You need to do your homework to make sure you do NOT over charge the battery, or charge when freezing, or over discharge the battery.
I use an outback charge controller that allows me to set the top voltage manually I push over 55 amps to this battery now with my solar panels.
Mind you I...
Yeah, that is why I do both... After my batteries are charged from my solar panels, my system auto magically flips a relay to my hot water heater and it heats my hot water. I have had to only use propane for back up for a few days.... Storing heat in water is indeed the way to go.