This week, I want to share a few hint’s and tips on getting the very most out of your rechargeable batteries.
Rechargeable batteries are in everything, from your mobile to iPod to your car. Some batteries you can only use one and then you have to bin. There are some which are toxic, and other’s that are not. But which is which, and which is right for your devices.
- Recharging batteries is best done on a long, full charge, not a rapid charge, or only charging it halfway. The life of the battery is reduced if half charges or rapid charges are done. The downside to doing a slow, full charge, is it’s …slow.
- When you get a new device, make sure you have a quick read of its first time use instructions. It maybe the case that for your device’s first charge you have to follow specific rules, if you don’t, you may end-up with a rubbish battery life and at the end of it, and a costly replacement. For example, some phone batteries require that you plug them in on a first time charge of 18 hours before use.
- Leaving devices plugged in endlessly for lengthy periods may actually reduce the life of the battery. So your mobile, laptop, or PDA would be best unplugged when it gets to 100%.
- If you have spare batteries make sure you actively use them every six months, or even better to this, every three. This will help keep the long-term life and capacity going.
- Some types of batter suffer from something called the ‘Memory Effect’. Basically the memory effect is that is you recharge a battery before it has mostly rundown, then the battery will “remember” the capacity it has when you recharge it, so its proper capacity that it should have is lost. So in other words you have reduced the life and capacity of the battery when it’s in use.
- If you use any batteries that are rechargeable, the best kind are NiMH (Nickel-Metal Hydride). NiMH’s have a much better and higher capacity. They maybe cost a little more. One thing worth noting though is that they have a high self-discharge rate (they tend to ‘un-charge’ themselves after a few months of not being used), i.e. they wouldn’t be advisable for emergency torches or smoke alarms.
- NiCad batteries are an older generation of rechargeable batteries. They don’t suffer from the memory effect and they aren’t toxic to the environment when your dispose of them.
- Rechargeable Alkaline batteries can’t be recharged nearly as many times as other types of battery. Their capacity drops every time that they are chargeed. They are to say mostly cheap and cheerful.
- Lithium batteries are the best long standing batteries that you can get on the market, but you will also find them the dearest. You can’t recharge them, so it’s a case of once used, they are done for! They are also toxic, so you shouldn’t just bin them. You’re meant to take them to be recycled or dropped off at a hazardous waste facility. They are often used in smoke alarms as they last a long-time.
Do I expect anyone to follow this?
Yes, but I suspect that few rarely do in practice, but this is start.
Related posts:
