Winter Wet Cell Battery Removal?

System

This discussion was created from comments split from: Winter Time AGM Battery Removal?.

mullers

Living in Canada, is it necessary to remove and store a T@B 320 S (w/factory solar) wet cell battery inside in the winter,  if snow is removed as soon as possible after a storm? Does the solar charging process keep the battery warm enough? We're in the interior of BC, with temps dropping to about -20C (-4F) at a minimum.

Sharon_is_SAM

mullers said:

Living in Canada, is it necessary to remove and store a T@B 320 S (w/factory solar) wet cell battery inside in the winter,  if snow is removed as soon as possible after a storm? Does the solar charging process keep the battery warm enough? We're in the interior of BC, with temps dropping to about -20C (-4F) at a minimum.

@mullers - Welcome to the forum.  It sounds like keeping a wet cell battery dry and charged are the important factors in freezing weather.  Covering your TaB may impact the amount of charge you get via solar, but you can always use a smart charger continuously or at intervals to maintain the battery charge.  If you choose to remove your battery and store inside as others in this thread, take a picture of the battery wiring so you can replicate it in the spring.  Also, if you remove the battery, do you need to isolate the now exposed wires coming to the battery from the charge controller or just turn off the charge controller?

pthomas745

A fully charged battery won't freeze until it is -80F or so.  Note that "fully charged" part.  A 50 percent charged battery will freeze at "higher" temps.  Turn the battery switch off, your solar will keep the charge up.  With the switch off, even if you get solid overcast days and no solar,  the battery will hold a charge for months.

ScottG

Maybe not absolutely necessary, but I take group 27 wet-cell inside over the winter and top it up with a smart charger every month or so as needed. My T@B is under a cover and lacks built-in solar anyway, so that is not an option.

It's a little extra effort to remove and replace it every season, but ultimately it's easier to keep an eye on it when it is on the workbench vs. under two feet of snow!  :-)

MadCityJack

My plan this winter (near Madison, WI) is to leave the battery (27, lead acid) in the front tub, cover the camper, and plug 30 AMP to 15 AMP toggle into house current every 2-3 weeks for a day or two.  This is my first week with my TAB 320 Q.  Please let me know if this sounds reasonable.  Thank You.

pthomas745

Perfectly reasonable.  Even better:  find a multimeter and learn how to use it...or if you know how, use it to monitor your battery before you plug it back in.  This is a perfect chance to learn to measure a "rested" battery.  And, you might discover that plugging it in to the house is (maybe) kind of....not necessary.

db_cooper

Our dual GC battery setup is too much of a bear to remove, so I turn off the battery switch, and connect a smart trickle charger to maintain.  I do this year round, so the batteries are ready to go when we go camp.   Being at sea level on Puget Sound, doesn't get too cold often or for long periods.

ontheroad

Living in Ontario Canada..we remove ours from the trailer and store in the crawlspace under our house...nice and toasty and easy to get to, since the furnace is also there. Easier to monitor there.

mullers

Thanks for all the comments, I'm also thinking of putting a cover over T@B to prevent moisture ingress at exposed joints and potential subsequent freeze/thaw damage. That done, a cover will effectively eliminate any solar charge maintenance benefit, so removal and storage of the battery on a smart trickle charger becomes prudent. On that point, much is made of the importance of following the correct order of connecting the factory solar and controller/battery at first installation; presumably disconnecting the battery and reconnecting in the Spring (following the correct 1st off last on protocol) does not compromise this required order? 

Sharon_is_SAM

@mullers - After removing the battery, the solar panels remain connected to the charge controller and can cause current to flow via the wiring for the + battery terminal - so you end up with an exposed hot wire.  I am not sure what nuCamp recommends, but I think you can pull the fuse on the + solar panel wire and eliminate that risk and maybe pull the fuse between the controller and the battery.  Then disconnect the battery.  In the spring, connect the battery first, then reinstall the battery fuse, then the panel wire fuse.

If you have an AGM battery, just fully charge it and leave it connected with the battery switch off.  Check on it once in a while, but it should be fine.