Cut the air space down to the least amount you can. Put Styrofoam sheets from the batteries to the top of the box and maybe some in the space opposite the batteries in the bottom of the box. Then hang a 100 watt bulb in the open space to heat it. We use to keep a light under the hood and close to the battery on our cars— back in the dayTomC
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Bill, I don’t have an immediate solution but it looks like you are going to need a at least semi heated utility room before next winter. Batteries nor your generator like the cold. You are welcome to build your heat exchanger here. you are also welcome to whatever materials we can scrounge up here. Seems some genny heat could be stored in the thermal mass of them batteries if it was built in to same encloseure carful to not over heat them.
I got the consumables today. Yesterday I did the timing advance on my Dakota while the intake is off. When I got my bracket finalized I made a second for you. Took all day for mine but was real fast to copy. Stay warm
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You’re the best Jim!
If I can’t get my welder going I might just have to visit you for the heat exchanger I want to make. Would be a good excuse to run to Wisconsin.
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In -20 weather I once brought a dead battery inside, set it down by the woodstove, and hooked up the charger. Pretty soon either my smoke or co alarm went off(can’t remember which) which thawed my brain enough to make me think this probably isn’t a good idea. I realize there’s H2 outgassing. Is there consensus as to whether battery banks should be isolated from living space, particularly when open flames from woodstoves are involved?
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From experience I can tell you that off gassing will set off a carbon monoxide detector. It’s not CO it’s hydrogen sulphide I think. Anyways if they are inside they are supposed to be vented if you are up to code. Important in a tight modern inspected insured home maybe not so much in a drafty older place. I ended up moving mine to the garage freeing up some space and allowing me to tinker on them in private… My version of a man cave.
Stay warm, David Baillie
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So the fan thing didn’t work. I had to reduce it down so much there was minimal airflow. So I hooked up my Seachoice fan. It pushed air in there but was too damn noisy. So I put a small heat lamp in there and it seems to be raising the temperature. My problem is, it scares me to use a heat lamp while batteries may be off gassing.
@Chris, I’m not sure what I can use that can handle 200° temps from the tailpipe of a car.
I do like that idea and this is my only roadblock with your suggestion.
The heat lamp has raise the temp from 6°-13° in less than hour.
Keep in mind, when I was running the fan, it was -20°F inside the box was 5°F when I opened the box, it dropped instantly to 3°F. The outside temps this AM are at 0° and inside the box temps are raising faster with the heat lamp than last night. I hope to achieve 65° but will only run the lamp while the generator is running.
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Bill, At this point I would not loose to much sleep over it. You have nearly made it through your first winter. We have been blessed with a very mild one. Hopefully they get some sun. You will notice in the next week and a half the sun will get amazingly strong. You should be watching it very closely your first years here. much to learn, everything you do in your new home will revolve around this if you are to be comfortable here.
Think about getting started on next winters wood now while the sap is down and the ground is froze. there are many places you can’t get when the ground thaws , harvest this wood now. While that tractor is running splitting wood it is making heat and dc power. a rear heater from a van or suburban will thaw and warm your battery enclosure using this waist heat. I think I have one in the shed ,if not I sure know where to get them for nothing.
Congradulations you have just made it through what may be the hardest winter of your life. You are learning at a rate faster than ever and now have a huge head start on the race to make things better. I hope I can get up there this week to see what you got going on. and hopefully help keep you from making some of the mistakes I have. Wish I knew then what I know now but I am still learning faster than ever as well. Lots of very bright and experienced minds here all willing to share and help any way possible. Spring is just around the corner.
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Could not agree with Jim more. You are hobbled right now in terms of electricity… so what. Do something else and coast in that department. You can do heat cables, radiant tubing off the propane heater, insulated box all that great stuff sure do it but don’t rush it yet. Do something you can now. Probably charge them up that will heat them too, as late as possible and let them coast for tonight. Go chop wood.
