Battery storage in a chest freezer

GoneSquatchin
GoneSquatchin Registered Users Posts: 35 ✭✭
Hey all,

I'm about to repurpose my old dead 5CF chest freezer as battery storage in my shed.  I figure it will be great insulation for winter time.

Planning on putting my (2) GC2 batteries in there for now.  However, I also want to add in a 100AH LifePo4 as well in the near future.

Question 1:  Will the holes I drill for routing the cables through be enough for venting purposes?

Question 2: Will the off-gassing of the GC2's be a problem with the LifePo4 (thinking Battleborn, Renogy, ReLion)

Thanks,

Jeff

Comments

  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    i would simply take the lid off the chest, and put a slab of building insulation on instead.  If you will be using flooded batteries needing water, the acid fumes will quickly corrode metal in the freezer, including the innards of your planned Li-Ion battery.   Unless you try hard to seal it, a simple lid will leak enough air, that you won't get much explosive buildup.  If you gasket it to try to hold heat in, you WILL get explosive concentrations building up.
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  • Marc Kurth
    Marc Kurth Solar Expert Posts: 1,142 ✭✭✭✭
    Remember that it only takes around a 4% hydrogen concentration to get dangerous.
    I always have more questions than answers. That's the nature of life.
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,812 ✭✭✭✭
    Adding a lithium battery to lead acids? Bad idea for every reason.

    Are you making a bomb? This is how bombs accidentally get built.
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
  • InCogKneeToe
    InCogKneeToe Registered Users Posts: 73 ✭✭


    It make sense to me, but I would definitely Vent it 2-1 (twice the Venting High to 1 Vent size low). Hydrogen is much lighter than normal air and this should cause a Flue Effect. But diminish the Insulating Factor. I would even consider Summer/Winter set up, for ever 2 sizes of Venting, be able to plug 1 for winter use, Or a 12v Cooling Fan on a switch would also work.

    An L16 Battery would only use the bottom 1/2 the cu/ft of a Freezer allowing the Hydrogen to dilute with the remaining air. The Freezer's inured are Plastic so no ill effect. 

  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,812 ✭✭✭✭
    Remember that it only takes around a 4% hydrogen concentration to get dangerous.

    We wouldn't have to worry about making "hydrogen bombs" if people were not encouraged to build these infernal battery boxes. Putting the batteries in a box, even a closet, is making a bomb unless ventilation is proper. Everyone here knows that. We keep getting newcomers who apparently just read up on the need for a battery box.

    A lot of them are trying to keep their batteries warm when they should be trying to keep their batteries cool.

    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
  • stillchillin
    stillchillin Registered Users Posts: 55 ✭✭✭
    One more thing to keep in mind, the exterior of your chest freezers cabinet is also the condenser, That means there are tubes carrying refrigerant spot welded to the sheet metal in loops every couple of inches. Also the evaporator tubes are part of the interior sheet metal and the same applies. To be on the safe side have the freezer reclaimed before drilling through, it is possible the reason the freezer is not working is because it has already lost its refrigerant!
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  • GoneSquatchin
    GoneSquatchin Registered Users Posts: 35 ✭✭
    wow, ok...  I think I'm glad I asked  :/

    To be clear, I'm not planning on connecting the lead acid batteries with the lithium.  Just wanted to share the storage space.  Which, as I suspected would not be good for the lithium battery...

    Regarding the battery box... where I live, it is definitely important to keep a lithium battery warm in the winter (if I don't want to turn it into a brick charging below freezing)

    stillchillin,  yes, I believe the freezer lost its refrigerant, as the compressor still runs, just doesn't get cool.  At any rate, the cost of repair isn't worth it on a 20 year old appliance... 

    Anyway, I got my answer.  Thanks for the replies