Life is full of risks, large and small around the home. What we have to do is manage them. Take electric lights, for example. They are no safety risk at all when used correctly. If we leave them on and a toddler removes the light bulb they could get a shock as tiny fingers explore. Charging batteries inside and outside devices can also have consequences. We decided to remind ourselves of the essential home battery safety tips to remember while charging batteries.
Home Battery Safety Tips: A Reminder Regarding Heat
When we charge our batteries, we use electricity to cause a build-up of positively charged ions inside them. This causes the batteries to warm up a little during the process.
That’s okay, provided we do it in a well-ventilated place. However if this happens in a closed room on a blisteringly hot day, the batteries could become warmer than they should.
The first of our home battery safety tips is doing your charging in cool ventilated space. Never charge a mobile device or laptop on a bed. Put them on a hard surface so the air can circulate right around them and they do not catch fire. Consider using a laptop cooling pad.
Don’t Mix It Up – Charge Like With Like
Avoid putting different brands of cell batteries in a charger at the same time. They have different degrees of electrical resistance and may get warmer.
Be especially careful you use the right transformer-charger when recharging batteries inside devices. Label yours as soon as you unwrap them. Find a new use for old ones.
Phone chargers may appear similar but this does not mean their outputs are the same. Stop immediately if a battery charger overheats or smells unusual. Home battery safety tips boil down to thinking logically.
Invest in a Battery ‘Police Person’
That’s right! Purchase a portable battery-powered smoke alarm. Place it nearby your battery charging station, or your device as the case may be. This handy gadget will tell you when it sniffs a fire starting. Of course, you do need to be in the vicinity to hear it. Thus the most important of our home battery safety tips when charging, is being nearby while we do it.
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Preview Image: Ionizer Smoke Detector
