Lead Acid Batteries

[gruder]

Is there a way to protect lead acid batteries from harsh winter conditions, we always have battery failures after winter due to the freezing conditions & it is becoming quite expensive. Is there an additive or something to help this situation?

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Keep them warm?? Seen this done many times

 

[Bribyk]

Keep them fully charged too.

 

[IRstuff]

Don't they make heater blankets for that sort of thing?

Barring that:
> Park indoors
> Cover with the vehicle insulation - marginal, given the 12 hrs or so it'll probably be parked
> Cover the battery with insulation

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[warmone]

Are you talking about a battery failing after you have stored it for the winter?
If you are then I will let you in on a little secret that goes against normal thinking!
The best way to store a battery for the winter is to to put it in your deep freeze.
You have to make shure it is charged up and dry first.
Batteries left idle in a warm place will soon start to collect sulfates on their plates which will soon render the battery useless.
This is a chemical reaction of the sulfuric acid electrolite in the battery.
In short any and every chemical reaction known to man speeds up with heat.
My boat batteries live in the freezer all winter and my snowmobile batteries live there all summer and I havent lost one yet!

 

[evelrod]

In winter I always did a couple simple tasks when I lived in Colorado. When I came home from work I stopped by the coin operated car wash and rinsed the entire car, chassis and all. At home I plugged in the 'float charger' for the battery and a 100w shop light hanging from my rear view mirror.

Up in the morning, car starts just fine, windshield not frozen and nice and toasty in the front seat while I warmed up the engine --- usually just a few minutes if I timed the snowplow just right. If I missed, it would idle for longer while I shoveled my way out of the drive. Hated that snowplow!

Rod

 

[Bribyk]

We had this issues with starter batteries on skid-mounted equipment. After some research and analysis my recommendations were to add a controlled trickle charger powered by a solar cell to keep the batteries fully charged.

As the batteries discharge while sitting idle their freezing point rises and they are more likely to be damaged. The solar cell and charger were about the price of one battery but I don't know if the company tried it or not because I don't work there anymore.

A good number of their battery replacements were due to arcing and subsequent melting of the terminals from continually being unhooked because there were very few installed (and not bypassed) lock out switches.

As far as automotive applications, batteries last 3-5 years up here in freezing cold Canadian winters... because they don't sit idle very long and are fully charged when it gets cold.

 

[gruder]

Thanks Guys,

I will take note of what has been suggested.