Heat is the worst enemy of batteries, including lead acid. Adding temperature compensation on a lead acid charger to adjust for temperature variations is said to prolong battery life by up to 15 percent. The recommended compensation is a 3mV drop per cell for every degree Celsius rise in temperature.
Temperature plays a crucial role in the performance and longevity of lead-acid batteries, influencing key factors such as charging efficiency, discharge capacity, and overall reliability. Understanding how temperature affects lead-acid batteries is essential for optimizing their usage in various applications, from automotive to industrial settings.
Charging at cold and hot temperatures requires adjustment of voltage limit. Freezing a lead acid battery leads to permanent damage. Always keep the batteries fully charged because in the discharged state the electrolyte becomes more water-like and freezes earlier than when fully charged.
If the float voltage is set to 2.30V/cell at 25°C (77°F), the voltage should read 2.27V/cell at 35°C (95°F). Going colder, the voltage should be 2.33V/cell at 15°C (59°F). These 10°C adjustments represent 30mV change. Table 3 indicates the optimal peak voltage at various temperatures when charging lead acid batteries.
In any case, good quality lead-acid batteries will not normally fail due to drying out. Drying out is not relevant to vented types and we can use the Arrhenius equation to give an estimate of the life when the operational temperature is different to the design temperature.
Most battery users are fully aware of the dangers of operating lead-acid batteries at high temperatures. Most are also acutely aware that batteries fail to provide cranking power during cold weather. Both of these conditions will lead to early battery failure.