Keeping the battery warm

[Grandesigner]

Haha, sorry to hear that...I guess if you filled out your location I would have known.
Over here, my batts stay charged every day with solar.
Good idea on the AGM.

[docque]

Haha, sorry to hear that...I guess if you filled out your location I would have known.
Over here, my batts stay charged every day with solar.
Good idea on the AGM.

Actually, there has a been a little less snow this year. We get an average of 200 inches a season. North of us people get way worse. I mean snowblower on the roof bad.

I am glad I finally decided on the battery. Lithium will be the next RV and it will have the proper equipment in it to handle it.

[Grandesigner]

I think we have gotten about 2" this season so far...

[docque]

I think we have gotten about 2" this season so far...

TBH in some places that shuts down the town. I know on the Cape where my Wife is from they shut down if they get more than two inches. We only shut down if there is feet of snow.

[crv0262]

I am looking at my options to keeping my battery warm. If I was full time, this wouldn't be an issue. I would just install it in the TT and it will stay warm.

I think the issue is to cut off the battery when the temp gets too hot or cold. Do they sell a device that does this for my cheapo battery I use?

I got a Victron Smartshunt and that does well. I can even hook up a temperature probe to it but I don't think that does anything to control charge/discharge.

I recently installed a pair of Lithium batteries in the front bay or my 310GK. This bay is not insulated or heated. Based on a Will Prowse video, I installed a pair of Facon CW-T1218, 12" x 18" RV Tank Heater Pad with Automatic Thermostat Control that I picked up on Amazon for ~ $65. I found that I needed to remove the thermostat control on these pads to meet my needs. I then wired an Inkbird ITC-1000 12V Temp Controller, which manages the Heat Pads. It's been in place a couple of days and I have been happy with the performance so far. I adhered each heat pads to a piece of alumunim plate and placed one on top and one on the bottom of the batteries. Using the InkBird, the heat pads turn on at 41 F and turn off at 51F. This morning the temperature in the front bay was 41F but the batteries registered near 50F. Good Luck!

[docque]

I recently installed a pair of Lithium batteries in the front bay or my 310GK. This bay is not insulated or heated. Based on a Will Prowse video, I installed a pair of Facon CW-T1218, 12" x 18" RV Tank Heater Pad with Automatic Thermostat Control that I picked up on Amazon for ~ $65. I found that I needed to remove the thermostat control on these pads to meet my needs. I then wired an Inkbird ITC-1000 12V Temp Controller, which manages the Heat Pads. It's been in place a couple of days and I have been happy with the performance so far. I adhered each heat pads to a piece of alumunim plate and placed one on top and one on the bottom of the batteries. Using the InkBird, the heat pads turn on at 41 F and turn off at 51F. This morning the temperature in the front bay was 41F but the batteries registered near 50F. Good Luck!

I actually figured out a low budget heater that I remember I used to keep the chickens warm in the Winter months. Go to Home Depot and get a clamp on lamp and an incandescent bulb and it keeps it warm-ish in there. We hit well below zero here last night and the pass through was about 40.

[Redapple63]

Here is a Will Prowse video of making a battery heater pad. This is what I plan to do.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...6FORM%3DHDRSC3

Bill

[Soundsailor]

Here is a Will Prowse video of making a battery heater pad. This is what I plan to do.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...6FORM%3DHDRSC3

Bill

The positive of those tank warmer pads is that they have a built-in thermostat so no need to add your own. The negative of those pads is that they have a built-in thermostat so you can't use your own (more accurate) control. The simplicity of Will's approach is intriguing, I'd want to be sure I included an on/off switch so these won't kick on when not needed. These pads heat up to 68 F (probably more than the batteries require) and you can't control the settings. Since they draw 5 Amps, you'd want to be sure they weren't running any more than needed.

[Redapple63]

The positive of those tank warmer pads is that they have a built-in thermostat so no need to add your own. The negative of those pads is that they have a built-in thermostat so you can't use your own (more accurate) control. The simplicity of Will's approach is intriguing, I'd want to be sure I included an on/off switch so these won't kick on when not needed. These pads heat up to 68 F (probably more than the batteries require) and you can't control the settings. Since they draw 5 Amps, you'd want to be sure they weren't running any more than needed.

HI Soundsailor,

I absolutely agree with the addition of a switch. I would even go one step further and fuse it with say a 7.5 or 10 amp fuse.

Bill

[SolarPoweredRV]

The positive of those tank warmer pads is that they have a built-in thermostat so no need to add your own. The negative of those pads is that they have a built-in thermostat so you can't use your own (more accurate) control. The simplicity of Will's approach is intriguing, I'd want to be sure I included an on/off switch so these won't kick on when not needed. These pads heat up to 68 F (probably more than the batteries require) and you can't control the settings. Since they draw 5 Amps, you'd want to be sure they weren't running any more than needed.

The added advantage of adding a switch with these warming pads, is that they won't be draining your batteries in moderate temps (the pads come on at 45 and shut off at 63 degrees). Many times you could be camping and the temps will drop into the mid 30's and unless you have turned on the heater, the pads won't turn on, without the switch, anytime the temps drop below 45, the pads will turn on and you would be wasting energy heating a battery that does not really need to be heated up.