Batteries are a bit like people in the sense of stamina. They get tired sooner under hot conditions, and they do not necessarily recover fully after repeated bouts of exhaustion. Our lead-acid batteries should last longer if we treat them with consideration. This care comes down to avoiding excessive heat and loading when we can.
The Damage Resulting from Intense Heat and Loading
Leaving batteries in high ambient temperature can harm them by robbing them of their capacity. The same is true for lead-acid, nicad, and lithium batteries too.
We leave a laptop or smartphone in a car with the windows closed on a hot day at our peril. By the same token, the hood over our starter battery should ideally not bake all day in the sun. Overloading a battery with heavy discharges can shorten it’s life too.
What this Intense Heat Means in Practice
The Battery Council International is an association of manufacturers of lead-acid batteries. During 2010 research, it discovered that a sustained 14°F temperature rise cuts lead-acid battery life by half.
This damage is irreversible, but scientists are tirelessly looking for ways to insulate batteries. And even automatically shut them down temporarily when heat triggers a switch. Let us move on to consider the second part of the heat and loading challenge.
The Effect of Frequent Rates of Discharge of Lead Batteries
Lead-acid batteries work best when between half and fully charged. They dislike going completely flat especially when new. An auto starter battery, for example, does not mind cranking the engine several times day. But when we crack the starter incessantly until it starts slowing down, that is another matter.
How to Count the Effects of Intense Heat and Loading
It is always a good idea to source a battery within the climate zone where we use it. Because it should suit local conditions better. Moreover, we should remember that we make lead-acid batteries to store power, and they are unhappy when empty. Therefore, we should turn off the lights and entertainment systems before we start our auto engines. In these ways we reduce the risks from heating and loading, and should extend the lives of our lead-acid batteries.
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