DIY Battery Heaters

orangeminnie · Feb 17, 2020

Any successful DIY battery blankets/heaters? It seems to me that a heating pad (like a reptile terrarium heating pad) at the bottom is not enough, since the battery cases are not filled with liquid that can distribute the warmth. A blanket around all sides might be necessary, at a low-enough wattage so as not to warp the plastic cases. The $30 plug-in battery heaters commonly available may be too hot for LiFePo4 batteries, and generally don't have a thermostat. BB sells a warming kit for $220. UHI Worldwide apparently sells the same thing direct for about 180.

nosys70 · Feb 17, 2020

i would just mount some resistance on the bus bar and send the calories trough the battery terminal directly into the battery.

Justin Laureltec · Feb 17, 2020

@orangeminnie a number of our customers are RV/vanlifers who are using BBs or other drop-ins and, like most of us, found the official BB solution annoyingly expensive and so have used self-adhesive snowmobile handgrip warmers like these in conjunction with digital programmable thermostats with relays like these and have had nothing but success to report. It might not be the cleanest solution out there, but it's hard to beat the cost and several of our customers have had these types of systems working for well over two years.
If nothing else, it's a direction to conduct some research!

orangeminnie · Feb 17, 2020

Justin Laureltec said:
@orangeminnie a number of our customers are RV/vanlifers who are using BBs or other drop-ins and, like most of us, found the official BB solution annoyingly expensive and so have used self-adhesive snowmobile handgrip warmers like these in conjunction with digital programmable thermostats with relays like these and have had nothing but success to report. It might not be the cleanest solution out there, but it's hard to beat the cost and several of our customers have had these types of systems working for well over two years.
If nothing else, it's a direction to conduct some research!

2 per battery, on the sides?

Justin Laureltec · Feb 17, 2020

orangeminnie said:
2 per battery, on the sides?

Yes in one case for sure - one of our customers has 6 BB10012 GC2s that he's running in his RV and he's up in the Wyoming area where it routinely gets well below 0F ambient, and he's running two per battery, one on each side - he has his thermostat/relays set for 35F ambient and he reports that over this winter his BBs have never gotten below 40F at the terminals by using these. We have several other customers who aren't in quite as cold of a climate - more in the 25-35F low range- who are only using one per battery, and also reporting success in keeping their batteries above 40F.

Markus · Apr 29, 2020

Justin, thanks for sharing. I will try this in our NW Indiana winter.

dhardin · Feb 1, 2021

Does anyone have experience with a PTC heater?

12V/24V/220V Aluminum PTC Heating Element, PTC Thermostat Heater Plate PTC Ceramic Air Heater Miniature Heating (50W 80℃): Amazon.com: Tools & Home Improvement

www.amazon.com

BiduleOhm · Feb 2, 2021

Already answered here: https://diysolarforum.com/threads/smart-battery-heating-and-more.17208/#post-204250

corporate.joe · Feb 20, 2021

Justin Laureltec said:
@orangeminnie a number of our customers are RV/vanlifers who are using BBs or other drop-ins and, like most of us, found the official BB solution annoyingly expensive and so have used self-adhesive snowmobile handgrip warmers like these in conjunction with digital programmable thermostats with relays like these and have had nothing but success to report. It might not be the cleanest solution out there, but it's hard to beat the cost and several of our customers have had these types of systems working for well over two years.
If nothing else, it's a direction to conduct some research!

Any chance of finding similar in a 24v variety? Not an electronics expert but would wiring two of these in series effectively make it work with a 24volt pack? I'd hate to have to get a high wattage buck converter to step the 24v down to 12v to power these warmers.

Twin WIllows NM · Jan 23, 2022

I am thinking to try a low wattage Light Bulb in an insulated enclosure using a Thermostaticly Controlled Outlet. Any thouhghts on this. Thats how I keep the chickens warm in the winter. I just set it to 42 deg.

DIY Battery Heaters

orangeminnie

New Member

nosys70

Solar Enthusiast

Justin Laureltec

Bay Marine Supply Tech Support Manager

orangeminnie

New Member

Justin Laureltec

Bay Marine Supply Tech Support Manager

Markus

New Member

dhardin

New Member

12V/24V/220V Aluminum PTC Heating Element, PTC Thermostat Heater Plate PTC Ceramic Air Heater Miniature Heating (50W 80℃): Amazon.com: Tools & Home Improvement

BiduleOhm

Electronics Sorcerer

corporate.joe

Solar Enthusiast

Twin WIllows NM

New Member

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