Heating for LifePO4 batteries?

[KanzKran]

Originally Posted by AzGoldDigger

I plan to weatherproof the battery compartment, but I wondered what folks had done to keep the batteries warm?

My 600 Ah LiFePO4 battery is under the jack knife couch in the back. I'm keeping it above freezing with an 80W heat blanket, 6 ft long, which is just the right length to wrap the battery.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I control it with a remote line-voltage, plug-in thermostat with wifi connection. I access it with my phone, and can change the set point if I want.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have the power to the heat blanket cut down a bit with a 300W lighting slide dimmer so the heater doesn't cycle unless it's warm, but when it warms up I just cut back on the power a little. Usually it's at about 40-50W.

The thermostat has a remote probe, which is laying on top of the battery with a thermal blanket over and around the whole thing. Trying to keep the battery relatively uniformly warm and stable. This is for winter storage, by the way, not for operating. I drained it down to 50% charge, per the manufacture's recommendations via email discussion, as the published recommendations are a little unclear, or confusing at least.

A thread I started on the subject.

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f54/how-t...er-472857.html

[10 fan]

Originally Posted by C.Martin

That half bath method sounds like a winner,,,

It was a pretty cheap and easy project. Spa hose is almost 1/4" thick and I insulated it with pipe insulation and foil lined bubble rap over that, gets hot near the inverters. Used a 3" abs 90 and notched it to fit over the computer fan. Put an old pre filter off my jeep over the spa pipe. Bought a matching wood vent for the door. Programable thermostat operates the fans, do have to reprogram from winter to summer.

[Bryantclan]

We ordered 3 of the BB batteries to replace our 600amp hours of lifelines that are now 7 years old and are sorting the heating and BIRD issues, before I start the install.

Has anyone tried putting a variable resistor on the house sense line to the BIRD to bring down the voltage from 13.6 (maybe 13.7) to 13.1... seems everything should fall back inline then. The chassis batteries would still be living at 13.6 instead of the preferred float of 13.5 but given the mass of the chassis batteries that should not really be an issue.

Shaun

[JABell]

May I offer a suggestion for heat in the battery bay.

If you have an Oasis, after enclosing your battery bay, purchase the add-on zone directly from Oasis for about $300.00. It connects directly to the Oasis you already have and works independently from everything else.

Hang the exchanger in the basement and extend the hot air hose into the battery bay through the wall.

Buy a thermostat at Home Depot and your done. The Oasis burner or electric needs to be on to work just like the wet bay.

FYI - any Oasis dealer can do this also.