Increase battery life for electronics

On this instructable (well, not really an instructable), I will show you a few tips and tricks to increase life for a few different types of batteries for electronics.

There has been an instructable about "Increase battery life for electronics" posted already, but this one is a much better version...

I hope you enjoy this instructable and learn something new!

Step 1 Increase alkaline battery's storage life

If you want to increase the alkaline battery's storage life, you should store them in a cool, dry, and non-corrosive place, like in a closet or other places like that.
Storing the alkaline batteries in a cool place will slow down the chemical's reaction activity thus increasing the alkaline battery's life.

However, if you store the alkaline batteries in a warm or hot place, it will dramatically decrease the alkaline battery's life because the chemical's reaction activity speed's up. However, there is an advantage of having the alkaline battery's fast chemical's reaction activity, it will give much better performance in electronics like digital cameras...

You should never ever try to recharge the normal alkaline batteries! They will heat up so dramatically that it can melt the charger and catch on fire...
You can only recharge the the rechargeable alkaline batteries.

Comments

[tucsonics]

I read various places to discharge a NiMH before recharging but what is considered discharged? 0.5V for a AA 1.2V 1500mAh type? And how fast should it be discharged? 0.1A or 1A?

[Domenico288]

there's even more battery's then that but most aren't used at all anymore, or don't provide enough energy for today's electronics goods

[Madrias357]

I will mention here that 15 to 45 minutes of high-amp (10A+) charging will revive large capacity NiMH cells. I don't recommend such vicious amperage on smaller cells...

[hansonsux]

NiCad do not need to be regularly discharged.  "Memory" is a myth.  Doing so will only use up the cycle life faster.   You are sorta right about NiMh.  They do form plate crystallization - but so do NiCad.  And also it take a lot longer than a few months.  Also more important for NiMh is leaving them discharged below 1v per cell causes oxidation of the plates.  Though, it take more than a few months.  It depends on the brand of NiMh - some are more resistant so oxidation than others.  Take low self-discharge types sitting on a shelf.  They'll take a decade to get below 1v.  So they are inherently very resistant to oxidation as long as they aren't left in a device that slowly discharges them.

[Bad Maxx]

Memory is a myth? Oh my I beg to differ! Although yes indeed this phenomenon has been eliminated it is not a myth. And to be fair you are sorta' right about Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries... I will not go into the long story about my experiences with this in the Navy, but instead will provide a link to the best description I have found on-line. http://www.matronics.com/aeroelectric/articles/Ni-Cd_Memory.pdf I hope this helps clear up the confusion.

[bestbatteryshops]

ensuring that you never allow the battery to run too low does. Laptop batteries do not contain<a href=http://www.goodlaptopbattery.com.au/acer/aspire-5550.htm>acer aspire 5550 battery</a> matched cells, http://www.goodlaptopbattery.com.au/acer/aspire-5550.htm and therefore it is possible when you allow your battery to run very low for one or more cells to completely acer aspire 5580 battery discharge before the others. Once completely discharged a Li-Ion cell is destroid. It is also important to remember that Li-Ion batteries discharge when not in use.

[Jorgitsss]

What is an smart chargers ?
How I can differentiate between intelligent chargers which are not?

[hansonsux]

Very true about laptop Lithiums. 

[hyudryu]

Wait alkaline batteries can't be recharged. Alkaline battery charger?

[-max-]

Wow

I have never seen soooooooooooo many types of batteries!!!

 

Alkaline battery,
Zinc-carbon battery,
Oxyride battery ,
Rechargeable alkaline battery ,
Nickel-cadmium battery ,
Nickel-metal hydride battery ,
Lithium battery ,
Lithium-ion battery ,
Lithium-ion polymer battery,
Lead-acid battery,
Silver-oxide battery ,and
Zinc-air battery !!

[sijmenjan]

The NiMH part isn't right. Fully decharging before charging them is destructive, and they don't have cristals

[ronmaggi]

Nicad memory is often over diagnosed. Really only satellites that go in and out of sunlight at regular intervals, hence charge and discharge the same amount daily for years, suffer from it. Usually people just over charge them, causing them to gas and force the contacts inside apart.

