You've purchased or are looking to purchase our Powertex LFP batteries but are not sure what is the proper way to store your new battery. We will cover what are the DOs and DONTs to prolong the battery life of your new lithium iron phosphate battery.
Ambient Temperature During Storage of LiFePO4
Storing batteries at the proper temperatures is one of the keys to their longevity. Many areas of the US have extreme weather, cold or hot. The recommended short term storage temperature is 32℉ - 104℉ with humidity less than 70%. If the battery is being stored for an extended period of time (30 days or more), it is always best to bring indoors to avoid the elements, and store at 32℉ - 77℉ with humidity less than 50%.
State of Charge During Storage of LiFePO4
Storing Powertex lithium iron phosphate batteries completely discharged will surely damage the battery and even void the warranty! It is strongly recommended to store batteries indoors with at least 50% capacity. If storing for extended periods of time, battery state of charge should be at least 70% and top charged once every 6 months. Although LFP self-discharge rate is relatively low at about 3% per month, cell degradations intensifies at low SOC (state of charge) and will decrease the capacity of battery.
| Capacity | 100% | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% | 0% |
| Voltage | 13.4 | 13.36 | 13.32 | 13.23 | 13.15 | 13.1 | 13.05 | 12.98 | 12.9 | 12.78 | 9.2 |
Disconnecting From System During Storage of LiFePO4
This is one of the most common questions we receive. We are storing our RV for the summer or my motorcycle is parked in the garage for the winter, what should we do with the battery? As we stated earlier, lithium iron phosphate batterie's self-discharge rate is only about 3% a month, but that stacked on top of potential parasitic draws within the electrical system can drain your battery past the low voltage cut-off point of the BMS. That would increase the rate of cell degradation and reduce capacity of the battery, it would also void the warranty.
The best way to avoid any of these issues is to simply disconnect the positive and negative wires from your LFP battery. This will ensure there are no additional discharging currents and as long as your battery is top charged or at least at the 60% - 70% mark, it will last for 6 months before having to cycle again.
