Some things we hear are simply not true about batteries anymore, while others are pure imagination. We share our thoughts about the two greatest myths, so you know why to ignore them.
This article is part of our theme about using batteries correctly, because we are learning lithium-ion can be dangerous. So let’s get started with this fascinating topic straight away.
Two Simply Great Untruths About Batteries
We Must Charge New Batteries Until They are Full
This myth dates back to the early days of nickel-cadmium batteries, when they were all the rage. This particular step down the road in the journey towards the perfect battery, had a ‘memory bank’ in its chemicals.
This bank worked like a primitive battery ‘brain’. It was ‘blank’ when the battery left the factory, so it still needed to know when it was fully-charged. And it learned this from its early experiences.
So if a user only partly-charged a new nickel-cadmium battery, the chemistry ‘learned’ that ‘partly charged’ meant ‘fully charged’ for it. But this is simply not true about the batteries that we use today,
We Must Run Batteries Down Until They are Flat
This second great untruth about batteries is we must let them run down until they are completely flat. We have to thank our old friends nickel-cadmium batteries for this misconception, because in their case it was actually quite true. It was down to that ‘memory effect’ again.
What Is True About Charging Modern Batteries
Unfortunately these rumors still persist, even though nickel-cadmium batteries are largely just a memory nowadays. This is perhaps because consumers do not remember the different chemistry in the various batteries.
Lithium-ion batteries have a ‘sweet spot’ between 20% and 80% of their potential charge. This is where they are most comfortable, and it means they last longer if we keep them in that range.
This is simply not quite true about our sealed gel lead-acid batteries though. They are happy to remain fully charged day in and day out. We recommend recharging them when they fall below 50%, to encourage a long, trouble-free life.
More Information
Lead-Acid Versus Nickel-Cadmium Batteries
