Winter Battery Storage?

[skelrad]

I live in Wisconsin and have an unheated, uninsulated garage where most of my tools live. What's the proper way to store rechargeable batteries in the winter (the garge will get below freezing at night)? I have both Ni-cad and Lithium ion batteries. I keep them in this:

http://www.craftsman.com/craftsman-c3-19.2-volt-4-port-multi-chemistry/p-00917311000P?prdNo=7&blockNo=7&blockType=G7

Should I relocate my batteries to the house during the winter, or are freezing temperatures not going to destroy them? It's obviously nice having them in the garage. I just don't know how much life I'm losing by keeping them in those temperatures over the winter.

 

[Thumper68]

The ni-cad ones will be fine in the cold, but the Li-ion should be kept above freezing, Ask me how I know.

 

[Bill Ramsey]

My cordless tool batteries take up so little space, it's no problem to keep them inside in the winter. Many of us have a (heated) utility room near the garage, which keeps them handy if I need them.

 

[Greatbear]

The batteries will be happiest if kept above freezing. I keep all of my garage-use battery packs in their own case, I bring it inside when the weather gets cold. Since doing this my battery packs have lasted longer. My garage isn't heated.

 

[Drew_flux]

I don't really have to worry about this. however there are some colder state here in Australia, I have been told a cooler makes good storage for mower batterys.

 

[srmofo]

I take mine in the house also. Just buy a cheap $7 orange toolbox from home depot and throw them in there. Carry them all out at once

 

[unslow1]

I toss all mine in a box in the laundry room. I also bring in rechargeable lights and temp guns.

 

[PCO6]

I store mine in an old DeWalt case along with a charger. It makes it easy to take them in the house or with me off site when I need to.

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[Dave in Mass]

Was going to ask this same question and then this thread popped up. GJ comes through again.

I also have an unheated and uninuslauted garage. So much more convenient if I could always have the batteries in the garage where the tools are.

One thing I was toying with was building a Small cabinet on the wall and reserving some space at the top for a small 25-40 watt) lightbulb like an incubator. Except for the cost of the electricity and making sure I protect the bulb from damage, any reason not to do this?

 

[Hghgrad]

That's the same thing I was going to do.

 

[crewchief888]

i've always kept all my home/garage use batteries and tools in the house.

since it's getting colder i've been taking my "work" batteries out of my service truck, and into the house at night.
spare batteries stay at work

 

[djjsr]

I screwed up 2 new NiCad battery packs by leaving them in a freezing garage over last winter. I usually get about 4 years out of them and these 2 are not holding a charge at about 16 months old.

 

[bcradio]

Was going to ask this same question and then this thread popped up. GJ comes through again.

I also have an unheated and uninuslauted garage. So much more convenient if I could always have the batteries in the garage where the tools are.

One thing I was toying with was building a Small cabinet on the wall and reserving some space at the top for a small 25-40 watt) lightbulb like an incubator. Except for the cost of the electricity and making sure I protect the bulb from damage, any reason not to do this?

Bringing them in sounds much easier and cheaper to me... win/win

 

[Dave in Mass]

Was going to ask this same question and then this thread popped up. GJ comes through again.

I also have an unheated and uninuslauted garage. So much more convenient if I could always have the batteries in the garage where the tools are.

One thing I was toying with was building a Small cabinet on the wall and reserving some space at the top for a small 25-40 watt) lightbulb like an incubator. Except for the cost of the electricity and making sure I protect the bulb from damage, any reason not to do this?

Was puttering around in the garage this weekend and had everyting I needed to build a box that I could mount between some studs in my garage like a medicine cabinet. I used 1"x 6" so it protudes 2" out of the 2x4 studs and holds the batteries nicely. Put a 1/4 in. ply door on it and mounted a ceramic light fixture inside. This was next to the window and over my desk so it wan't a full stud bay. The box was 11" wide by 17" wide.

I can't read the wattage on the bulb I used. Was just a decorative clear bulb you would use for outside lamps. I am thinking it is a 40w or 60w.

Left it on overnight. This is against an outside wall. Temp outside this morning was 15 degrees F, In the Garage was 35, and in the box (My wife had an old indoor / outdoor thermometer she wasn't using anymore) was 52 degrees F.

Seems like this will work pretty well.

I did throw a 100w incandscent in there while I was playing around with it but the temp got up to 92 degress in about an hour so not the right wattage.

 

[bcradio]

much much much much more work than I'd ever want to do for this... I'd rather throw them in a bag and bring them back and forth from the house as needed.