How to Properly Store Vehicle Batteries

The cold season does not entice motor cyclists or drivers of vintage cars and convertibles to drive. Many enthusiasts do not license their vehicles during the winter and to enable a good start to the season in spring, attention must be paid to continuous battery care and proper battery storage. Both of these are important for the charge level and therefore a long battery life.Dead batteries are one of the most frustrating situations any driver can encounter. Not only could it make you late for an important appointment, but it often means there’s a problem with your car or the battery that needs to be addressed. One way that batteries can deteriorate is if they’ve been stored incorrectly or for too long. It’s true for new batteries on the shelf as well as for drivers who take their battery out during an off-season, like classic car owners and motorcyclists. The goal is to keep the battery in good shape so it doesn’t discharge fully. That’s when it can be irreversibly damaged due to sulfation, a buildup of lead sulfate on the plates inside.Proper storage techniques can keep a battery in good working condition from season to season. Here’s what you should know about vehicle battery storage. What to note when storing your battery: Correct storage location Poor storage conditions over a long period can result in deep discharge, which can irreversibly damage the battery. Therefore, special care must be taken as to where, and at what temperature the battery is stored. A car or motor cycle battery can remain in the vehicle, even for long standstill periods if the garage has the right conditions for battery storage. The right temperature is important for the choice of storage location. Car batteries like to be kept cool and dry. The optimal storage temperature for a car battery is an annual average of 15° C. While the electrochemical processes in the battery are slower at very low temperatures, at high temperatures, all processes take place much faster. This means that corrosion and sulfation can also occur more quickly and therefore considerably reduce the life of the battery. An excessively high storage temperature must therefore be avoided.recommend:48V Lithium Battery Manufacturer The humidity of the air can also affect the charge level if it condenses on the battery and causes small leakage currents between the positive and negative terminals, which causes faster discharge.Storage in a cellar is possible in principle, but the room must be dry. The optimal solution is a room in the house in which there is a dry atmosphere and a constant temperature, even in winter. Charge at regular intervals Before storage, the battery should be fully charged to between 12.7 V and 12.8 V. To prevent deep discharge, in case of long standstill times and storage of the vehicle, a maintenance charge of 12.5 V must be ensured. To maintain the charge the voltage should be checked every two months. If it is 12.5 V or less, it is advisable to charge the battery with a charger. For this, a special charger must be used, which includes a maintenance charge mode as otherwise there is a risk of overcharging. In case of doubt, please consult the manufacturer’s information.The permanent damage to battery capacity which is caused by deep discharge can at best only be remedied by a charger with a reconditioning function. Take care of the battery and prevent corrosion In autumn and winter, the vehicle is prone to rust. This also applies to the battery. Corrosion reduces the period of use and endangers safety. Therefore, all traces of rust should be removed from the battery terminals before installation. Corroded connection terminals and fastenings can be thoroughly cleaned with a brush and a mixture of water and sodium bicarbonate. Additional treatment with terminal grease prevents renewed corrosion. Choose the right location Sealed lead acid batteries are by far the most common in automotive applications. One of their biggest benefits is that they last quite a long time if they’re stored in the right conditions. Of course, for any controlled storage, you’ll need to pull the battery out of the car. Ideally, store a sealed lead acid (SLA) battery in a location where there’s no danger of getting impacted or having its terminals crossed accidentally, so a shelf out of the way is a good solution. The most important aspect for long-term storage is temperature, though. Storing a battery in extremely hot or cold temperatures can have a ngeative impact on the battery’s performance and lifespan. So choose a spot where the temperature remains relatively constant between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit, or 10 to 15 degrees Celsius. Store a vehicle battery fully charged Whether you have a new SLA battery on the shelf as a spare for a long-haul highway tractor or a battery you’ve pulled out of a car during storage, storing it fully charged is pretty important for longevity. Generally speaking, an SLA battery loses about 3% charge per month, and while that doesn’t seem like a lot, consecutive months in storage can result in a charge well below full. That’s a crucial detail because sulfation occurs when a battery discharges. Lead sulfate builds up and can harden on the plates inside the battery, permanently reducing the battery’s future capacity to recharge. That typically happens at a higher rate when the charge drops below 60 to 70%, and you can prevent that if you start out with a fully charged battery. Check and maintain stored batteries When a vehicle battery is in storage, the motto “set it and forget it” does not apply. As mentioned, it’s natural that the kinetic energy continues inside the battery, and it loses a small amount of charge every month. And over time, the battery’s charge level will drop. To prevent lead sulfate from forming and hardening on the plates, the solution is simple: check them periodically and recharge those with declining charges. You certainly don’t want to put a healthy battery in storage in the fall and come back to a battery in worse condition the following spring. Similarly, a parts or service facility doesn’t want to sell batteries that won’t stand up to the test of time. Approximately every three months, test the voltage of each battery in storage, and if it’s below 12.4 volts, slowly recharge it to full capacity. If you have one battery – or even a few automotive batteries – being stored, you can also use a multistage battery maintainer that stays connected at all times when it’s on the shelf, keeping the battery topped up. That’s not a feasible solution for retailers, though.refer to:48v lithium ion battery 100ah Clean the terminals When the battery is removed from the vehicle, clean deposits on the battery case or the terminals. This corrosion can be a big reason that a battery self-discharges through what’s known as transient power loss. Clean the battery and terminals with a neutralizing solution, then treat the terminals with corrosion-resistant sprays available at any parts store. Quick check for correct battery storage: Note the following: The battery should be stored upright The room should provide facilities for battery charging The storage area should be adequately ventilated The room temperature should have an annual average of 15° C Ensure a dry room atmosphere Keep the battery clean to prevent leakage currents The battery should be fully charged before storage and should be recharged to 100% if the voltage drops below 12.5 V How long can a battery be stored? Vehicle batteries cannot be stored indefinitely since it will eventually discharge. Even a new battery will experience discharge, albeit at a slower rate than a battery that’s been in use for a year or two. For new battery storage If you are storing a brand new battery on the shelf that’s never been used, it can hold a charge as long as two years, even though it’s diminishing over time. And during that time, sulfation will form. Even when you charge the battery periodically, a small amount of the battery’s capacity will be diminished. Most manufacturers recommend storing a battery for six to nine months maximum before use, and delaying use isn’t going to extend the battery’s lifespan of three to five years. For used batteries Aging batteries can also be stored for a year or so if they’re taken care of and top charged occasionally. You’ll notice that it won’t hold a charge as long as a new battery, and a top charge will be necessary more frequently.