Your cell phone or other electronics may drain very quickly if you live in a cold climate. After being at 100% for a moment, the Battery has completely died in less than a minute. I was wondering if lithium batteries are affected by cold temperatures or not? Cold temperatures slow the chemical reactions that make lithium batteries work, and stopping those reactions entirely is not possible. Despite their better cold tolerance, batteries still have problems storing and releasing energy at freezing temperatures.
What Happens To Batteries In Cold Weather
The lithium battery is more durable against freezing than the vast majority of other types, yet its care is still crucial. You can protect your batteries from winter damage by taking the right preventative measures. Our first task will be to examine why batteries need protection from harsh environments.
Energy is stored and released by batteries. During cold weather, this process may be hindered. This also applies to batteries. It may take a few minutes for them to warm up after being outside. Batteries become more resistant to cold weather. However, their capacity may decrease. It is true that batteries lose energy or do not retain a charge as much when placed in cold temperatures.
The cold weather means more frequent charging of batteries. A battery has a limited lifespan based on how many charging cycles it has gone through. Preserve it instead of throwing it out. Depending on the type of Battery, lithium batteries can last anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 charges. A lead-acid battery can last for 400 cycles compared to a lithium battery. You should not overuse these batteries.
Lithium Batteries Precautions for Cold Weather
Obviously, you can’t control the weather in the winter. It’s up to Mother Nature. While your Battery is cold, there are some precautions you can take. Let’s look at them.
Keep your Battery Clean
If your Battery is a lead-acid one, keeping it clean during the winter as well as the summer is vital. Preventing corrosion before long storage periods is especially vital. Certain battery types may suffer from major issues caused by dirt and corrosion, which may result in them discharging faster. Let’s talk about lead-acid batteries. Baking soda and water are used to clean a lead-acid battery. Unlike lead-acid batteries, lithium batteries do not need to be maintained. It’s true.
Warm your Battery Before you Use it
Even though Winter has arrived, the adventure is not over yet. Would you be interested in traveling south for the winter? Of course, you would. Perhaps you would prefer to hunt? It doesn’t matter what the weather is! Just like you warm your car before moving toward your journey, make sure you also warm up the battery. This will prevent a sudden jump from damaging your Battery. Sound familiar? Give it some time to adjust.
Store Your Battery In Mild Temperatures
Depending on where you keep your Battery, you might not have complete control over this. Yet knowing the optimal temperature to store batteries is still important. You can use your lithium batteries beyond that temperature range; however, the range is between 32 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. However, their performance will be reduced. The charge will decrease more rapidly.
Charge your Battery Often
It is possible to use and discharge Lithium-Ion Batteries in extreme cold without causing damage, which is unlike some other battery types. Charge your Battery only when the temperature is above 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Before charging a battery, you should remove it from the freezing zone. You could use solar panels for this purpose! Thanks to solar panels, your batteries can run even when it feels like it’s arctic outside.
Best Low-Temperature Batteries
Cold weather environments are ideal for the LT series. A battery is heated before the charge begins on the LT series. Chargers in the LT series can operate at temperatures of as low as -4°F, offering serious reassurance when dealing with severe problems. Lithium batteries should always be your first choice if you are upgrading or trying to overcome battery problems.
Tips to Keep Lithium Batteries Working in Cold Weather
Slightly Use: If the Battery is cold, pop it in the drill and spin the chuck. After this, it will be warm enough for the Battery to accept a charge. As the Battery is used, heat should be generated, which allows it to reach the safe charging threshold.
Keep in your Pockets: The easiest way to make sure the battery will hold a charge is to put it in your drill and turn it over while it warms up. By generating heat from your own body, you prevent the colder air from cooling down your cells.
Don’t Leave them for Overnight: Take your batteries home with you in a lightweight carry-on bag. The bag can go with you to your house overnight. You won’t have to worry about your bags getting cold in the van!
Make sure to use gel hand warmers: The gel is very inexpensive, so buy a bunch of these and throw one in every tool case as you get in the van (activating the gel first). Working on a freezing job site will be much easier with a hand warmer inside the tool case. Recharge the hand warmer during the night. Recharge the hand warmer at night and repeat the same process!
Use the right one: Each manufacturer produces many lithium-ion batteries. The batteries you use for your cordless tools should always be original. Don’t run out! If you have more batteries, you won’t have much trouble with cold weather. Follow these steps to ensure that you have them prepared for cold weather.
