Correct way to charge battery....

[BlurQueen78]

I know there's always 2 school of thoughts around this...

1. some pple tell me that i should stop charging once the indicator on the charger turns green..
2. some pple tell me that i should keep it charging for a while more even though it has turned green so as to "fully" charge the battery, thus resulting to longer lasting battery.....

thoughts/experiences on this pls?

 

[AsPiRiN92]

(1) was originally a rule for NiCd batteries, which were the first types of rechargable batteries that were released. These batteries tend to lose their capacity if you charge it before using up all the energy inside, or "overcharge" it.

(2) these are the newer type of batteries, NiMH which most appliances use nowadays. unlike NiCd, the capacity of NiMH batteries are not affected by charge time nor charging when there is still unused energy in the cell.

people often confuse themselves with these 2 types of batteries because (i think) when NiMH type was released it wasn't a very well publicized news, especially the benefits of the new type.

the battery that you're charging should have the type (NiCd or NiMH) stated somewhere, which will decide if you should follow whichever method. hope this helps

 

[pinkbee]

I have a question about batteries too. Do you start to charge the battery when it's going to be used up or when it's totally flat? I've heard some people saying that it's harmful for lithium batteries to go flat. Is that true?

 

[Simon_84]

I have a question about batteries too. Do you start to charge the battery when it's going to be used up or when it's totally flat? I've heard some people saying that it's harmful for lithium batteries to go flat. Is that true?

just like hp batt when is 1 cell before low batt can start to charge already.
is not hamful for lithium batt to go flat but charging it just before it goes flat can lengthen the lifespan of the batt a bit longer (correct me if i'm wrong, read some article about it somewhere before)...

 

[christopherchen]

Similar to handphone, notebook and other lithium-ion batteries, you don't need to wait for the battery to be flat to start charging. However it is advisable to "refresh" your batteries once after 2-3 months by allowing it to run until it's empty and then charge up full again. IBM laptops and Apple Macs both recommended this approach.

A few things to note:
- Do not leave batteries fully empty. This will degrade its performance.
- Batteries have active power cells in them and needs to be "exercised". Not using the battery for a long time will degrade its performance.
- If you dont intend to use batteries, wrap them tight with a ziplock bag and store them in the fridge. This will prolong the lifespan.

 

[Churchwolf]

Not to mention that the vast majority of chargers will automatically stop feeding power into the battery after it is fully charged to prevent it from getting damaged. Just put the battery in the charger when you go to bed and take it out in the morning.

 

[BlurQueen78]

(1) was originally a rule for NiCd batteries, which were the first types of rechargable batteries that were released. These batteries tend to lose their capacity if you charge it before using up all the energy inside, or "overcharge" it.

(2) these are the newer type of batteries, NiMH which most appliances use nowadays. unlike NiCd, the capacity of NiMH batteries are not affected by charge time nor charging when there is still unused energy in the cell.

people often confuse themselves with these 2 types of batteries because (i think) when NiMH type was released it wasn't a very well publicized news, especially the benefits of the new type.

the battery that you're charging should have the type (NiCd or NiMH) stated somewhere, which will decide if you should follow whichever method. hope this helps

:thumbsup: Very helpful! thanks!

 

[pinkbee]

Thanks all for your answers to my question. =D :thumbsup:

TS, feel a bit paisey to 'hijack' your thread. Haha! :embrass: