Batteries in freezing temperatures?

[radar46]

Is there any danger of battery damage in outside temps of
20-30 degrees (F) in my 5th wheel Cougar? The two 6 volts
are enclosed in a thick case with a blanket over the case.
No heat in front storage.
Thanks,
Warren.

[John_Burke]

Serviced and charged two 4 year old Ever start group 29 Dc battery's from Walmart in Oct. After 3 days the voltage settled at 12.81 and 12.77.
They get left in the campers, a pop-up and travel trailer in plastic battery boxes all year.
The last 3 weeks we have had temps down as low as -34. A couple of highs were -17. Stayed below 0 for 9 days and the highest temp has been 8.
Checked them yesterday and they were at 12.58 and 12.53.

[time2roll]

radar46 wrote:
Is there any danger of battery damage in outside temps of
20-30 degrees (F) in my 5th wheel Cougar? The two 6 volts
are enclosed in a thick case with a blanket over the case.
No heat in front storage.
Thanks,
Warren.

In use or just in storage?

Storage... charge 48 hours and disconnect. Fine until spring.

In-use... best to plug in every day to get charge back up. Could freeze at 12.0 volts. I would be charging at 12.4 maybe 12.3 at the lowest.

[Gonzo42]

On our very first trip in the RV, to Yellowstone NP, we got snowed in and one of the house batteries died. It was probably the original and therefor 5 years old. I had to replace the second house battery several months later, too.

[SidecarFlip]

radar46 wrote:
Thanks for the quick replies--there is a plug-in available for occasional use only so once the batteries get down to the area of
(+ or -) 12 volts I plug her in again for a day or so.
Thanks again,
Warren.

12 volts static volts test on a 12 volt battery is DEAD. 6 volts on a 6 volt battery is DEAD (applies to flooded cell and AGM's)

[SidecarFlip]

radar46 wrote:
Is there any danger of battery damage in outside temps of
20-30 degrees (F) in my 5th wheel Cougar? The two 6 volts
are enclosed in a thick case with a blanket over the case.
No heat in front storage.
Thanks,
Warren.

So long as they are fully charged, they won't freeze or be harmed in any way by cold temps. Look at it this way, you car starts in cold weather don't it? Why, because the battery is charged and it won't freeze either. Same applies to your house batteries.

[Boon_Docker]

I leave my 6 year old 6 volt batteries out all winter in -20c and they lose less than 0.2 volts max over the winter.
Doesn't hurt them a bit as long as they are fully charged and disconnected to start with.

[wa8yxm]

Fully charged batteries (In fact I have tested this...the hard way) can go down to -40. your choice of C or F and still start the car once it warms up enough for the car to start (Alas the car I tested it on did not work at -40 but it was NOT a battery issue.. something else prevented it).

[ScottG]

MrWizard wrote:
No good reason to let a battery in storage get down to 12.0

What if one has a mean disposition and just wants to take it out on a defenseless battery?

[Chum_lee]

If your wet cell batteries are discharged AND frozen,(or at a very low state of charge) don't try to charge them until they thaw out and/or warm up well above their freezing point.

Chum lee

[MrWizard]

No good reason to let a battery in storage get down to 12.0

[RoyB]

I switch my batteries OFF and leave them on my trailer tongue during the winter months If I see them get below 12.5VDC I will throw them on a trikle charge unit... If they ever get down to 12.0 VDC I will do a full 100% charge state on them...

My original set of 12V 85AH Interstate Batteries lasted from 2008 throuh 2014 doing this...

I replaced them in 2015 with two groups of two 6V batteries in series...

Roy Ken

[pianotuna]

The colder the better for lead acid cells. -77 C is the freezing point for a fully charged battery. If it is that cold, you may have a lot more to worry about than batteries.

[2oldman]

Actually, batteries suffer more damage from heat exposure.

[BFL13]

Cold snap, snow on the daffodils! Local RVers panic! 🙂