Dec 25, 2021 Pageview:956
The 18650 battery gets its name from its size: 18mm by 65mm. These batteries have a charge cycle range of 300 to 500 charging cycles.
18650 lithium-ion batteries are common in every household, office use, industrial use, and even DIY projects by electronics engineering. These batteries are used in power tools, flashlights, cameras, laptops, electric vehicles, power tools, and more. Just like any other battery, you may need to recharge these batteries when they are drained. There are different ways you can recharge a 18650 battery. You may recharge your battery using different modules, with a direct charger and even without a charger.
Below we get to learn about 18650 battery charging time and safety precautions. We discuss whether it is safe to charge the battery overnight and when to know whether your battery is fully charged. We also inform you of how long it will take for your battery to hold its charge before recharging it.
Is it safe to charge 18650 Batteries overnight?
Most times, it is safe to leave your 18650 batteries to charge overnight, provided it was completely drained. Leaving any gadget plugged in overnight when it is fully charged is bad for the battery in the long run. It will keep your battery stressed out and hence wear out the electrolyte chemistry within the battery. Despite it being okay to leave your battery charging overnight, it is not recommended to do so. It is highly discouraged to leave your batteries unattended as you may not be able to watch out for any electronic failures. It is important for anyone to always keep an eye on charging batteries to watch out for any temperature fluctuations that may occur.
However, most devices are equipped to stop the charging process once the batteries are full. Despite this, it is good to be cautious as there are instances when this built-in mechanism has failed hence causing accidents. Note that you risk destroying your batteries when you leave them to overcharge overnight. Due to unmonitored temperature, while charging your 18650 lithium-ion batteries, you stand at a risk of degrading your battery's capacity. In the long run, this will lead to a reduced battery lifespan and even a damaged battery that cannot hold a charge for long. However, this is hardly a cause for fear as lithium-ion batteries have built-in safeguards that are designed to stop the batteries from exploding when they are left charging while at maximum capacity.
Therefore, in case you want to maintain the lifespan of your battery, keeping it plugged in the charger overnight is not a recommended action to practice.
How do you know when 18650 Batteries are charged?
18650 batteries are known and one of the best batteries in the world. These batteries are known to be stronger, hold a lot of power for longer, and have many charge cycles. However, like other battery types, these batteries have a level of usage they cannot go beyond. The batteries will hold power for a specific amount of time when fully charged. Therefore, it is crucial to know when to recharge your battery and also know when it is charged.
An average 18650 battery will take about 4 hours to fully and completely charge. Take note the time may vary a little based on the health of your battery and even the type of charger you are using. It is important to check the health of your battery and take note of its temperature when charging and recharging. A fully charged battery will be at 4.2 volts. Therefore, you can easily use a voltmeter or a multimeter to check on the voltage of your battery after the recommended four hours of charging your gadget. It is also useful for any user of the 18650 batteries to know what the normal voltage range is to fully charge and fully discharge the batteries. In case the current drops below or even stays at a certain value, you should stop charging your batteries and disconnect them from the power source. Failure to do this will result in an overcharged battery that will swell with time hence damaging it.
How long does a fully charged 18650 battery last?
After purchasing your gadget and picking your preferred battery set, it is always important to fully charge them before using the batteries. Most lithium-ion batteries have a half charge battery capacity when new. Therefore, to fully enjoy your gadget's purpose and the batteries, it is crucial to ensure both of them are in good working conditions.
However, after fully charging your batteries, most times you may wonder how long the charge will last before the next recharge. When it comes to how long your fully charged 18650 batteries will last, there is no definite answer. The times a battery charge lasts depends on several factors.
For instance, battery capacity will determine how long its charge will last. A battery with a higher capacity will discharge at a lower rate than a battery with a lower capacity. The type of device and what it is used for will also determine how long a charge will last in a battery. For example, a laptop using 18650 batteries will consume more power than a flashlight. In case the two devices have batteries with the same capacity, the laptop's power will deplete more faster than that of the flashlight.
Lastly, the age of the battery will determine how long the charge will last. A battery will constantly lose its capacity based on the frequency of use. A battery that has been in use for a year will lose its charge much faster than a battery that is new in a single charge. Therefore, no given amount of time can be given when it comes to measuring the duration a fully charged battery will take to hold its charge.
Conclusion
We have discussed basic information you need to know when it comes to charging your 18650 batteries. From the information above, we hope you follow the recommended charging safety guidelines that come with every battery pack and gadget while charging your 18650 batteries. We also hope you find the information useful when you decide to invest in a good pack of 18650 batteries.
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