Important Longevity Tips For Lithium-ion Battery

Batteries play an important role in today's tech savvy world. In fact, the life of any gadget mostly depends upon a battery. It can make or break a gadget. As a tech savvy person I used to try almost all latest gadget but before that I am always eager to know the life span of the battery.

The immediate four questions arise in my mind...

How long will the batteries last?

What is its talk-time? (In case of cell phone)

What is its standby time?

Is it Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cad), or a Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion)?

Do you know you can do a lot to get the best out of your battery...

Almost every gizmo that's in the market today- it may be laptop, cell phone or media player uses a lithium-ion battery since it's a low maintenance battery. Lithium-ion battery is good for around 400 to 600 charge-discharge cycles. Unlike the older batteries, these work best with a partial instead of a full discharge. Avoid full discharge and charge the battery more frequently.

If you have just purchased a brand new/seal-packed gadget (with Lithium-ion battery), for initial 'conditioning', make sure that you fully charge the battery, and allow it to fully discharge before recharging. Repeat this at least three times. Once conditioned, you should charge it before waiting complete discharge.

Occasionally (once in a month), fully discharge the battery and then charge it...do this deliberately.

Longevity Tips For Lithium-ion Battery

Things to do...

Deliberately fully charge-discharge a new battery at least thrice to "condition" it.
Several partial charging will increase the life of your lithium-ion battery.
Make the habit that your lithium-ion battery is completely discharged before you charge it. Recommended once in a month.
Always use manufacturer recommended batteries.
Recharge your batteries only with the chargers recommended by the manufacturer.
Use the batteries only for its intended purpose.
Always keep the contact terminals of batteries clean by wiping it with a dry cloth.
When in use, always try to keep the battery between 15 degree Celsius and 25 degree Celsius.
Make sure that you are using the battery constantly otherwise it will become idle.
Unplug the charger when not in use.

Things to avoid...

Avoid frequent full discharges.
Don't keep your battery idle for a longer time.
Don't make a stock of batteries for later use. Whether you use or not, lithium-ion batteries have a shelf life of 2-3 years.
Never compromise for money. Using cheaper batteries may turn to fake, damaging your expensive gadget.
Never use damaged charger or battery.
Avoid accidental short circuit while you carry a spare battery in your pocket. It may occur due to lose metal object, when come in contact with open terminals of lose battery such as coin or pins. Short-circuiting may damage the battery. Use Ziploc bags to isolate lose battery from such metal objects.
Do not leave the battery connected to a charger more than a week; overcharging may shorten its life.
Do not expose it to moisture; use Ziploc bags to keep it moisture free.
Don't expose the battery to excessive heat like direct sun light; this may shorten its life.

Important storing tips for Li-ion battery

Store in a cool place like refrigerator.
Don't store the battery in deep fridge.
Store in moisture free area.
Use Ziploc bags to store it moisture free.

Do you know?

The Sony Corporation introduced the first lithium-ion battery in 1991 for commercial use.

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