How to Extend Your Battery Life - Tips That Really Work

A battery’s performance is going to reduce over time because of naturally occurring chemical reactions. Many people deduce that placing a battery in the refrigerator or freezer will slow these reactions and extend the life of their batteries. Enhance the life of batteries by following these tips instead of relying on the refrigerator.

• Single use batteries may either be lithium or alkaline. High drain devices such as digital cameras will often use lithium based batteries. Alkaline based batteries are the batteries people most often use in toys, remote controls and flashlights because they drain energy slowly. The average shelf lifetime of these batteries is five to seven years for alkaline versus 10-15 years for lithium batteries.

• A few years ago cell phones and laptops used nickel based batteries. These batteries are beginning to become outdated, but have the capability of having a long lifetime. They had a memory issue that would often deplete the lifetime of the battery quickly if a user charged them incorrectly.

• Lithium ion batteries are what most laptops and cell phones presently use. These rechargeable batteries require some care to maintain optimal performance. Lithium ion batteries do not have the memory problems that people associate with nickel metal batteries. These batteries usually have a lifespan of 2-3 years. For some other devices as for example defibrillators you will need a special AED batteries.

• Standard rechargeable batteries are available to fit almost every need, and come in different shapes and styles. Proper care is necessary to optimize the life of these batteries.

• Do not subject batteries to intense temperature fluctuations. Do not store batteries in an unheated garage or storage shed. This means do not forget the phone or laptop in the car on a cold night.

• Unplug the device or remove the battery once the charge is complete. Overcharging batteries will also shorten their lifespan.

• Do not mix batteries and use the correct charger made for the battery.

• Avoid rapid chargers or supplemental charging because it will shorten battery life.

• Rapid chargers wear a rechargeable battery down faster than a regular charger.

• Do not leave batteries in the charger and store them at room temperature

• Never run a lithium battery down to a zero charge. In fact, if storage is necessary leave it at a 40% charge.

• Make sure the laptop has a full sized battery. Manufacturers will save on weight costs by selling the laptop with a smaller battery.

• Removing the battery of a laptop and running on AC power when possible can extend a lithium ion battery’s lifetime.

• Take appropriate physical care of the laptop. Keep the hard drive tidy by making sure the computer has enough memory and receives proper updates. Clean and maintain the vents and contacts to prevent overheating.

• Hibernation mode is the most efficient mode when the computer is not in use.

• Most of these devices all have a back light that can suck out the energy of a battery. Turn it down.

• Turn off background apps that are slowly sucking the life out of the device. Animated backgrounds are energy vampires. Disable data, wifi and unnecessary apps when not using them.

• Bluetooth and GPS applications will draw a lot of a battery’s power.

• Vibrate modes will use up more power than a ringer does on a phone.