The Consequences of Overcharging Power Tool Batteries
Power tools are a blessing to practically anyone and everyone who loves do-it-yourself projects, construction jobs, and manufacturing stints of all kinds. Power tools allow us to achieve objectives and perform tasks that would be practically impossible or extremely difficult to perform with our bare hands or with manually operated tools. To deliver that power, however, power tools have to get their energy from somewhere and they usually draw that power from a rechargeable battery. Power tools come with rechargeable batteries of all shapes and sizes, but there’s one piece of advice that fits power tool batteries of all kinds; remember not to overcharge your power tool batteries. Continue reading to learn more about power tool batteries and the consequences you may have to face if you make a habit of overcharging.
Overcharging depletes the life of your battery
Power tool batteries and chargers come in many different kinds. Some of the most common types of batteries you’ll find in the market include nickel metal hydride [NiMH], nickel cadmium [NiCd], and lithium ion [Li-ion]. While these different types of batteries have their own advantages and disadvantages, one of the problems that all of them encounter is a depletion of battery life from overcharging. Even after your battery has reached full charge, you may have sometimes left the battery still connected to your charger. This causes the battery to heat up, which causes more wear and tear on the battery and perhaps even your power tool.
Overcharging is a waste of energy
Because chargers do not automatically shut off when you have reached full charge, the charger will continue to use up electricity. As the electricity continues to run, it will cause your electricity consumption to increase, and your electricity bills to become more expensive. Not only will this result in higher electricity bills, but it also causes an unneeded strain on our natural resources. Showing a little more concern for the environment and the world we inhabit would be mutually good for the world and we humans who inhabit it.
Overcharging power tool batteries puts you at a greater risk of electrical fire
As mentioned in the sections above, overcharging results in two wasteful results:
1) Battery life depletion due to heat, and…
2) Unnecessary depletion of natural resources because of the running electricity.
These two factors also contribute to a third and perhaps most dangerous consequence of overcharging, and that is electrical fire. Because of the extra heat generated and the extra electricity used by overcharging, there is a higher risk of electrical fire incidences through malfunction or wire melting.
Do’s and don’ts when charging your batteries
Do’s…
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- Do read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully, and follow them.
- Do keep the contacts on the chargers, tools, and batteries free from dirt and grime.
- Do use the power tool until it becomes “low battery” before recharging the battery.
- Do remove your batteries from the charging station after a complete charge.
- Do recharge batteries every now and then even if they are not used because they will loose their charge as time goes by.
- Do let the batteries cool off after you use them and before you charge them.
- Do leave the batteries in the charger plugged in overnight every now and then to balance the battery cells.
Don’ts
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- Don’t overuse a power tool, since this will heat up even when used normally. Overusing the tool can overheat the batteries and shorten their lifespan.
- Don’t get the batteries wet as this can lead to an internal short circuit, making the battery useless.
- Don’t place the batteries in poorly ventilated areas such as inside an enclosed vehicle, since excess heat can also shorten the life of the batteries.
- Don’t top off the batteries too often by leaving them plugged in the charger for weeks.
- Don’t drain the battery. As soon as the tool displays a “low battery” signal, stop using it and recharge it.
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