Cold Weather Charging in Outbuilding

[Sheffield_Tiger]

I live in a rented house and have a contractual agreement with the landlord that I am fine to store my bike in the house, but the battery must be charged in the outhouse (which has power but no heating). And I get that, I discussed it with the landlord to assure him I'd researched the brands behind the fires and sourced a reputable battery, so I think the arrangement is fair.

Is there any harm in wrapping the battery loosely in a lage old towel whilst it's charging overnight in ~0° temperatures? Or maybe construct a vented insulated box to protect it from the cold?

What do othe outdoor/shed/outbuilding chargers do?

 

[fossyant]

I recon it will be fine just charged without being wrapped - it will warm up through charging. Safer TBH.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

It will keep itself warm as it is charging
wrapping it up might cause it to overheat if anything

 

[wiggydiggy]

I don't charge it outside, the manufacturer (Bosch) specifically mentions how ideally it should be charged and stored at room temparature, and to consider using thermal protective covers for long winter rides.

You could borrow an idea from home brewing, over the years I've built several boxes just out of cardboard that I'd put over the top of demi jons to keep the temparature up. It'd be large enough not to touch the battery direct and you'd only need to cover the outsides with bubble wrap or cork tiles to add extra insulation.

Can you at least store the battery inside after charging though?

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Are there some mats that you can get for green houses to keep plants above freezing??

I am no gardner but I seem to remember seeing something like that

 

[sheddy]

Current advice is not to charge an ebike Li-on battery unsupervised

 

[wiggydiggy]

Current advice is not to charge an ebike Li-on battery unsupervised

I mean we don't need to sit there watching it, but this is the most relevent:

"It’s vitally important that you charge batteries only while you’re awake and alert so that if a fire should occur you can respond quickly. Do not leave batteries on charge while you are asleep or away from the home."

https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...-cycle-users/battery-safety-for-e-cycle-users

Theres other good advice in there worth reading.