Long term battery storage confusion

Yarbo Product Talk Yarbo Snowblower
1

I read about battery storage here: https://wiki.yarbo.com/en/maintenance/battery-maintenance , but that just left me with more questions.

My situation: I have only the snowblower module, I use the Yarbo only in the winter for snow. So, in the summer, the robot won’t be doing anything.

  1. The wiki says, “Power off Yarbo and remove the battery pack. Store the battery in a cool, dry environment.” Why? If I leave the robot parked unused on the charging pad all summer, won’t that keep the battery charged? Does that charging pad cause some kind of damage to the battery?
  2. I’m probably just not using the correct search terms: Where can I find images showing how to remove the battery from the robot?
  3. The wiki says, “Use the wired charger to recharge for 15 minutes every three months to maintain health.” I don’t see how I would know the level of the charge in the battery when it is out of the robot like this. Does it not matter that I don’t know what percentage charge is in the battery? I should just blindly ‘[u]se the wired charger to recharge for 15 minutes every three months to maintain health’ without any understanding of the level of charge in the battery?
2

You can leave it powered up for the entire year, no issues. Yes, just blindly connect the wired charger, the battery management system will maintain it for you.

3

Hello. Good questions.

For long term storage, it’s better for Li-Ion batteries to not be continuously charging at 100%. So the best advice is to drop the battery to around 80%, unplug it, and store it someplace cool.

The battery compartment is on top of the robot next to the emergency stop button. If you didn’t install the security screws, the lid just pops off.

You are right that there’s no way to know the battery’s percentage without putting it back in the robot, powering it up, then checking in the app. Personally, I’d probably do that the first time, see how much (if at all) the battery had declined, then make a judgement call about checking it in the future.

Hope this helps.

4

Hi there, thank you for your detailed questions. I’m happy to clarify them for you:

1. Leaving Yarbo on the charging pad

It’s perfectly fine to leave your Yarbo parked unused on the charging pad throughout the summer if you prefer. In this case, Yarbo will remain charged, and the battery management system (BMS) will help maintain the battery’s health. The charging pad itself will not damage the battery under normal conditions.

2. How to disconnect the battery

For instructions on how to remove the battery from the unit, please refer to the images and steps in the battery removal guide provided in our documentation. These visuals walk through the process step by step.

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3. Recharging every three months

The recommendation to recharge every three months is based on our internal data and long-term battery health testing. To recharge the battery, you’ll need to install the battery back into the unit first, then use the wired charger—this way, you’ll be able to see the battery level during charging.

If you prefer to charge the battery directly outside of the unit, you would need to purchase a battery power cord, as this item is not included in the standard accessories box.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any further questions—we’re always happy to help.

5
6

  1. So, is this a correct summary: During the prolonged summer storage, the preferred approach is to turn the unit off, take the battery out, and with the correct power cord accessory plug it in for 15 minutes once every three months? If I have that right….

  2. When I put the battery back in during November to prepare for the winter season, will the robot simply come back to life? What I mean is, All maps are still there? All work plans? It will have no problems with GPS or recognizing the data center, etc.?

  3. I see the temp range for the battery is 68F - 113F, but the strong recommendation is to store at 68F. That rules out our garage in the summer, it gets into the mid 90s in there. So, I guess that means I store it in my house? (I don’t have a shed, doubt that would be any cooler than the garage anyway.) Not really interested in having it in our living room. We do have a utility room in the basement (gas water heater, gas furnace, water softener, dehumidifier). Are there any safety steps I need to take before storing this battery in our home?

  4. Unrelated question: It is COLD here now, down to -20 tonight with semi fierce winds. I ran the robot earlier today starting at 100% charge, it has now been several hours of charging and it is still at only 57%.
    4a) When it gets super cold like this is it expected that recharging back to 100% takes a VERY LONG time?
    4b) I am seeing messages in the app that charging is interrupted because of “Battery Heating” - Is that a normal, good thing, something intended for when conditions are this cold?
    4c) The charging process began about five hours ago. How long in total should I wait before I say to myself, Something is wrong with the battery not charging to 100%, given these cold temps that are expected to be here for the next several days?

7

1-2: Yes, that’s correct

3: The storage temperature range is pretty radical compared to the operating range. You can store it pretty much anywhere. Cool is ideal, but check the wiki on battery storage temperature ranges and you’ll see what I mean

4: this isn’t normal for 5 hours and not fully charged even with battery heating. It’s probably an imbalance in the cell voltages. It’s a common issue. To correct this, unplug the battery from the core for 4 hours then connect the wired charger for 3 hours. It should fully charge to 100%. After that it should maintain a faster charge and go to 100. If not, open a support ticket and let them know you tried the above procedure and it didn’t work. They can remotely check the voltages and see if there is a problem.

8

Something else that could cause the slow charging is that it’s not quite aligned on the dock. I’ve had to manually re-align or drive it off and hit recharge again and then it ramps up to full charging speed. Having it on a smart plug helps:

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9

Good point

10

Hi there! You can refer to Bryan’s and rcguymike’s replies above for detailed guidance.

As for the battery storage location, it’s perfectly fine to store the battery in a cool, dry environment. Your utility room sounds like a suitable option—just make sure the area is moisture-proof and protected from corrosion.

With those precautions in place, storing the battery indoors should be safe and appropriate.