Charging in below freezing temps
I have the Goal Zero Yeti 1400 which I leave connected and charging to a Boulder 100 solar panel and a 45 watt Harbor freight solar array. The Yeti powers the lights in my unheated garage.
Temperatures in the garage this time of year range from about freezing to 0 F. The GZ site suggests insulating the Yeti in a cooler in sub-freezing temps. This one is zipped into an AO soft-side cooler but I doubt that's enough to keep the inside temp from dropping below freezing in extreme cold. (For example today: it’s 2 p.m., cloudy, temp 30, charging input 8 watts, temp inside cooler 37.) I worry about plating the battery anodes. Some say charging a lithium battery below freezing even for a short time can cause immediate permanent damage. Though I’ve also heard if the input current is exceedingly low no plating will occur. So can I charge under these conditions without damaging the batteries?
Comments
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Hi @Timmy2good,
The BMS (battery management system) will not allow the battery to charge below 32F. It will shut off the ports and they will not turn back on until the temperature is high enough.
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Thanks. But Goal Zero customer service answered this same question with a reply that contradicts this one. Which is correct?
Charging outside of the temperature ranges we suggest can and will cause damage. If it happens once or twice, it’s negligible and minimal. If you repeat it then it will build up into a more noticeable problem. As for the 37 degrees in the cooler, I would recommend trying to get it above 40 and keep it above that temperature. Especially as that was the 2pm temperature. If the cooler is not good enough, that means it likely gets below 32 at night regardless and you will need to find a better way to insulate it if possible.
Sincerely, Michael Petersen
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So what do you recommend for those of us living up in Montana where it gets minus 20? Is there a battery warmer we can use?