Best regards David Baillie
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bill my batteries froze the first year and ruined them ouch that hurt so I ended up building a box indoors with a small vent at the top and bottom easy to close or open no freezing for 15 years no detectors going off or anything . personally if yours are slushy don’t let it go you might still save them heat up some water bring them in and let them soak it does take a while to get the center warm. good luck
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Hi Bill,
I was trying to find some pictures of battery boxes. Most seem to be lost to computer change overs…
Ist one is a system I worked on for someone, 8 X l16 size ones in a compact box, vented forgive the mess, I never took pictures for display…
2nd and 3rd one was our cabinet/battery box, again 8 x L16, vented, two rows of 4 to save space with auto waterers again to save space
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Yes Paul is right don’t let them freeze. get the genny going and cycle some heat in there with light bulb, hair dryer or what ever you have available… I was just saying don’t spend a lot of money and time on a temporary solution.I totally agree they should be in heated space. I have 10 batterys sitting in my garage now pulled from extra vehicles not used in winter. Cold is hard on batterys
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I take my battery out of the tractor and bring it in like an old dog that it is.
Years ago I got me one if those electric golf carts to drive between homesteads. New batteries and a fancy new computerized charger.
Figured if I got past 5 years strong the next 3 years would be profit from dieing batteries. Well, in the third year they started to explode. Just like a 22 went off under my seat. 
so I replaced the first one with a new one. Of course the new battery becomes a over 2 year old as soon as it joins the older batteries. Then the nexted one went off… Replace… When the third one exploded I gave up on electric cars…!
That’s why I want one of the biggest and best 12v agm’s I can afford. Later add a second system with only one battery… But that’s just my silly way of doing things…
Chill…
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Well, I’ve had a much better experience with electric golf cart batteries. I bought a brand new set when i got the old cart, about 8 or 9 years ago, and they are still going. True, they don’t have as much capacity as when new, but no catastrophic failures. This is with on old NON computer charger and cart.
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I had one years ago, ran the daylights out of it, 6 x 6volts, than replaced with 3 x 12volt deep cycle. Run 'um till they quit, charge and repeat.
Ran across this the other day, for our bathroom. Might work for a battery “mat.”
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I definitely like that Carl. I better look up specs first and see what kind of wattage it consumes. I think if I can get these batteries back to a decent temp, they may stay warm just by charge and discharging
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Good morning Bill .
I really admire you folks up north being able to function in those cold temps. Down here any weather below 45-50 F we try to put any outside work on hold for a day or two. .
Last Thursday and Friday the temps were up in the mid 60s and really got a lot of work done. I was able to sweat a little. I don’t understand why but I always feel a little better after I have done a little sweating .
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Bill - I think it is pretty important to get your batteries unfrozen. From what I have read, that can be really bad for them. Hopefully, you will be able to save them.
The first winter that I had my solar setup, I had a similar problem. When it got cold down here (by cold, I mean less than 20 F) my battery capacity would drop so much that it wouldn’t run my primary systems all night (which included a propane furnace in the camper).
My solution was to install the batteries in an old deep freeze. You can pick these up (often for free) from appliance stores and appliance repair places. I then located my charge controller inside the freezer with the batteries. It produced enough waste heat to keep it a balmy 70F during the day, and above freezing over night.
I think the best long term solution would be a “battery basement.” Once you dig down to a certain depth, earth temperature is more or less constant year around. You can look on the Internet to determine what that temperature is in your area (probably around 55F)- I would dig a small well insulated pit that is sealed pretty tight, with plenty of insulation on top, and just enough of a vent to prevent dangerous hydrogen buildup.
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I don’t mind sweating… but when it’s really cold sweating isn’t your friend.
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Wayne amoung my friends, I’m considered a wuss when it comes to the cold. I like to be comfortable in 75-80°. Thank goodness there are insulated Carharts. If I sleep longer than 5 hours when it’s -20°, one is subjected to wake up ant see their breath. Makes it hard for me to drag my butt out from under the 3 heavy quilts on our bed.
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Thanks for your input Kyle.
A few problems with an underground basement. Big rocks, clay and ground water. I dug down and hit ground water just a few feet below the surface where the house is. The frost line dips to 5’.
My plan is to build a bathroom/utility room. I will house the battery bank in there and vent the off gases directly to the outside. I just need to get through the next couple of months.
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