LIPOs and the cold
 

I was wondering if someone could give me some information about how LIPOs do with the cold. I know some store their batteries in the fridge with no issues. I'm wondering/worried more about when temps get below freezing. I prefer to keep my batteries in the garage but with the cold weather (below 0) how this could effect my battery packs. I am also worried about condensation forming on the inside of the packs when they warm up. Am I over reacting?
Thanks
Mark

I was a told a long time ago to never let them get too close to freezing temps. Never heard about the fridge thing. Check with someone at SMC or Thunderpower and they should be able to answer this. Curious myself now.

I store my 4S LiPos in my home freezer over the winter because I only get to run my E-8s duing the warmer months in New Jersey. Two of my 4S fantoms stored this way for two winters (meaning they were three seasons old last summer) perform on a par with new ones of the same capacity.

But don't run them when they are cold - that is really not good for them.

Before you store it in the freezer, what voltage did you charge/discharge it to? Do you use any sort of wrap or container to seal the batteries in? How long do you thaw it before recharging?

I charge them up to about 50% on my Hyperion (about 3.8V/cell). Then I wrap them in bubble wrap and put them in a large Ziploc freezer bag with a dessicant pouch. The dessicant pouch prevents condensation. The bubble wrap acts as insulation and slows down the temperature changes to prevent a part of the battery touching something cold in the freezer from chilling much faster than another part and causing thermal stress.

When it is about time to use them, I take them out of the freezer and let them sit for 2-3days inside the sealed bag and bubble wrap to come up to room temperature slowly (and so there will be no condensation on them). I cycle them once at low amps (1C charge, 1C discharge) and use them as normal.