Lithium-ion battery packs are essential for golf carts, solar panel systems, recreational vehicles, and more. Lithium-ion batteries have distinct advantages over their lead-acid counterparts, most notably in their lifespans. While lithium-ion battery packs last a while, several helpful maintenance tips will help you maximize this usage. Improper maintenance can lead to shorter lifespans, faulty batteries, and lackluster power, so learn how to prevent this.
Keep Up With Simple Cleaning
Older lead-acid batteries require a lot more hands-on maintenance than many lithium-ion batteries, such as balancing water levels with distilled water or avoiding sulfation around the connections. Fortunately, the self-contained structure of lithium-ion batteries makes them much easier to take care of!
Still, you want to periodically wipe down the exterior of the battery with a damp microfiber cloth. Removing dust and dirt helps keep the battery clean and prevents grime from getting into any of the connecting ports. While cleaning, we recommend checking all the connections and ensuring none of the wires are frayed or loose.
Employ Proper Storage
Several things affect the lifespan of a lithium-ion battery pack. Some of the largest contributors are temperature and humidity, so proper storage is essential. Compared with other battery options, lithium-ion batteries can withstand a wide range of temperatures, so keeping them in proper storage is an attainable goal. Ideally, you want to keep your battery packs in a dry area at around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. To offer appropriate air circulation to the battery, we suggest keeping it elevated off the ground and off solid surfaces like tables or desks. A wire rack with holes or mesh in the bottom is the ideal choice for battery storage.
Follow Charging Guidelines
Another one of the helpful maintenance tips for lithium-ion battery packs is to spend as little time as possible with the battery at zero or 100 percent. Overcharging your battery is one of the quickest ways to shorten its life, resulting in it struggling to hold a full charge after only a couple of years. Thankfully, many lithium battery chargers have a fail-safe to prevent overcharging, but you still shouldn’t leave your battery on the charger for extended periods. If you have your battery in storage for several months, like in an RV, you should charge it to at least 50 percent capacity every two months or so. This ensures it doesn’t die but doesn’t store too high of a charge.
