Because of the kind of era that we currently live in, almost all of the things that we use function on some batteries. Right from the phone that you use on an everyday basis, to the car that you use to drive you around. Because of the increased use of batteries, the battery industry has seen an incredible increase in profits. But one of the reasons why these big corporations are making so much more from selling batteries is because of the way we treat them as disposable.
What a lot of us don’t realize is that the lifetime of our batteries is much less than it’s supposed to be. Batteries are meant to have a fairly long lifespan, but end up getting degraded due to external factors that can affect their performance. If you are wondering how you can improve the lifespan of your lithium-ion batteries, here are three ways in which you can do it efficiently.
- Temperature Control
The temperature at which you store your batteries plays a significant role in their lifespan and effectiveness. The ideal temperature at which lithium batteries should be stored at is 20 to 25 degrees. Batteries that go above this temperature range are more prone to damage and can get adversely effected fairly quickly. Overheating batteries is the most common way in which batteries get spoiled, and is, unfortunately, one of the most common things that people do.
Have you ever wondered why experts say that you shouldn’t charge your cell phone overnight? It is because of this temperature control issue. As you charge your battery, it heats up. If it is left to charge for too long, it can start to disintegrate the components of the battery, causing a decrease in its lifespan. Luckily a modern phone controls the charging so the battery is unlikely to be severely effected.
- Be Wary Of Quick Charging Techniques
With innovations flooding the market, new ways to charge your devices have been making their debut in the mainstream markets. If you are familiar with the cordless charger that Samsung has recently come out with, you know exactly what we are talking about. A lot of times, cellphone and tablet companies release products labeled as “fast charging.” These use special plugs and special add-ons to increase the speed at which it charges. In actuality, it just allows more electricity to flow through the battery, thus enabling it to charge faster.
As much as this might be extremely convenient to have a phone that charges as lightning speed, the battery that your phone uses might not last very long. Because of the fast charge mechanism, the battery will almost always get heated more than by conventional charging techniques, causing it to get ruined a lot faster.
- Store It Right
You lithium-ion battery is not always going to be in use, and therefore it becomes essential to know how to store the battery the right way. When you decide to store your battery, one of the first things that you need to do is roughly charge it to 50%. When the battery loses all the charge that is in it, it opens up the circuit, which then renders the battery dead and unable to be used. When a battery is stored, it loses charge bit by bit, which is why it is essential to maintain it, even when it isn’t in use.