Rechargeable battered often are used in cordless power tools.
A common fault that many people make is to leave a cordless power tool on charge for too long, sometimes for days on end. This is not good for the battery pack, as it can cause crystal dendrite growth to occur inside the individual cells. When this occurs, the crystals will short out the battery, and after such a lengthy charge, the power tool lacks power. NiCd, or nickel-cadmium, batteries also are prone to heating up when left on charge for too long, causing the internal resistance of the battery to fall, causing charging problems. One way of reviving rechargeable batteries is to put them through a few freezing cycles, which helps to break up the crystals and increases the battery's resistance. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
Method
1. A battery needs to be fully discharged before being charged.
Remove the cordless battery from its tool or appliance. In many cases the battery just slips off, but you may need some tools to remove two or three screws to access the battery pack and unclip it.
2. Place the battery pack in a sealed plastic bag and put it into the freezer overnight.
3. Remove the battery pack from the freezer and put it on charge for several hours. When it shows fully charged, replace it in the power tool or appliance, switch it on and leave it running until the battery runs down completely.
4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 three or four times.
5. By the end of this process your rechargeable battery pack should be working properly.
Tags: battery pack, power tool, charge long, cordless power, tool appliance
