How Detrimental Is Cold Weather To Batteries?

JAS

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As posted above,how detrimental is cold weather to the various types of batteries? For example, I have a Black & Decker weed trimmer that uses battery packs. I had been leaving those in the garage, but I brought them in this morning since it is going to be below zero degree over night. Does it matter?
 

Lynx_Arc

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As posted above,how detrimental is cold weather to the various types of batteries? For example, I have a Black & Decker weed trimmer that uses battery packs. I had been leaving those in the garage, but I brought them in this morning since it is going to be below zero degree over night. Does it matter?
Depends on how much below zero it is going to get but for only one night I wouldn't worry about it if it were 20 below for days and days it is best to have battery packs charged up before enduring that cold of weather. Nicad and Nimh an lithium ion do better than lead acid in the cold as far as harm to the batteries yet we see car batteries in 20 below weather do just fine as long as they aren't discharged too much.
 

PhotoJim

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With the exception of lead-acid batteries (and I'm not sure if gel cell batteries fall into this category), batteries generally don't mind being frozen. In fact some batteries self-discharge more slowly when frozen or kept very cold. If you try to use the batteries while cold, they will perform more poorly than normal, but in storage, it's not a big deal.

Lead-acid batteries, if they discharge, will have their cells damaged by the water freezing, and that will destroy them, so they are an exception.
 

GaryM

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It's been over 25 years ago, but I used to keep my Eveready 510 volt battery for my flash gun in the freezer between wedding jobs.
 

Steve K

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general comments:

batteries work by chemical reactions. When the chemicals react, electrons come out. As a rule of thumb, chemical reactions happen faster when warm and slower when cold. As a result, most batteries won't provide as much power when cold and also won't charge as well when cold.

Lead-acid batteries might be the only ones that use water, and as such, are the only ones that might actually freeze. The rest just get weaker due to cold temperatures.

Some batteries have prohibitions against charging at cold temperatures... and I'm thinking of lithium batteries. You'd have to check the manufacturer's datasheets to get the details.
 

Zemapeli

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It's been over 25 years ago, but I used to keep my Eveready 510 volt battery for my flash gun in the freezer between wedding jobs.

With the exception of lead-acid batteries (and I'm not sure if gel cell batteries fall into this category), batteries generally don't mind being frozen. In fact some batteries self-discharge more slowly when frozen or kept very cold. If you try to use the batteries while cold, they will perform more poorly than normal, but in storage, it's not a big deal.

Lead-acid batteries, if they discharge, will have their cells damaged by the water freezing, and that will destroy them, so they are an exception.
Interesting. I noticed that my Ipod will drain it's batteries when in the cold weather. Seems like the cold drains the charge away from it. I live in Michigan, US. It is snowy and can get as cold as -9 with wind chill here around this time of year with up to three+ feet of snow. I will be listening to my ipod in my Carhaart pocket with full batteries, and after twenty minutes to half an hour, the ipod will die due to dead battery. When I go home and leave the ipod inside in my house (60 degrees) after the ipod dies for half an hour to one hour; the Ipod will turn on with 30% charge and play twenty songs... I wonder what batteries would work the best in -0 weather? That would be interesting to know.
Thanks for sharing.
Zemapeli
 
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