By doing so, you have something stored up for winter saving you some in the process.

Another tip is buying your favorite canned food before winter and storing them at home. You can use your storage for storing them. But in case you don’t have as much space, you can slide them under the bed. This will help you keep them out of your way.

OrganizeProperly

Once summer comes, it’s time to ditch those thick blankets and clothing and opt for light ones. But while doing that, ensure you store them properly by washing and drying them before storing them. This is to ensure mildew does not grow on it.

You can adeptly bring them out from time to time to wash and then store them again. That way it would still be in good shape when you need it.

It might seem illogical. But if you take a closer look, prepping for winter during summer is the most logical decision you can make, not to mention the most financially sound.

 

So, you’re in the middle of an amazing dinner. Then those uninvited little guests make their grand entrance at your table. And your dinner is ruined like that.

And suddenly you feel like contacting the whole cockroach control center to camp at your house. However, these pests are preventable.

Here is a summary of simple ways to get rid of those crawling unwanted guests in your home.

1. Keep your home clean

A clean home is the best way to keep off insects and pests. Clean kitchen sinks and counters where the food crumbs are usually left.

Vacuum regularly to keep those pests at bay and your house fresh.

Do the dirty dishes in the sink after meals to avoid attracting cockroaches and other flies.

1. Maintain Your Yard

A yard with bushes, tall grass, and fallen dry leaves is a great pest habitat. Insects will crawl in your house from the yard through them.

Get a lawn mower or hire someone to do it. Trim your trees, keep away all the logs and firewood.

Mosquitoes breed in stagnated water. Check for all water collection points and fill them up with soil.

Find a way to drain out the water and aerate your yard to allow the water to absorb into the soil.

1. Store food well

Wherever there is food you’ll find flies hovering over it especially if it’s stale.

Store food in clean tightly sealed containers. And keep them in the refrigerator or kitchen cabinet.

Dispose of food crumbs or leftovers in the waste bin and cover.

Don’t leave fruits and vegetables lying around. Overripe fruits attract fruit flies.

1. Clear any collected water

Water creates moisture which not only will cause your food to go bad, but it’ll be an attraction to mosquitoes, cockroaches, and flies.

Check for any licking pipes and drains. Get them fixed to avoid the dripping water from collecting.

If you have an attic don’t clutter. Clutter causes dampness which then causes molds and insects to crawl in. Get a dehumidifier.

1. Secure possible entrances

A slight opening can be a goldmine to tiny pests and flies. Seal off any openings that are around the house.

Install a door sweep under the door. Door sweeps are found in hardware stores. Those with nylon brush sweeps are best for protection against bugs.

1. Get rid of clutter

If you’re a hoarder, it’s time to find another hobby to be passionate about. Some clutter in your house may be of sentimental value, but too much of it is unhealthy for you and your family.

Pests like cockroaches love dark places and clutter is one of the attractions.

Clear out any unnecessary junk in the house. Better yet find things that can be reused and sell them in flea markets or a garage sale.

1. Seal crack and holes

Now that you’ve sealed all the doors. It’s time to inspect the house for any holes and cracks.

To close up these spaces you need the right gear and equipment because you’ll be crawling in confined and dirty places.

You can use caulk to fill those gaps and mesh screens for windows, doors, and larger holes.

Call a professional to repair any other major damage.

1. Dispose of trash well

This goes without saying that trash is a castle for these pests and insects that will eventually crawl back into the house and cause diseases.

Most illnesses are caused by contaminated food that’s been in contact with those flies.

Clean your trash can and put a clean trash bag after every disposal. Keep it always closed after every use.

 

Websites were once a nice thing to have. Today, they are an integral part of any business. And this makes a lot of sense. In this internet age, people look at the internet as a main source of information– and they trust what they find.

However, you do not need just any website; you need the right website. Unfortunately, some things you might have on your site do nothing to help you grow your business.

For this reason, always think about website creation as a continuous process, not a one-time thing. Here, read about four things you have to omit from your website today.

Social Media Icons on Your Headers

Your social media is an important aspect of digital marketing. It should, however, not distract users from your site.

These might look helpful and help you draw traffic to your social media. However, for the most part, these are colorful exit signs from your site, and often, exiting visitors are unlikely to return.

It’s counterproductive to put in all that work towards driving traffic to your site, only for visitors to churn. If you have your social media icons as headers, it’s best advised to move them down below to be footers.

Dates on Blogs

Your blog should aim at providing enjoyable content. If you do this successfully, the articles on your blog will be evergreen.

This means they will be timeless and relevant at any point a reader accesses them. This automatically negates the need to date your blogs. If you have date stamps, remove these from blogs, URLs, and headlines.

Unfortunately, as relevant as the information may be, visitors will ignore it if the given date suggests the content is not fresh.

Long Paragraphs

Most people are not looking for any long, winding reads when they get on social media. They need to find what they are looking for as quickly as possible. Long sentences and paragraphs do not support this.

Walk through your website, find any instances of this, and rework the offending sections.

Online content should have paragraphs of three to four sentences. The formatting should also be light and airy to make scanning a page easy.

Keyword Stuffing

While you want to optimize your site, keyword stuffing achieves the opposite. Keyword stuffed content sounds unnatural and is monotonous to read. This will cost you return visitors.

