Charging and storing batteries question

[Will Snow]

I have been putting together gas motorized bicycles for sometime and now going to give electric biking a try.

Bought a simple Currie/Izip kit for starters to learn on. I installed it on a mountian bike I had around here.

Here Come the questions:

1. The instructions say not to store under 50 degrees F. Is that it? In the winter, even in Fresno, Ca it very easly gets under 50 degrees at night. I'm talking about SLA batteries. Our cars sit in a cold garage all the time and outside as well, they have lead battries. Are these bicycle batterie different somehow and must be brought into the house on cold nights?

2. Don't charge more than 24 hours say the instructions. I have some battery operated tools and the instructions say I can leave the batteries in the charger all winter if I want to. Different kind of Charger maybe? Maybe different batteries?

I know a little about electrical stuff but have a ton more to learn if I'm going to get serious about electric bikes. I have read several postings of the electric bicycle minded person on this forum. some, I read, are doing very well with these bikes and seem to know a lot about them.

Looking forward to your your thoughts.

 

[professor]

The sla batterys are just deep cycle, as far as I know. When I am not using a battery (and I have several), they get charged for a few hours once a month. Do not let them get flat. Can't imagine why they said 50 degrees. Seems stupid to me.

 

[johnrobholmes]

Below 50F the performance will really sag a lot, so you can't go out cruising if the battery is still cold. Easiest to recommend keeping the battery out of the cold instead of explaining it all.

Lipo is even more sensitive. Don't want to run them under 70f cell temp.

 

[Will Snow]

SLA battery

Yes, I think I get the drift of it. I talked to a person with an electric bike that he uses for his only transportation. He brings the batteries in the house at night where he also charges them. But then again, If you are shopping or visiting a friend for a few hours on a cold day, then what? Does that mean your bike is sluggish on the way home and may not reach your destination as on a warm day?

I wonder how full time users deal with this?

 

[johnrobholmes]

use hand warmers and insulation to keep it warm. I can't always bring my pack in either, some builds it is pretty much stuck to the frame.

 

[Will Snow]

hand wamers

That's interesting, my daughter just gave me two bags of hand warmers for Christmas. In these gas/electric cars, I wonder how they deal with this?

Well, with the information I'm getting, It at lease gives me a better Idea of how to take care of the batteries and I appreciate it.

 

[ibdennyak]

That's interesting, my daughter just gave me two bags of hand warmers for Christmas. In these gas/electric cars, I wonder how they deal with this?

Well, with the information I'm getting, It at lease gives me a better Idea of how to take care of the batteries and I appreciate it.

Thanks to your thread I noticed that when using my cordless drills in the cold the batteries have about half the life that they normally do. These were NiCad and lithium ion, but they are affected as well as SLA apparently.

 

[Will Snow]

Tool Batteries

Guess what?

I brought all my tool batteries and chargers in from the shop last night. I see our thinking is the same.

Thank's to professor and johnrobholmes.

 

[Bobocop]

2. Don't charge more than 24 hours say the instructions. I have some battery operated tools and the instructions say I can leave the batteries in the charger all winter if I want to. Different kind of Charger maybe? Maybe different batteries?

It's called a Trickle charger or Float Charger. (that you can leave plugged in)
You should never leave any battery on a charger unattended unless it's a smart charger,
I don't know if you have ever seen an SLA battery that has bloated out (expanded). but that's from over charging or freezing.
there are very cheap smart chargers around which will shut off once the battery is charged.

But then again, If you are shopping or visiting a friend for a few hours on a cold day, then what? Does that mean your bike is sluggish on the way home and may not reach your destination as on a warm day?

I wonder how full time users deal with this?

Yes, it will get sluggish, depending on how cold the batteries get.
I wouldn't worry to much about 50 degrees F, thou.
if i'm not mistaken that's about 10 degrees C here in Canada, These past few days it has been around 2 degrees C here and i'm still riding on my SLA's with no problems. they are inclosed in a battery box, so they don't get head wind
BUT, I do bring the bike inside at night because it gets below 0.

I have also read that some people use newspaper as an insulation (which is a good insulator) in their battery boxes.

Always keep them charged up as professor mentioned above.
ALWAYS charge them after every ride, even if you just went for a 5 minute ride.
you will do more damage to the battery if you leave it over night (after a ride) without charge then you will charging it 10 times a day.

Maybe check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead-acid_battery.
Some really good info there, like the difference from a car/motorcycle and an e-bike/scooter battery

 

[Will Snow]

Bobocop

That's pretty cold and certainly a good test for riding in the cold.

Smart Charge, I have seen that term used somewhere before. So that's it, shuts off when fully charged. Good to know, will probably pick one up. I now bring the batteries in the house for charging and storage. I also plan to check out the battery website you listed.

Thanks