[illeagle]

IF YOU ARE GOING TO LEAVE YOUR LEAD ACID BATTERY UNATTENDED FOR MORE THAN A DAY OR TWO, IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO INVEST IN A BATTERY MAINTAINER WITH AN OUTPUT OF NO MORE THAN 1 AMP. THIS WILL KEEP THE ALREADY CHARGED BATTERY FROM SELF- DISCHARGING AND PLATES FROM SULPHATING .

[fwjs28]

NO NEED TO YELL, TALKING IN A NORMAL TONE WILL ACOMPLISH THE SAME THING (if not more) .....

[illeagle]

sorry... yelling was not my intent... caplok was on, never gave it a thot, sorry...

[fwjs28]

THATS OK, IT HAPPENS TO EVERYONE.... oh i mean that happens to everyone....lol

[Smiling Carcass]

A tip I heard but cannot verify – you technical folk may be able to comment- is to remove the battery when using the laptop on the power supply for long periods. This prevents accidental overcharging which I believe has a negative effect on some battery types.

[gururaja]

The only reason why you should remove your battery pack from the laptop when you are using the laptop on mains power supply is that the lithium ion batteries are very sensitive to temperature and as the temperature of the battery increses, the efficiency comes down and the batteries discharges quickly even if you are not using the batteries. And hence while operating your laptop on AC mains power supply, the computer generates lot of heat and this heat will be applied to the battery pack if the batteries are fitted on to your laptop. It is advisable to remove the battery pack from the laptop when you are using the laptop on mains supply. From: Gururaja G, Scientist, NAL, Bangalore, India.

[Smiling Carcass]

Thanks for the technical explanation, gururaja. I was under the impression (and not being too knowledgeable about batteries) thought it sounded reasonable was to do with internal resistance, which is what causes all batteries to slowly discharge. If lithium ion laptop batteries are left charging over long periods the internal resistance increases, ultimately rendering them useless.

[vitruvian8807]

I've read that from Hewlett Packard's site too.

[crazythinker13]

great instructable helped me allot thx. -Chris

[neo16073]

FYI If you really want to extend the shelf life of a led acid of alkaline battery store it in the freezer. The cold slows the self discharge to almost nothing. We have been doing this for over 30 years and have had boxes of batteries 5 years past the expired date. After thawing, we ran life tests they performed almost like new.

[chocdrago]

The reason alkaline batteries cannot be recharged is because they are a "dry cell" once the paste inside one of these has completed its chemical reaction it can no longer be rejuvenated. just a little fact. : [) -ccc

[gamertj]

hay i was wondering were to find some of these ive never seen half of these at walmart or at auto zone

[DamionLee]

Li-Ion batteries have zero memory effect, so ensuring you charge them to full capacity each charge has no real positive effect on the battery. However, ensuring that you never allow the battery to run too low does. Laptop batteries do not contain matched cells, and therefore it is possible when you allow your battery to run very low for one or more cells to completely discharge before the others. Once completely discharged a Li-Ion cell is destroid. It is also important to remember that Li-Ion batteries discharge when not in use. Whilst this is a low rate (approx. 5% or capacity over a month) it is still relevant as again individual cells can completely discharge. Ensure that unused batteries are kept topped up every few months. Always store Li-Ion cells charged.

[Flumpkins]

I like batteries. I once had a shirt that had a monkey licking a battery on it with lightning coming out of his ears, and in words it said "Don't lick batteries". I like monkeys too. Well, this would be useful for my gaming chair. I think it takes AA batteries. It's been out of batteries for a pretty long time though.

[RadBear]

I don't like monkeys. They are ill tempered.

[Flumpkins]

my nickname is monkey....

[chriskarr]

I don't like monkeys either...I have a good reason...

[RadBear]

Wow. I just didn't like them b/c one bit me. Although there was one that was very interested in my female co-workers. But he wasn't making gesture to intimidate...he was just...uninhibited.

[RadBear]

Whoops!!! Are you ill-tempered?

[Flumpkins]

_roar

[Plasmana]

LOL!

[Flumpkins]

:D

[cornflaker]

RawR!

[Flumpkins]

rawR? Car!

[cornflaker]

haha

[emuman4evr]

Dont lick them? Why? I stuffed my mouth with AAs once.

[Shentianqi]

I once made connected a wire to both ends of a battery and I licked the middle of the wire. It goes a bit NUMB...

[froggyman]

if you think that was powerful take a telephone wire connected to the wall and then to your tounge, ouch!!!!!!!!!!!