As you may notice, LiFePO4 batteries are becoming more popular and taking charge of the batteries used for things like solar power systems, RVs, golf carts, bass boats and electric motorcycles as they are by far the best.

In this article, we will give a quick guide on how to handle LiFePO4 batteries and provide tips on charging, protection and temperature to get the most out of them.
LiFePO4 lithium batteries offer some great advantages over traditional lead-acid batteries, including the fact that they are super light and safe, have higher energy density, have a much longer lifespan and require less maintenance.

Although LiFePO4 lithium batteries require little maintenance, there are still some things we need to be aware of.

Charging
Let's take the LiTime 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 lithium battery as an example. The recommended charger should support charging of Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries. To fully charge the battery, the DC charging voltage should be between 14.2V~14.6V and the charging current should be less than 100A.

The voltage levels that the LiFePO4 battery will reach at different charge levels. (Example: LiTime 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 battery)

Charging a LiFePO4 battery takes place in two steps to increase the state of charge (SOC) to 100%. The first step is constant current charging. In this step, the charger delivers a constant current to the LiFePO4 battery. The voltage level levels off until it reaches 14.6 V. Up to this point, the charger charges the battery with a constant current. However, when the voltage reaches 14.6V, the charger will set the voltage and keep it constant. At this stage the SOC of the battery is around 90%. From this point, the charger delivers a decreasing current to the battery while keeping the voltage constant at 14.6V. When the SOC reaches 100%, the charger will automatically turn off and stop charging the battery.

Caution

Keep away from water while charging.
The best charging temperature is 0-45℃, which can accelerate the internal chemical material movement. Then we can charge faster.
When charging is finished, please do not put the charger and LiFePO4 battery together.
Full protection of the battery
Lithium batteries occasionally over-discharge. The lowest value of voltage that you can discharge a LiFePO4 battery is 8.8V. The LiTime LiFePO4 battery has built-in BMS protection that protects it from over-charge, over-discharge, over-current and short-circuit, and has an excellent self-discharge rate. Without BMS protection, the battery can be destroyed if discharged even a little below this voltage, and the destruction would be irreversible, ie. H if you discharge the battery below 8.8V, the damage would be permanent.

Therefore, it is important to stop using the battery before it reaches this limit, and LiTime's LiFePO4 batteries are equipped with such a BMS board for self-protection.

Temperature Effect
Temperature is one of the critical factors that can affect battery performance. The lower the temperature, the lower the available capacity. At a temperature below 0 degrees, most LiFePO4 lithium batteries cannot be charged at all.

Long-term Storage

Temperature
The battery can operate at a temperature of -20℃ to 60℃，, and a temperature between 10℃ and 35℃ is ideal for long-term storage. Keep in a fireproof container and out of the reach of children.

Capacity
It is best to store your battery at 50% charge and charge it every three months if not used for a long time.

As mentioned at the beginning, LiFePO4 batteries have many advantages over lead-acid batteries. However, make sure that LiFePO4 batteries work in a suitable environment so that they can achieve their full benefits.