Does hot weather affect battery performance?

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Traditionally, high temperature and a flooded battery can be corrected by adjusting electrolyte gravity and the temperature compensation primary voltage.

It takes wool clothing, a 5-gallon bucket, safety glasses, gloves, an accurate hydrometer, a funnel, and a gallon jug of distilled water.

The battery must be brand spanking new. Then top charged and left overnight disconnected from the charger.

Invert the battery and drain the cells into the bucket. Every last drop is not important.

Establish bucket gravity with the hydrometer. OEM should be 1.275 to 1.280

You are going to dilute the electrolyte with distilled water until it weakens to 1.260 on the hydrometer.

You have one shot at this. Or, if over-diluted, buy a 2-1/2 gallon carton of battery electrolyte and start over.
.....ments. Electrolyte is adjusted to 1.300

So, how is this different than pouring in several cups of distilled water when the battery water level is low? Doesn't that dilute it and drop the specific gravity? Or are you saying that getting exactly to this 1.260 number, not higher, not lower, is the key? What happens when you drop it under 1.260? Or, does adding water only add H2O and the specific gravity stay the same? What you do with the bucket is pouring ot the electrolyte which does not evaporate? I may have answered my own question....

jdc1 wrote:
A car battery in Phoenix Arizona lasts 2 years.

When I lived in Phoenix, I never got 2 summers out of a battery. When heat killed a battery it died suddenly with no warning. I had friends who routinely went to Pep Boys every year and bought the cheapest battery.

Thanks for all the input. I guess I was thinking short term damage from excessive heat as last week I was parked in direct sunlight for 8 days of near or 100 degrees. Which was great for solar.

Your right here in the pacific northwest triple digits is not very common and when my Rig is not being used it is parked in a Covered RV Port.

Not likely that I will move the batteries inside as the batteries have to vent.

Batteries are doing well at 4 years of age so maybe heat in my case is not a big deal.

Next year when I upgrade the batteries to flooded 6 volts I will go with a larger battery box for more air space.

Traditionally, high temperature and a flooded battery can be corrected by adjusting electrolyte gravity and the temperature compensation primary voltage.

It takes wool clothing, a 5-gallon bucket, safety glasses, gloves, an accurate hydrometer, a funnel, and a gallon jug of distilled water.

The battery must be brand spanking new. Then top charged and left overnight disconnected from the charger.

Invert the battery and drain the cells into the bucket. Every last drop is not important.

Establish bucket gravity with the hydrometer. OEM should be 1.275 to 1.280

You are going to dilute the electrolyte with distilled water until it weakens to 1.260 on the hydrometer.

You have one shot at this. Or, if over-diluted, buy a 2-1/2 gallon carton of battery electrolyte and start over.

Pour the water into a glass or cup. Mix it into the electrolyte, then remeasure.

Reduce specific gravity to 1.260

Refill each cell to original level but no higher.

The excess acid can go into the emptied in another container distilled water jug. Mark it. DANGER BATTERY ACID then return it to the place where you bought the battery.

In the tropics adjusting battery specific gravity can treble long-term battery life. Treble means 300%

The adjustment has minimal impact on 20-hour ampere performance and only the most modest of reductions in C.C.A.

Savings versus effort must be weighed. The word savings and the word effort are ambiguous. Up to 300% isn't.

And yes, there is a corresponding adjustment for ARCTIC environments. Electrolyte is adjusted to 1.300

First depending on the battery type keeping them INSIDE can lead to various levels of Disaster. Up to and including death by a couple different vectors.
Wet cells (Both flooded and maintenance free) most dangerous
AGM a bit safer

And LiFePo4.. well likely the safest but the jury is still out.
With the exception of LiFePo4.. I strongly recommend against indoor batteries. }
With those.. I do not recommend it but.. as I said jury still out.

Now to the OP's question:
Yes heat affects the batteries.

THIS article may confuse some so I'll summerize
Higher temperature means the battery can store more amp hours
But it also means you will need to replace the battery sooner perhaps in 7 years instead of 9)

Lower temps (Very low) are not good either

Source Document found by a Google Search

So, on these super hot days, esp if batt in in a space that gets 20-30 deg hotter than outside, then just disconnect the charger? Maybe just charge it 12 hours once every week or so if extended heat? Agree, ones short spell of heat is not like years of heat, but every bit counts

theoldwizard1 wrote:

jdc1 wrote:
Look no further than your car/truck for that answer. A car battery in Phoenix Arizona lasts 2 years. A car battery in San Francisco lats 5-7 years. A car battery in Buffalo NY lasts 4 years. Heat kills a battery faster than anything.

Concur ! At least for lead-acid batteries. That is why many manufacturers are putting insulating sleeves around the battery or in a few cases moving them out of the engine compartment.

I have two vehicles where the battery is NOT in the engine compartment. One has the battery under the rear seat, the other in the trunk. And in those to cases batteries tend to last 10+ years. Now part of the reason for the battery location likely as little or nothing to do with heat and more to do with weight distribution getting close to 50/50. 75lbs more in the trunk is much better than 75lbs more over the front axle.

jdc1 wrote:
Look no further than your car/truck for that answer. A car battery in Phoenix Arizona lasts 2 years. A car battery in San Francisco lats 5-7 years. A car battery in Buffalo NY lasts 4 years. Heat kills a battery faster than anything.

Concur ! At least for lead-acid batteries. That is why many manufacturers are putting insulating sleeves around the battery or in a few cases moving them out of the engine compartment.

2oldman wrote:

jdc1 wrote:
Look no further than your car/truck for that answer. A car battery in Phoenix Arizona lasts 2 years.

x2. As for performance, I believe cold affects it more than heat.

In terms of capacity in AH and cold cranking amps, yes cold affects batteries more than heat. Not just FLA but many others as well.

In terms of life, heat is much worse than cold.

jdc1 wrote:
Look no further than your car/truck for that answer. A car battery in Phoenix Arizona lasts 2 years.

x2. As for performance, I believe cold affects it more than heat.