Temperature Sensors

Temperature sensors that are used both for some charge controllers and inverters with built-in AC chargers. Temperature sensors are needed when your battery bank will experience significant temperature changes (e.g. differences of 20 degrees F over the year). Charge controllers stop or start charging batteries bases upon their voltage. However, batteries have different "full" voltages at different temperatures.

What can happen if you don't have a temperature sensor? If the battery temperature is low then the full voltage point will be lower. However, the charge controller will unwittenly continue to try to raise the voltage level - causing your batteries to over charge, off-gas and eventually damage the batteries. If the battery temperature is relatively high, then the "full" voltage goes up. Without a temperature the charge controller may think the battery bank is fully charged before it really is - leaving your batteries frequently undercharged.