# lipo storage



## wait a minute (Oct 11, 2001)

what is the best way to store lipos when you dont plan on using them for months at a time?


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## OvalmanPA (Mar 21, 2000)

Covered just about a month ago. http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=324478


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## ta_man (Apr 10, 2005)

wait a minute said:


> what is the best way to store lipos when you dont plan on using them for months at a time?


If you are talking literally for months you can do what I did with my outdoor 1/8th scale (4S) packs over the winter: charge them to about 40% and put them in the freezer.

Yes, freezer (household freezer, not commercial freezer). This slows the aging process and gradual loss of capacity.

There was a link on Rc-Monster to an article recommending that and since some of my packs were ProMatch brand, I emailed Jeff (ProMatch owner) and asked him if this was ok. He said it was a good idea. Just put them in plastic bags so when they warm up, they are not subject to condensation.

And now that outdoor season is here, I'll tell you those packs stored 6 months in the freezer work just fine.


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## wait a minute (Oct 11, 2001)

thanks. i see that 2 0f my 1 cell packs and one of my 2 cell packs after sitting charged for a few months are starting to slightly swell. is that because they were left in a nearly fully charged state? will that hurt the preformance of the pack?


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## ta_man (Apr 10, 2005)

wait a minute said:


> thanks. i see that 2 0f my 1 cell packs and one of my 2 cell packs after sitting charged for a few months are starting to slightly swell. is that because they were left in a nearly fully charged state? will that hurt the preformance of the pack?


Could be, especially if they are SMC packs. SMC packs have a reputation for swelling no matter what. LiPo packs should not be stored fully charged for any length of time. Yes, people do it, but they don't realize the effect on pack life.


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## Al Schwarze (Nov 27, 2007)

Correct.. Leaving them sit with a full charge shouldn't kill them but its not good for them ether...
discharge them down to 3.7 volts per cell.. then just check them once in a while just to make sure they don't drop below 3.3 volts per cell.
if they do drop below 3.3 volts per cell, put a little charge back in them.
I would suggest putting them through a charge - discharge cycle every couple of months just to make sure they don't drop to low and to make sure they will be ready to go next time you want to use them.


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