We see things about batteries on social media every day, that are simply not true. This is one of the reasons we post articles here that are grounded in fact and include technical links where appropriate. Today we share four big truths about batteries you may not know, so you have the facts.
Four Things About Batteries Causing Confusion
Putting Batteries in the Fridge Is Pointless
The rumors floating around about freezing batteries, claim this slows their automatic discharge rate. Well, the truth is. all leading battery companies recommend storing them at room temperature.
Keeping batteries freezing or icy cold can cause the moisture to condense, corrode the metal inside a battery, and shorten its life.
You Can’t Charge Your Device Overnight
This modern myth claims we should not leave a battery charging overnight. Actually, we could, provided we stayed awake and monitored it for overheating.
We should rather ask, is it okay to fully drain or recharge batteries? Especially if the battery is lithium-ion, because this could damage it. We can charge a device at night, provided it has a battery management system to prevent this happening.
Keeping Apps Open Drains the Battery
The third of our four big truths about batteries, is that leaving apps open drains phone and laptop batteries. But is this really true with modern equipment?
Leaving unnecessary apps open does not necessarily drain batteries, although this could clog a device’s short-term memory. The current generation of these devices puts idle apps into sleep mode, so they don’t drain their batteries sooner.
It’s Best to Fully Discharge Before Recharging
This false myth harks back to the days when nickel-cadmium batteries were in fashion. Their memory effect could reduce their capacity to what users were actually using at the time.
Lithium-ion batteries don’t have the ability to remember their history. Fully charging or discharging a lithium-ion battery damages the internals. In a nutshell, there is no need to fully charge or fully discharge a lithium-ion battery.
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