Not just that, but Google algorithms will punish keyword stuffing by removing your content or downgrading its ranking. New-age content creation is about writing for the reader, not bots. Create good content, and your SEO rankings will follow suit.

The world of digital marketing is extremely dynamic and competitive. Always keep your ears on the ground regarding what works, and work doesn’t. This information will be instrumental to your business.

You can find many uses for scrap metal if you exercise some creativity. If you have some scrap metal at home that will not be worth much if you bring it to a scrap yard, you may find some ingenious ways to turn them into something useful for your home.

Search online and you will find various ways to recycle scrap metal. Some of them became plant holders, wall art, lamp holders, and more.

But keep in mind, do not stash your scrap metal at home. Recycling helps the environment and the economy. Clean and sort your scrap metals. Residents of Kansas, for example, can bring them to a professional scrap yard in KC that provides a reasonable price tag and adequate solutions.

Various uses of scrap metal

Recycling scrap metals is good for the environment and the economy. In the concept of circular economy, everything that is manufactured should be made in a way that they can be dismantled and recreated later into an end product once the original product’s usability is lost. But in the case of metals, almost nothing is lost because they can be recycled continuously without losing their inherent properties. Here are some uses of recycled scrap metals.

With recycled metals, different industries help the environment by reducing the need for mining. Likewise, the manufacturing costs of products made from recycled metals are lower, passing on the savings to consumers.

Industrial uses

There are several uses of scrap aluminum and iron in the construction of bridges, roads, and buildings. In the transportation industry, recycled metals can be used to manufacture aircraft, cars, ships and other vehicles. Scrap metals are needed in the manufacture of industrial metal containers that are used by various companies. A range of appliances is also produced from scrap metal, particularly aluminum. They are also used for plumbing and ductwork.

Packaging

Recycled steel and aluminum are reused as new food packaging today. Most canned goods, for example, use recycled metals, and many manufacturers are using cans made from 100% recycled scrap metals. Within a two-month cycle, the scrap metals, particularly steel and aluminum, will reappear on store shelves as new beverage or food containers. That is how fast various industries need recycled metals.

New and stronger products

Using advanced technology, many scrap metals are recycled to produce stronger as well as new products. With the new processes, manufacturers can produce tools of higher quality. The recycling process consumes less energy and reduces carbon dioxide emissions, both of which are beneficial to the environment.

Home furnishings

Many of the metal home furnishings you can buy today are made from recycled metals. They are not only durable, but they are also beautiful. Examples are chairs, tables, benches, kitchen appliances, yard tools, filing cabinets, and lighting fixtures.

Artistic and creative uses

Artists, craftspeople and those who have some artistic inclinations see a pile of scrap metals as materials for works of art. Several sculptors create outstanding sculptures. You can get so many ideas from various websites. You can turn them into stools, tables, coat racks, picture frames, wall art, wine bottle holders, pots and pans hanging rack, beds, decorative plant holders, stools, and more.

Recycling scrap metals benefits you, the industry, the economy and the environment, without you realizing it. You can even help in providing jobs for more people.

Don’t let a dead battery cut your relaxing evening or weekend on the water short. Even the best marine battery options have a limited lifetime, so explore the steps necessary to get more out of your battery. Check out proper maintenance and the best brands before ordering a new one online.

How To Choose the Best Boat Battery

On average, a marine battery only lasts about 3 to 4 years. Some can last longer than 6 years, but that depends on the maintenance tasks performed and the type of battery you’re using. Consider investing in a battery tester or periodically taking your marine battery to an auto parts store location near you to estimate the condition of this component.

When it’s time to retire your old battery, it’s important to replace it with a reliable option. Start by checking the type of battery you have. Some are used for cranking the engine on your boat, similar to an automotive battery. Others are deep cycle, which power your marine electronics for hours at a time.

Once you’ve determined the correct type for your replacement task, it’s time to shop for styles of battery. Here are the main types that all offer their own pros and cons:

• Lithium ion
• Wet cell, or lead acid
• AGM
• Gel

A lead-acid battery is the most common and affordable. Other battery types add additional features. Gel units, for example, have a low self-discharge rate. Lithium-ion batteries are lightweight and have a long life cycle, but are more of an investment than lead-acid alternatives.

Verify that the battery you purchase is sized appropriately for your needs. A VIN decoder can help you find the right maintenance items for your car, but it’s just as important to correctly size your deep-cycle and cranking marine batteries.

Proper Boat Battery Maintenance

The most important task in marine battery maintenance is to prevent it from completely discharging. This typically ruins the battery and prevents it from being recharged by any means. Use a battery tester to spot the signs that it’s time to recharge your battery.

Your marine motor recharges the battery just like a car. You may know how to jump start a car, but this isn’t a practical solution for a boat if your battery dies in the middle of the water. Always test your battery before you leave to ensure it’s ready for a day on the water.

Connect your battery to a trickle charger during the winter months. If you aren’t going to be taking your boat out for a month or more, then the battery could dangerously self discharge. A trickle charger providers small amounts of power to keep it safely topped up.

Explore the Best Boat Batteries Online

Learn more about boat battery maintenance by comparing battery brands and types online. Shop from the comfort of your couch or from the deck of your boat as you take the necessary steps for safe marine maintenance. Use customer reviews and this guide to find the best battery type to keep your engine roaring and your electronics fully powered.