Home charging question - garage temperature

[NMflyfish]

Hi all

Located in PHX

First EV

R1S pre-order (i.e. no rush to get the charger infrastructure installed at home)

Our garage is not temperature controlled - in the summer it can be 10-15 degrees cooler than outside air temps (will likely hit 100F in the garage this weekend)

Question to the forum as I don't see anything in the manual noting charging in the heat

Is anyone conditioning the garage to protect the battery and improve charging (not worried about the slower L2 charge at night)?

Thanks, Andy

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[lefkonj]

That is a great question, having the opposite problem of NorthEast where we can have days in a row of the teens. I have controlled my temp somewhat though with insulated garage doors, it does make a huge difference including energy bills because of the rooms around/above the garage.

 

[Tim-in-CA]

Note, your garage will be a little cooler when a hot ICE vehicle is no longer parked inside.

 

[Deleted member 7086]

I live in Flagstaff, Arizona - the daily summer highs do not approach those of Phoenix. Some “chargers” have internal fans to cool them. I have a Wall Box which does not and is rated 130 degrees which is internal temperature. When it gets too warm it faults and must cool down. I have installed a small fan above it, aimed down, and some spacers behind it to give greater distance from the wall to provide more air circulation. It seems to help. Also the Rivian allows you to set the amperage rate of the charge. In the winter when the garage is cooler I can use a higher rate. In the summer a lower rate.

 

[SANZC02]

Hi all

Located in PHX

First EV

R1S pre-order (i.e. no rush to get the charger infrastructure installed at home)

Our garage is not temperature controlled - in the summer it can be 10-15 degrees cooler than outside air temps (will likely hit 100F in the garage this weekend)

Question to the forum as I don't see anything in the manual noting charging in the heat

Is anyone conditioning the garage to protect the battery and improve charging (not worried about the slower L2 charge at night)?

Thanks, Andy

In Phoenix swamp coolers work really well to cool garages. If I lived there I would install one, it will cool the garage and cost less than the BMS kicking on and off to keep the battery cool.

Something like this works well to cool down up to a 3 car garage. They are pretty efficient as only drive a small water pump and a fan.

I was in Coachella Valley, CA Wednesday, similar climate to Phoenix, my Tesla was losing 1.4 miles and hour (14 miles in 10 hours) sitting in the driveway on a 105 degree day. When the temperatures are between 75 and 85 I would lose maybe 1 mile In 10 hours.

 

[NMflyfish]

Thanks all for the input

House (and garage walls) are block and no windows so will likely look at a small portable cooling unit to use in the summer

With the Prius and the R1S in the garage space will be at a premium - will investigate an overhead mounted unit to save some floor space

Andy

 

[shamoo]

Instead of active cooling, perhaps you can consider something to draw out hot air?

Similar to how an attic fan works. Maybe an area in your block wall where you can core out and install something?

 

[ajdelange]

I keep the garage at 60 °F in the winter and 70 °F in the summer so not an issue but were I not to do that the car would take shore power and either heat or cool the battery as necessary.

 

[NachoRivian]

Hi all

Located in PHX

First EV

R1S pre-order (i.e. no rush to get the charger infrastructure installed at home)

Our garage is not temperature controlled - in the summer it can be 10-15 degrees cooler than outside air temps (will likely hit 100F in the garage this weekend)

Question to the forum as I don't see anything in the manual noting charging in the heat

Is anyone conditioning the garage to protect the battery and improve charging (not worried about the slower L2 charge at night)?

Thanks, Andy

I noticed last week charging at 48a (ChargePoint) my garage was like an oven.. Sounded like the BMS was running hard to moderate the battery temp. Tried 30a last night, didn't have the issue. I'm installing a portable A/C tomorrow, but a floor fan with a powered exhaust vent would probably work too.

 

[ajdelange]

Some “chargers” have internal fans to cool them.

I question that. I assune you put "chargers" in quotes because you know the thing on the wall isn't a charger at all but actually an EVSE which does not contain any major heat dissipating components. It's a hefty contactor with some electronics to flash the lights, run the WiFi, measure voltage, current and temperature and control the contactor. If it does get hot inside an EVSE it's usually because a terminal screw has worked loose and the terminal is getting hot from the added resistance. In such a case the EVSE wants to command reduced current or shutdown.

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