Can/should Lithium Ion batteries be stored in the fridge?

[witness]

Will storing Lithium Ion batteries in the fridge damage them.

[hellokitty[hk]]

No it won't.

[jasonck08]

Will storing Lithium Ion batteries in the fridge damage them.

No it won't.

Yes if you just put them in the fridge and not in an airtight container / ziplock bag. The fridge is a high moisture environment. You don't want your cells to start rusting.

[Lynx_Arc]

Yes if you just put them in the fridge and not in an airtight container / ziplock bag. The fridge is a high moisture environment. You don't want your cells to start rusting.

The problem is not with the fridge itself but the air in containers/bags that have moisture in them already that will condense into water when cooled down. If you want to store them in a container use some sort of desiccant to absorb excess moisture. IMO if you have a place to store batteries under 85 degrees forget the fridge as it isn't going to help enough for the problems you will have. Typically cold batteries don't perform as well as those at room temperatures till they warm up.

[Norm]

A Google search of the forum reveals many threads about storing Li-ion cells.

Norm

[witness]

I threw a box of Surefire C123s in the fridge about 6 months ago because (as I understood) this was what you were supposed to do with the older primary batteries. I then asked my question because I erroneously came to believe that Lithium batteries had issues with cold. After reading Battery University, I realize that they don't (no more than NiCad or Nimh anyway). The Surefires certainly haven't rusted so I think I'm fine and will just take them out.

[Lynx_Arc]

I threw a box of Surefire C123s in the fridge about 6 months ago because (as I understood) this was what you were supposed to do with the older primary batteries. I then asked my question because I erroneously came to believe that Lithium batteries had issues with cold. After reading Battery University, I realize that they don't (no more than NiCad or Nimh anyway). The Surefires certainly haven't rusted so I think I'm fine and will just take them out.

I would recommend when you take them out let them sit for awhile and warm up and maybe wipe off any moisture that condenses on them before putting them in a light.

[witness]

I knew about letting them warm up but the moisture issue never occurred to me.

[Lynx_Arc]

I knew about letting them warm up but the moisture issue never occurred to me.

Imagine a can of cold soda out of the fridge sitting out in the open in the springtime when it is raining outside and the air is saturated... you would have water dripping off the can. A battery is like a small cold can just as well. If you put it inside a light it would attract the moisture in the air inside the light and that could drip into the head or tailswitch areas and/or the ends of the battery possibly causing corrosion.

[witness]

Imagine a can of cold soda out of the fridge sitting out in the open in the springtime when it is raining outside and the air is saturated... you would have water dripping off the can. A battery is like a small cold can just as well. If you put it inside a light it would attract the moisture in the air inside the light and that could drip into the head or tailswitch areas and/or the ends of the battery possibly causing corrosion.

Of course you are correct. I just never thought of this as an issue.

[jasonck08]

The problem is not with the fridge itself but the air in containers/bags that have moisture in them already that will condense into water when cooled down. If you want to store them in a container use some sort of desiccant to absorb excess moisture. IMO if you have a place to store batteries under 85 degrees forget the fridge as it isn't going to help enough for the problems you will have. Typically cold batteries don't perform as well as those at room temperatures till they warm up.

That's why you put it in a bag with little or no extra air. Or you could put some Silica gel packet type things inside the bag too.

[yvonne_chan]

It said that batteries will retain 9/10 of a full charge while stored in the fridge. Is it suitable for all kinds of batteries including lithium ion, primary and dry batteries?
Has anybody done it before?
Quite interested about it.
Besides, will this action influence the food in the fridge?

[jasonck08]

Here is a thread on the same topic: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...-in-the-fridge

[yvonne_chan]

Here is a thread on the same topic: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...-in-the-fridge

Thank you very much!
I will study it