using Noco g3500 in -35celcius to -40 celcius weather?

[jalikaria24]

here in canada, our winters get super cold up in north alberta and i want to be prepared for the winter. last winter i never had any start up problems with even some days hitting colder then -40 celcius. i would always plug the block heater in and everything was golden. thing is i dont have a garage so i have to park outside. i noticed that with my short trip drivinf (i only drive 5-10 mins to work) in the morning and then 5-10 mins to home in the evening and due to the cold cold temperatures last winter, i totally sulfated my only 2 year old battery.

now the weather has of course been better and due to my short trips i lately always plug my noco genius g3500 in once a week just to bring the batteyr up to 100% every week to prevent further suflation or problems. so now i want to plan for the winter, my question is can i leave my noco g3500 outside in the -35 celcius weather when it is charging my vehicle battery every few days? the battery of course wont be frozen or anything cuz i drive anydays. i know its below the stated temps of the noco g3500 but curious what yall think

thx!!

 

[Surestick]

I use one of their chargers to maintain a snowmobile battery at -40C in an unheated garage with no issues.
I'd worry more about exposure to moisture than temperature.

 

[redbone3]

Interesting factoid: -40 C = -40 F.

 

[hemitom]

I have a Noco as well and have used it outside at probably around -25C ,my concern would be the cord and cables standing up to repeated movement on extremely cold days .
I found them to be very stiff almost brittle feeling not sure if they would crack or not ???

 

[92saturnsl2]

Be careful with the stiff cords and avoid exposure to any moisture and you should be golden.

 

[Brybo86]

How fast of a drive for 5 minutes?
Highway or city streets?
If city...
I might just walk on really cold days, bundle up , like a snowmobile suit, and you would be fine.

If you have to take the highway I would try to at least drive a bit more on the way home to warm up the car a bit more.

 

[jalikaria24]

thanks for the heads up!

 

[jalikaria24]

How fast of a drive for 5 minutes?
Highway or city streets?
If city...
I might just walk on really cold days, bundle up , like a snowmobile suit, and you would be fine.

If you have to take the highway I would try to at least drive a bit more on the way home to warm up the car a bit more.

its actually more like a 10 min drive but the distance is only 2 miles. alot of slow stop and go traffic. i have walked before and it takes 30 mins so i would prefer to drive ahah, but i believe at those temps and already my battery not being in tip top shape it probably wont charge that much

 

[Brybo86]

What vehicle ? Engine? Using 0w20?

 

[oilstudent24]

Make sure you put it in the cold setting for your battery. I think its for temps under 50 F.

 

[JHZR2]

The required float charge voltage increases as temperature decreases. Beyond some point it’s probably not safe or practical to keep boosting it. So that sets a practical limit.

My perspective is that sulfation will not occur until the OCV is below 100% at temperature. I suspect, but you’ll have to test, that the charger can keep the voltage elevated at those temperatures. Some chargers keep a true indefinite float voltage, while others shut off and monitor the battery for relaxation and self discharge. It may not truly be 100% SOC by the book, but it should keep an electrochemical regime where sulfate cannot form.

 

[jalikaria24]

hmm spoke to noco live chat and not sure if the lady working is just a noobie or soemthing but she said

"No, it will not blow up but it can damaged your battery or the charger."

i know for a fact my battery wont be frozen, i drive everyday and it always starts up fine

i just dont want a fire to start or something to blow up but i also dont want to keeep my battery discharged ahah

 

[JHZR2]

It’s hard to grasp how it would damage the battery, and often these sorts of comments are generic boiler plate to try to reduce liability.

Charging a frozen or slushy battery (electrolyte will freeze when the battery is slightly depleted in these conditions) could damage many things. It’s true. It’s always possible to find a plausible scenario. The reality of the scenario is a different thing though.

i don’t see a ton of risk assuming the battery isn’t frozen, and it’s in good condition. Perhaps the battery can’t compensate for temperature in that condition, but it can do something.

maybe a batttery warming pad would be a good option?