Mar 25, 2020 Pageview:806
The way you charge your LiPO battery has a big impact on its performance and overall lifetime. LiPO batteries were designed to be charged with a certain voltage and current that is always indicated on the battery tags. No matter the experience you have with batteries, we recommend always following instructions of the battery manufacturers in the manual that comes along with the battery. Improper handling of any form of battery is not only going to damage the battery but also dangerous to the person handling the battery.
Understanding the best battery charging practices does not require you to be technical or have immense knowledge about battery technology. Most of the things you have to do are basic and do not cost any money. You just have to be a little more vigilant and do the required things before and while charging your battery. The benefits of good battery charging habits are so many. With just a little adjustment in your charging habits, you will save yourself money that you would instead spend buying new batteries every now and then
In this post, I am going to share with you some of you the basics you need to know before and while charging your LiPO batteries.
How long can a LiPo battery be left charged?
LiPO batteries have a high energy density. This means when the battery is at maximum capacity, the pressure inside is so high that makes the battery vulnerable to temperature and physical damage. Keeping batteries at a high voltage also reduces their overall lifetime. It's for this reason that it is always recommended never to leave the battery charged beyond two or three days. Always discharge the battery once you realize you won't be using it after two or three days.
How do you properly and safely charge a LiPo battery?
You do not need to be a tech geek to understand how a LiPO battery should be properly charged. All you need to do is to follow the charging instructions provided by the battery manufacturers. The following are the key things you always need to note before and while charging your LiPO battery
Read the information tag that is often put on the batteries. This will help you know the basic parameters under which the battery can be maintained while charging and during usage.
Make sure you charge the battery with the right charger. LiPO batteries are designed to be charged with adapters that produce a certain voltage. Using something different from what is recommended is dangerous and could damage the battery or in the worst-case lead to explosion and fire.
You need to ensure that all cells in the battery have the minimum voltage for safe charging. At times cells in the battery may be at a lower voltage than the minimum for safe charging. This is often caused by physical damage and age. Charging such a battery is dangerous and it is not something I would recommend
Never charge a battery that has physical damage. A battery that has physical damage on its casing is more vulnerable to fires and explosion. So, you should always check the battery casing for any damages before you start charging the battery.
Make sure you frequently attend to the battery while charging. Original LiPO batteries do not need constant attention while charging since they undergo several safety tests before they are put out to the market. The problem is when the LiPO battery you have is not original. These need constant attention and should immediately be put off the charger when they start getting hot as this could lead to a possible explosion and fire
It is always recommended to charge the batteries with a 1C charge. There are some LiPO batteries that can be charged with up to 5C. However, this will make the energy gain within the battery so vigorous. This increases the rate of internal wear and tear that reduces its full charge capacity in the long run.
How do you store your LiPo battery after charging and using?
Another important aspect about prolonging the life of LiPO batteries is by storing them safely. Here are some of the good practices for storing LiPO batteries.
Always store the battery in a cool and dry place. The place should also be at room temperature 25oC
The battery should not be stored when it is charged to the maximum capacity. High voltage increases the internal pressure of the battery that reduces the overall life of the battery in the long run. It is for this reason that batteries are always shipped with a charge that is not beyond 50%. If you know, you won't use the battery for some days, ensure you discharge it to at least 50% before storing it.
It is also recommended that you store the batteries in a fireproof place. This is to avoid any chances of the battery catching fire while in storage. You may opt also to get an extra casing for storing unused batteries to further protect them against fire in case it comes up.
Conclusion
Properly charging and storing your LiPO battery is very key if you want to keep your battery safe and increase its overall lifetime. Following the proper guidelines while charging is what will save your battery from drastically losing its capacity within a short time. Not following the right guidelines while charging is dangerous for both the battery and the person charging the battery. Proper storage of the LiPO batteries is as important as proper charging. Most of the guidelines shared above are always included in the information tag on the battery.
If you don’t take battery charging habits seriously, you may end up spending lots of cash buying new batteries every after a short period. Constant replacement of batteries is also dangerous to the environment. This is because the chemicals from the batteries you dispose off are not ecofriendly. So, take good battery charging practices carefully to save yourself money and also save the environment as well.
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