Battery Charging and Battery Storage Tutorial

 

20 IMPORTANT POINTS TO SIMPLIFY RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES

It is not my intention to put you to sleep. This article is somewhat mundane, but important to look at from time to time. Once you are set up with rechargeable batteries you can forget about them. They will just be there and you will not have to run to Safeway or Von’s or Walmart to replenish your supply.

Here are important things to help you get used to rechargeables. They are very simple, and most of them are common sense. This will hopefully take some of the mystery out of rechargeable batteries:

1- I strongly dislike reading manuals. Read the manual. Once I read one, I find other manuals are very much the same. Always follow equipment warnings.

2- Keep the battery contact surfaces clean.

3- Remove batteries from the charger if they will not be used for an extended period of time.

4- Store batteries in a cool, dry place at normal room temperature. We do not recommend storing batteries in a refrigerator. If you do put them in the refrigerator, be sure the batteries are brought back to room temperature before using them. Avoid the freezer.

5- Avoid putting batteries where they can be in contact with fire. They can leak or rupture or explode.

6- Avoid dropping rechargeable batteries. The impact from hitting a hard surface can damage the insides of the batteries and can diminish their capacity or their ability to charge. They are not as delicate as a teacup, but just do your best to keep them undamaged.

7- Charge only batteries marked “rechargeable”. Putting a non-rechargeable battery on a charger may cause leakage or rupture or even fire.

8- Be sure to know the type of batteries you are using and use the proper charger. Not all batteries can be charged on the same chargers. Care must be taken to be sure the correct charger is being used.

9- Keep different types or makes of batteries separate from each other. Mixing old and new batteries or different types of batteries can set up problems. Rupture, leakage, personal injury or property damage from fire can result.

10- Check the polarity of the battery slot on each device. Batteries incorrectly inserted can overheat quickly, resulting in venting, leaking or explosion, or may damage your electronic device.

11- Take discharged batteries out of equipment or devices to avoid leakage and damage to the device or appliance.

12- Replace all batteries at the same time inside an device. Use the same kind of batteries together. Do not mix and match. Partially charged batteries and fully charged batteries in a device can result heat and fire, and even rarely but possibly an explosion.

13- Always use batteries together that have the same capacity or strength. For example, in my Walkman I use two AA rechargeables that have 2700 mAh each. I do not use one battery with 2200 mAh and one battery with 2700 mAh together. This is not good for the device nor the batteries.

14- When the terminals of a battery are in electrical contact with each other, the battery will short-circuit. Avoid carrying batteries in the same pocket or bag with metal objects such as coins, paper clips, etc. Contact with metal can cause the batteries to short-circuit, which can cause leakage or heat that can burn.

15- Heating a battery will cause it to explode.

16- Keep batteries in one piece. Dissembling a battery can cause you harm from exposure to the components inside.

17- Soldering batteries should be avoided. It is dangerous because of potential short-circuiting, leakage, venting, and even fire or explosion.

18- Avoid mixing unpacked batteries. One battery contacting another battery can easily cause short-circuiting, especially button-type batteries. Heat and explosion can occur.

19- Mark your rechargeables so you know where they are. Discharged and charged batteries look exactly the same. If they are numbered and/or coded with a date, you will be able to see how many you have left and when you brought them on board. I keep two cases when I use them. One case is marked “discharged” and the other is marked “charged”.

20- Supervise children in the use of batteries. Keep them out of the reach of children unless they are old enough to understand the dangers. Small children need to be watched carefully because often a child will swallow a battery. If a child swallows a battery the adult on watch should seek medical attention immediately.

POWER YOUR ROAD!