Battery Tips And Hints

Remember, batteries are like any other chemical system. Heat will accelerate the chemical reaction and shorten cell life. So, avoid storing batteries or battery-operated devices in extremely warm places.

Before you throw away batteries that you think are dead, wait. Check to see if they have been inserted correctly, and follow the instructions on your device, making sure that the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals of each battery are aligned properly. Also, check to see that the terminals are clean. When in doubt, clean the terminals with a coarse cloth or pencil eraser.

Batteries cannot deliver much power when they are cold. You may find that the flashlight kept in your car, in the middle of winter, casts a faint beam. Let the batteries warm up to normal temperature, and try them again before you decide to replace the batteries.

Once your battery-operated device has run down, remove the old batteries and replace them immediately. Don’t mix new and old batteries. All this does is draw more power from the new battery, thus shortening its life.

Don’t mix battery types. For example, don’t put a non-alkaline and an alkaline in the same device. This will also reduce the service life.
Never, ever dispose of batteries in a fire. They may rupture, releasing internal ingredients.