$70 Cold Weather Proofing LiFePO4 Batteries for my EG4 Off-Grid System

Here's how I made my batteries cold-weather resistant under $75:
Thermostat - amazon.com/dp/B09F7M7VPT?ref=...
Heating Pads - amazon.com/dp/B08KCTQ8VM?ref=...
Insulation - www.homedepot.com/p/R-Tech-1-...

[@whoguy4231]

Looks like a solid solution. Good stuff! 👍

[@RidgyDidgeRanch]

Thanks mate! Sure hope so, -10F here this morning!

[@victorreece9256]

thank you all the other heating solutions was about 150.00 for the heating pad only

[@RidgyDidgeRanch]

No problem! I recently made another battery but didn’t want to rely on ac power for heating, so used a 48V - 12V buck converter to run a 12V thermostat and heating pads. Was about $50 and allows the batteries to maintain a set temperature even with the inverter switched off. It’s a better system than the one I did in this video in my opinion!

[@kingrafa3938]

Great job 👍

[@RidgyDidgeRanch]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@MickLay]

Thanks!

[@WiSeNhEiMeR-1369]

HOWdy R-D-R, ...
Thanks for the UPDATE
COOP
the WiSeNhEiMeR from Richmond, INDIANA
...

[@simon359]

The only thing I would change in your set up is the fuse. I’ve seen videos where these fuses fail badly. I suggest getting a blue sea fuse that you have to physically replace when it blows. You don’t want to use audio fuses. 🖖

[@fauxque5057]

I built a box out of plywood and 2x4's that I had laying around. Put 2" foam inside and pool noodles around the outer edge. When it's heading to freezing I push the box around the solar charge controller and the batteries. The LV6548 produces enough heat that the inside of the box stays 35° to 40° above freezing

[@RidgyDidgeRanch]

I’m sure yours looks prettier than mine! I’ve got no doubt it would stay warm enough if you’re cycling them and the EG4 is putting out heat. Unfortunately mine get cycled

[@trevortrevortsr2]

I saw a post where a guy put his battery pack in an old chest freezer

[@RidgyDidgeRanch]

That would do the job! I’ll probably have enough to fill a freezer by the time I’m done. Thanks!

[@AdamDeLay07]

@@RidgyDidgeRanch I did that for my 12v pack. Worked great for me! Chest freezer, thermostatically controlled outlet and a light bulb.
th-cam.com/video/zD8j2sdIMXU/w-d-xo.html

[@trevortrevortsr2]

@@AdamDeLay07 Owwwwww it was't your post it was a much larger chest freezer with a 48v system - I spent ages lining a crate with 2" Celoflex - I wish I'd seen your posts

[@upnorthandpersonal]

If you're not using the battery (i.e., not charging or discharging) having them in the cold is not an issue. In fact, storing them even at -40C is not an issue (the electrolyte doesn't contain water) and can even slow down calendar aging.

[@RidgyDidgeRanch]

Thanks for the comment! I definitely agree. In my case, I come out to the property once or twice a week so having them at a temp where I can fire up an air compressor and saw at 6am and not have to worry is what I'm shooting for. I also have the inverter running 24/7 for security lights, cameras, wifi, so I can't let them get too cold. Otherwise, I wouldn't be so worried. Cheers!

[@AdamDeLay07]

Looks good! Should help a lot. So how’s the 6500 working out for you?

[@RidgyDidgeRanch]

No problems at all! I’ll be buying another one shortly to run split phase. I was getting errors when the bms shut off the discharge port for under temp and the solar kicked in before the batteries warmed back up but that’s resolved now with these improvements.

[@uhjyuff2095]

do you have 120v loads when you are not at the cabin or just want to keep your batteries warm during cold days as your only load? I don't have any experience with the eg4 solar charge controllers but my charge controller stops charging in cold weather and starts up again once it warms up, so if I use a little solar panel connected to a cigarette lighter usb phone charger and a usb heating pad it should be enough to warm the batteries during the daytime so my charge controller will run to float charge my big battery during the daytime.