Introduction

High temperatures during summer are not only uncomfortable for humans; they are also harsh on the batteries used to power your vital equipment. If you have a UPS system for your server room, an inverter for your house or business, and an industrial UPS for your manufacturing plant, high temperatures can harm your batteries.

Some consumers may experience shorter battery backups when using their UPS and inverter systems during summer, but many are unaware that such prolonged exposure to high temperatures can damage batteries permanently, decrease battery lifetime, and cause unexpected battery failure when there is a power outage. For some businesses, uninterrupted power is critical because it allows them to protect their equipment, increase their production, and minimize downtime.

Luckily, by performing routine maintenance on your batteries and implementing certain steps to help protect your battery, you will prolong their life, enhance their efficiency, cut down on expenses caused by regular maintenance, and avoid any possible failure of your UPS or inverter batteries.

This guide discusses what makes high temperatures dangerous for batteries, the optimal battery temperatures, symptoms of overheating, and some expert tips to increase the lifetime of your battery.

The Effects of Heat on Batteries

Heat is an unseen enemy of all batteries. Although batteries work through chemical reactions for storing and releasing energy, too much heat causes them to react at a pace higher than the ideal one. At first glance, batteries may seem to work better in hot weather as the rate of chemical reactions increases. But in reality, their performance decreases in the long term.

For each 10 degrees above the recommended temperature, the aging of many sealed lead-acid (VRLA) batteries can almost double. With the rise of internal temperature, the loss of water increases, and the corrosion of battery materials occurs faster.

The Effect of High Temperatures on Batteries of UPS and Inverter

Faster Chemical Deterioration

Too much heat causes an acceleration of chemical reactions within the battery, making its components break down much faster than under usual conditions.

Lesser Time of Work

With heat affecting the battery prematurely, the storage capacity decreases. It leads to a shorter work period during outages.

Higher Internal Resistance

Heated-up batteries have higher internal resistance levels, which reduce charging efficiency and cause more heat generation, thereby speeding up the process of degradation even further.

Water Loss in Lead-Acid Batteries

Flooded batteries undergo water loss as a result of evaporation; on the other hand, sealed VRLA batteries suffer from irreversible water loss, which cannot be restored.

Corrosion of Plates

Plates in the battery undergo faster corrosion in conditions of increased temperature, thus lowering battery capacity and increasing the risk of failure.

Risk of Thermal Runaway

In extreme cases, the battery's overheating may cause thermal runaway, where increased temperature leads to heating in an irreversible way.