Electric Blanket LiFePO4 Battery Heater - Keeping your lithium solar batteries warm in the winter.

[@mikeemmons1079]

I am doing something similar, on a smaller scale, and apparently from scratch. Thus YT sent me. So here is a comment and a like.

[@mgysgtk8835]

Electric blanket, what an awesome idea.

[@pnowikow]

It's a pretty interesting solution. Simple easy straightforward. I bet you could find an electric blanket with thermostat so it doesn't have to run all night

[@HG-Pilot]

I get good results with 2in polystyrene foam boards on the floor, they will hold the weight of your batteries as well. Your power usage will drop as well.

[@matthewknight5641]

It be cool to put the temp sensors more in the battery to see battery temp but we got a good idea and really... thanks for sharing cause it helps alot of us with ideas and real world stuff

[@jamesroman9950]

Hey John good to see your video man all those tempatures make me wish spring was here already and I can go camping back at bell Smith

[@OffGridSolar]

I’ll definitely can’t wait!

[@davesdiversions8078]

Good detailed test. Thanks for the info.

[@boscodog4358]

Very good work.

[@thechiefsway2618]

Wrap a space blanket over top of the electric blanket. May save more power.

[@jaygold4467]

Put the blanket under the battery also. Heat rises.

[@kc1qbt794]

You could put the blanket dc load onto a little thermostat in the battery compartment so when it gets cold at night it kicks on automatically and shuts off when it gets warmer

[@OffGridSolar]

I was planning on doing that eventually. I might have to get on that since winter is coming.

[@kc1qbt794]

@@OffGridSolar yea I just got 2 renodo 100am lithiums gunna get cold here in New England I was thinking put them in a Rubbermaid container with that insulation board crap lined all on the inside and exploring ways to heat it they make Bluetooth thermometers I can throw in the thing but thinking of different things good video you def know way more than me

[@cooltrkin]

I've used a heat pad for seed germination. The one I had was 16 in. Long and 5 in. Wide and set for 77°

[@guywood67]

Shouldn’t you add some insulation along the floor of the battery compartment? Seems like that would help quite a bit and maybe the outside wall of the battery compartment?

[@kc1qbt794]

Cobra Kai never dies!

[@boscodog4358]

Where did you get a DC blanket??

[@richardannett2493]

Would it be reasonable to turn my inverter on and plug the heating blanket into one of the interior outlets powered by the inverter? I have a 1000watt inverter but am always confused about how much the inverter draws. Rich

[@enjoylifejourney1669]

what is important is the ambeiant temp under the blanket that the battery is exposed to

[@tyronejones1435]

Did you test the tank heater like this?

[@OffGridSolar]

I did test them but I didn't do a video. The disadvantage of the tank heaters is you need one for each battery where as you only need one blanket to cover a large battery bank and keep it all warm. So the draw was much higher.

[@cerisestroud2607]

Thanks for this video, I am using 4 SOK 12.8V 206 AH Batteries with Victron set up for my cabin. I'm new to solar and didn't realize the Batteries cant go below a certain temp.I have the batteries in a shipping container and am in Utah at 8300 ft. So I put the batteries in a non working chest freezer thinking its insulated and might work.Nope then I put 4 inch insulation board all around the outside of freezer,still too cold. So last winter I wired a plug into the inverter and placed a seedling heat pad between the batteries and yes it works but It worries me that batteries are too heavy for the pad or get too hot I have the pad set at 64 degrees and am afraid to leave it on when I'm not there depending on weather if I can get up to the cabin.So then when i do get up to cabin I have no power and I put a halogen work light on a generator to warm it up in freezer,Its exhausting to say the least. Would you think doing this with a normal heated blanket plugged into the inverter would be safer?

[@edakimling133]

I have sok batteries too. I do like the poster's video an idea. 24W draw is hard to beat. I am offgrid too and it is -40c now, so I know what you are going through. I do have one issue with the blanket he uses, and that is that one introduces a flammable material into the battery compartment. I do not like that idea. I do like your mat idea. I have opened the sok batteries and had a look at the innards. I would say that if the mat heat is such that you can keep your hand on it without it being too uncomfortable, then it is fine you placing the batteries on top. If it is too hot, I would introduce some spacer...something on top of the blanket and then the batteries. It should not bee too thick. It really does not matter much what it is. Truth be told this is likely not necessary. The heated sok batteries have a heated pad inside the battery compartment, which is likely worst then your mat that is outside... Best of luck!

