A visitor called us the other day and asked, “With winter coming can I take my spare batteries out the fridge?” As David Kender said in USA Today, perhaps they should not be in the fridge at all. We were tempted to ask “Do you like your batteries to last longer?” Then we realized we needed to prepare a more detailed reply.
How Do You Like Your Batteries to Perform?
We have to dip into chemistry for a moment. When we insert a battery in a device and switch it, electricity flows between the terminals. Even after we turn the device off, some electricity still flows due to self discharge chemistry.
Logic suggests lower ambient temperature would slow this process down, and so a battery should last longer in the fridge. However, David Kender says battery manufacturers are unanimous this is not the case. “That’s a long-held myth” he cites a Panasonic official saying. In fact, it seems all major brands prefer “a clean, dry, room-temperature environment”. So why do you like your batteries in the fridge?
The Answer is Hidden in Battery Evolution
Single-use alkaline batteries only degrade by 3% annually according to battery manufacturers. Therefore, we need to know the origin of the urban myth that suggests they should be in the refrigerator. We found the answer in early rechargeable battery history.
Ten years ago rechargeable cells were pretty awful, so it seems. Nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal hydride were dropping up to 30% a month while sitting on a shelf. Putting them in a fridge slowed this process slightly, at least in American minds. So there you have it, although there is still more to know. A battery also self-discharges when the ambient temperature is above normal.
Do you like your batteries in the fridge under those circumstances? Perhaps this may help retain the change marginally. However, do remember to keep them in an airtight container. That’s because a battery doesn’t like water vapor from cold air either.
Related
Starter Battery Storage Tips for Winter
Organic Radical Batteries for Sustained Energy
Preview Image: Batteries in the Fridge
