Is this true about batteries?

[vito]

I was told the following today by the clerk in the Battery Plus store, and I thought, maybe the smart folks on this forum would have the facts.

The clerk was talking to a gentleman who was buying a new battery for his cordless phone, and told the customer that if you leave the phone in the charger all night you are damaging the battery, and that at most you should charge it for about 4 hours a day. He added that this was also true for cell phones, and that many people who plug in their cell phone for charging every night are ruining the battery. He then added that if you have a laptop, it is not only bad for the battery to leave it in on charger non-stop, but that overheating of the battery in the laptop can easily start a fire and burn your house down.

All of this contradicts what I have heard from other sources, that state that all of these electronic gadgets cannot overcharge and that there is no problem with recharging every night, or non-stop, regardless of how little charge the gadget really needs.

What is the truth on this?

 

[sophie]

Well you are going to hear lots of different opinions. I know when I leave my cell phone on the charger that after it is charged fully the charger goes from warm to cool and stays that way which leads me to believe it does a maintenance trickle charge. I see no harm in that and have not noticed any difference in the ability of the cell phone to hold and maintain a charge.

My laptop when plugged into the charger while using or otherwise, the charger never goes off as far as the light is concerned when fully charged and the charger stays hot to the touch. I wouldn't leave my laptop charger hooked up overnight for that reason.

Most of the batteries in our electronic devices now really don't develop a memory as far as I can tell or read about.

 

[zoom6zoom]

It really differs, depending on battery type (NiMH, NiCad, Lithium...) as well as the charging circuitry.

 

[venomballistics]

depends on the chemestry.
NiCad almost doesn't care.
NiMH is a little sketchy about the heat build up from fast charging and overcharging.
LiIon and LiPo are psycho on both ends of its charge state.
Now mind you, charging systems born of the LiIon and LiPO chemestries lead to the development of charging controller chips that must be used in any Li type charging system ... it baby sits the battery from empty to full and monitors post charge state ... theres no problem to be had outside an equipment failure.
The development of these charge control chips lead to a slew of controllers that have been implemented in just about every charger made since NiMH greatly benefits from a baby sitter as well.
bottom line is that while there is some fact to his claims .. they have long since been mitigated out of necessity

 

[-db-]

My laptop is my desktop PC and stays plugged in, occassionally charging, 24/7 for about 5 years now. Likewise, my cell phone charges overnight every night while I sleep.

No house fires or blown-up or otherwise damaged batteries here.

 

[cussedemgun]

There are several types of batteries & different procedures would be required for each.

Best answer, follow the manufacturer's recommendation for that particular device.
If your question is not answered in their user's handbook, call their customer service.

 

[Aticus]

There are several types of batteries & different procedures would be required for each.

Best answer, follow the manufacturer's recommendation for that particular device.
If your question is not answered in their user's handbook, call their customer service.

That is the best answer to the original post.

 

[PA Guns & Ammo]

Ever hear of battery memory (voltage depression)?

Battery Memory Effect - What it is and what you can do about it

 

[diamonback68]

Ever hear of battery memory (voltage depression)?

Battery Memory Effect - What it is and what you can do about it

The new Li-Ion batteries which almost everything is now, are never affected by this.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

What about the manganese hydrocarbonite sulfite negative ion batteries-I hear they're pretty good.

 

[shouldazagged]

What about the manganese hydrocarbonite sulfite negative ion batteries-I hear they're pretty good.

Yeah, but after a while the sulfite component slowly degrades and makes them smell like overcooked broccoli.

 

[rog8732]

What about the manganese hydrocarbonite sulfite negative ion batteries-I hear they're pretty good.

You have to "Flitz" those, using only light strokes of a fine shammy. The jury is still out on the use of "Frog Lube", but that is IMHO, and MTCW.

 

[mtelkhntr]

Ever hear of battery memory (voltage depression)?

Battery Memory Effect - What it is and what you can do about it

I get real good life out of my cell phone and laptop batteries by running them nearly all the way down then charging them all the way back up. Exercise them bunnies! It doesn't matter how long I leave it on the charger it's just that once I unplug it it doesn't get plugged back in until it's about dead.

 

[Texas Star]

This is a good question. My cell phone has been left charging longer than needed, but is cool to the touch and everything works okay. It is a simple AT&T Go-Phone. If I unplug it soon after a full charge is reached or a little short of that, it feels warm for awhile.

My home phones in the walkaround mode (remote, I guess) stay in the chargers unless I take them out for use or to put in another room for a few hours. They're about 10 years old, maybe more. They seem okay. They certainly stay in the base unit and charge until fully charged, I guess, and maybe then cut off until they need to charge a returned unit in the base. I have been known to talk the battery dead on a charged phone and have to get the spare handset to finish a conversation.

I don't own a laptop.

My son said that he charges his more complex cell phone overnight. I think it's an I-phone.

 

[radar1972]

What about the manganese hydrocarbonite sulfite negative ion batteries-I hear they're pretty good.

My dogs produce those in abundance when I walk them in the back yard! I sense the beginning of a new business enterprise!

 

[mtgianni]

Was this employees previous position in a gun shop?

 

[Kanewpadle]

I have always plugged in my phone every night. Done that with every phone I've ever had and never a problem.

 

[Old TexMex]

A cathode met an anode in a bar, and the anode couldn't believe they had so much in common. He asked the cathode "Are you sure you're a cathode?" the cathode replied "oh yeah, I'm positive."

 

[M3Stuart]

Search the internet because, ya know, everything on the internet is true.

 

[cussedemgun]

I hate to be pickie, BUT - -

A cathode met an anode in a bar, and the anode couldn't believe they had so much in common. He asked the cathode "Are you sure you're a cathode?" the cathode replied "oh yeah, I'm positive."

FYI, the cathode is - (negative)

the anode is + (positive)

I'll remember that one 'till they throw dirt in my face. On my college physics final, the only two questions I missed were "you guessed it" the charge of anode & cathode