[@boscodog4358]

I covered my blanket with a moving pad . Help keep Heat in the battery

[@iliasennajdaoui602]

Wil this blanket help if its minus 20 Celsius?

[@kadmow]

putting insulation (large cheap foam icebox or "brocoli box") over the electric blanket - and under the batteries - will reduce energy draw still further..

[@boscodog4358]

How much insulation do you have. (UNDER ) your batteries?

[@OffGridSolar]

Just the insulation the is built in by the manufacturer.

[@lisaflora8195]

How were you heating the inside of the camper?

[@OffGridSolar]

I was but my small camper is only a 21ft paper thin camper with hardly any insulation.

[@da7heaven]

Did you have the furnace/heater on in the RV/trailer during this test, or was the inside of the trailer also very cold.

[@OffGridSolar]

The Rv heater was on but the solar compartment is part of the pass through so it is not heated by the furnace.

[@jaygold4467]

You need to insulate your FLOOR with Reflectix. It will raise the floor temperature at least 10 degrees if not more.

[@OffGridSolar]

Putting that much weight on reflectix or any type of insulation would negate its insulative qualities because once you compress insulation you reduce or eliminate its R-value. Insulation needs air space to work. This camper that I was doing the test in was a small 21 1/2 foot camper. The temperatures were in the single digits but the campers insulation in the floor was still keeping the temperatures in the low 30s. However, there’s only so much that it can do when the temperatures are that cold. But it was perfect for these tests and showing the effectiveness of the electric blanket.

[@jaygold4467]

@@OffGridSolar Reflectix does not insulate by air isolation. It REFLECTS heat.

[@OffGridSolar]

Reflectix does require air space. Here is an excerpt from the Reflectix® website. So compressing the reflectix will negate it’s insultive qualities. “For either a reflective insulation or a radiant barrier, an air space of a minimum thickness is required on the reflective side of the product. (Most Reflectix® products are reflective (shiny) on both sides.) The reflective insulation benefit is derived from the interaction of the highly-reflective surface with the air space. If the reflective surface is in contact with another building material, it becomes a conductor (transmitting the energy by conduction). An air space may be specified on one or both sides of the product (always on a reflective side). Enclosed air spaces, when instructed, are required to provide the stated R-value. I wouldn’t recommend putting the electric blanket under the battery bank because the weight of the battery coupled with vibration in mobile applications could damage the blanket.

[@larryjanson4011]

build a simple shelf to hold the battery's so you can wrap them in min 2 inches 4 inches is better. of insulation foam board. seal it up. then place a tank heater thermostat controlled. under the battery's, but no weight on it. the inches of foam will help keep the heat in. as long no air can flow in or out of the "box" around the battery's. and heat as possible in the van. is it even insulated?

[@timvandergriff2111]

I am planning to have a custom built battery box to house 2 batteries. However, my batteries will be on the outside of the camper on the tongue. Do you think this method would heat enough, if the box is insulated as well?

[@panospapadimitriou3498]

using a timer to operate 2 hours before sun is out for charge and only for 1 hour it will save the day.. ..and stay off the other 23 hours.. if have auto generator wont work!!!

[@TheCornucopiaProject-bd5jk]

I like the idea but I also don’t like the idea. To me a blanket is a fire hazard. But to the numbers. You said it draws 2amp at 24v / 4amp at 12v, that’s 50 watts. Your battery is about 6700 watt. You said your SOC never drops below 91%, so over night that’s a consumption of 450-500 watt., or 1200 watt inn24 hours. For testing purposes you should have turned your solar panels off, and get a proper 24h reading without charging. The blanket might be cheap, but its consumption is not. 1200 watt is too much. It appears you actually heat the battery too much. Not too much to get it temp above 70-something, but you could probably run the blanket at a lower setting or shit it off for 30 minutes every hour.