Winter Storage solution for battery pack

[khazdor]

Hi all
I have a Daymak Daytona and just replaced Winter Killed SLAs with a Ping LifePo4 Pack. My question is " Does anyone have a good Winter Storage solution that does not involve bringing the Scooter inside? "
I had the Daytona stored in the garage and charged it every 3-4 weeks and when I took it out last week, POOF!!!!!!!!! The SLAs are about 1/3 dead! The bike was covered with a good thick Blanket and at the back of the garage. And still POOF!
Bringing the bike into the Living Room is not exactly an option as the Better Half has made herself Crystal Clear on that.
I have 2 possible solutions and would like an opinion or suggestions.
1) Is it possible to remove the battery pack (Ping) and charge it while storing it inside? Can it be charged at all, when not connected to the bike Controller?
2) I was thinking of getting an Electric Water Pipe Heat trace, they come in vairous lengths, wrapping it around the battery box, then insulatiing it with good insulation. A Heat Trace keep a pipe unfrozen at 3 degree C. With the insulation, it should keep the LifePo4 batteries from freezing.
BTW, I'm figuring a 20' Heat Trace should wrap around the box several dozen times

Whatcha all think?

I would really hate to hve to pay to store the bike at a shop.

Let me know if anyone has another solution. Me Thanks

 

[khazdor]

Hi all
I have a E-Scooter and just replaced Winter Killed SLAs with a Ping LifePo4 Pack. My question is " Does anyone have a good Winter Storage solution that does not involve bringing the Scooter inside? "
I had the Scooter stored in the garage and charged it every 3-4 weeks and when I took it out last week, POOF!!!!!!!!! The SLAs are about 1/3 dead! The bike was covered with a good thick Blanket and at the back of the garage. And still POOF!
Bringing the bike into the Living Room is not exactly an option as the Better Half has made herself Crystal Clear on that.
I have 2 possible solutions and would like an opinion or suggestions.
1) Is it possible to remove the battery pack (Ping) and charge it while storing it inside? Can it be charged at all, when not connected to the bike Controller?
2) I was thinking of getting an Electric Water Pipe Heat trace, they come in vairous lengths, wrapping it around the battery box, then insulatiing it with good insulation. A Heat Trace keep a pipe unfrozen at 3 degree C. With the insulation, it should keep the LifePo4 batteries from freezing.
BTW, I'm figuring a 20' Heat Trace should wrap around the box several dozen times

Whatcha all think?

I would really hate to have to pay to store the bike at a shop.

 

[Ypedal]

For long term storage... disconnect the BMS if possible, and leave it alone.. If the BMS canot be easily unplugged, fully charge and then go for a short 5 minute ride to drain a bit off the top.. then unplug and leave it alone.

One thing to avoid... do not plug the charger into a frozen cold battery...

At the start of the season, bring the pack indoors overnight to let it warm up completely ( remember, it's a densely built battery, it needs time to warm up.. like overnight ) ... then charge it up.

Personally.. lead acid packs should be charged using a 12v charger to individually bring each brick to full charge before using the 36 or 48v charger for the rest of the season... if one brick is weak it will prevent the entire pack from dying prematurely.

 

[dogman dan]

Even if the battery box is hard to get into, I wouldn't store the ping over the winter letting it freeze. Bring it inside, after discharging it some, but not all the way. Then unplug the bms for the winter.

Fine, even beneficial to store it in a very cool place, but just not frozen hard as a rock. If you have a room that's 60F all winter, or anything above freezing, store it there.

 

[Nobuo]

LiFePo4 cells are stronger with under zero grades centigrades than lead-acid, it even can be discharged between -25 to -45 º centigrades. You should only do monthly slow charges.

As LiFePo4 cells are very safe, you can store them at home with a medium charge, and recharge also periodically maintaining it between the 30% and 60%.

 

[4LivesPerGallon]

China-made electric scooters usually have an anti-theft motion alarm that has a parasitic draw.

If the SLA pack voltage goes below 12V actual per battery, it will be damaged, if left there for more than a week. Keep it charged, must be over 12.3V actual, and you will have no problems. I have a an SLA pack, left in winter, since 2010, still usable.

Don't charge your LIFEPO4 battery pack if the pack temperature is under 6 Celcius, unless it is just a trickle charge.

I prefer to wear out the pack rather than to lose the bike because the alarm isn't working.

Your pack could be damaged by battery chargers that have gone "out of spec" -- most do, after 3 years, or earlier, due to vibration.

Seen that the SLA batteries on some scooters are **not** high-discharge type, which makes them not really that suitable. How to tell? You can see the voltage drop, and a recovery, from stop light to stop light stop-and-go. Those batteries are easily damaged by high charge rates. Did that, charging 20 Amps on a 24V set of SLA batteries that were 32AH, and they lost some capacity in 20 charge cycles; but, I was able to charge quickly, and get moving.

 

[John in CR]

Simply disconnect the battery from everything (the controller, BatteryMurderingSystem, DC/DC converter, charger, etc)