Battery Charging best practice?

[Baggsy]

I have my battery out and on an Optimate 3 charger in the unheated garage.

Is it best practice to have it in the heated basement while charging or is it better in the colder garage?

 

[Gryphon]

Doesn't really matter, friend - as long as the garage won't go too much below freezing.
Hydrogen gas is of course highly explosive so, if it's not gonna freeze stiff, I would stick with the garage...

 

[Doug Tait]

It's better in the garage. The colder a battery is, the lower it's self discharge rate is - although, if you're leaving it on a "maintainer" for the duration - that doesn't matter much. So far as freezing goes - a fully charged battery will not freeze up in your garage, with the temperatures that we experience in this part of Ontario.
It's never a good idea to charge an automotive type battery, indoors - unless the room is really well vented - for the reason that Gryphon mentioned.

 

[PrivatePilot]

Doesn't really matter, friend - as long as the garage won't go too much below freezing.

A fully charged battery won't freeze until it reaches about -70c. Since he has it on a maintainer there's nothing to worry about, particularly the way this winter is going.

I leave all charging batteries in my garage for the purpose of not having to worry about hydrogen or an acid spill if it accidentally gets knocked over somehow.