Temperature Sensors
Charge controllers and inverter/chargers safely manage charging your battery bank. Many have an option to plug in a battery sensor to improve the charging.
The battery sensor attaches to the battery, sending back an accurate temperature reading. Lead acid batteries prefer having a different charging rate based on the temperature. Having the optional temperature sensor allows the charger to adjust its rate based on the actual battery temperature (temperature compensation). Note that most lithium batteries do not require temperature compensation for charging.
The temperature sensors are not standalone, they must be plugged into the appropriate charger.
Temperature sensors are used both for some charge controllers, and inverters with built-in AC chargers. Temperature sensors are essential when your battery bank is expected to experience significant temperature changes (e.g. differences of 20 degrees F over the year).
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More Info on Temperature Sensors
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 unwittingly 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.
