With temperatures dropping below zero degrees Fahrenheit over the last few days, commuters have struggled with dead batteries.

Auto Value employees Sue Meyer and Dan Domeier said when the temperature drops they can expect to see an increase in car battery purchases. Meyer said she sold three batteries Sunday during the cold.

“People think it is the cold that kills the battery, but it’s going into winter with an already drained battery that does it,” Meyer said.

Dan Domeier advised driving the car for six to seven miles at a time. He said this won’t fully charge the battery, but it will charge it enough to get the vehicle to turn over again. As long as the vehicle runs long enough to recharge the battery, everything should be fine.

A small sample of the vehicle batteries available at Auto Value of New Ulm. Batteries are selling fast during the recent cold snap.

Unfortunately, a quick three-block trip to the store is not enough to recover that charge.

Meyer and Domeier warned against short trips in the winter. This can drain the battery without getting a charge going. Driving a vehicle only two blocks each day, will hurt the battery. Starting the vehicle with the heater on full can also cause battery drain.

“At least once a week take your vehicle for a long drive,” Meyer said.

A car being kept outside should be run every day for at least 15 minutes when the weather is cold to prevent the battery from freezing. Once a battery has started bulging out, it is usually too damaged to get started again.

Domeier said Auto Value does perform free battery testing for those experiencing issues. They can also test the alternator.

Temperatures are expected to increase through the week with a high of 18 degrees Wednesday and a high of 30 degrees by Saturday.