Drill batteries are used as a power source for the drills. These are available in many capacities. We have to store them for many reasons such as transportation, selling or store at home. When we store the drill batteries without using, what will happen? Let’s see this in detail.
Normally, When a drill battery is not in use, its charge is reduced due to temperature or environmental effects. It can reduce 5% per month. When a battery keeps for months, it can be dead. This is common for the used batteries. A dead battery can get live using a jumpstart.
This can be seen in Li-Ion batteries. Normally drill batteries are made with Li-Ion or Ni-Cd. Most people use Li-Ion batteries due to their many advantages. So let’s see all in detail about factors of drill battery not in use.
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Can a Drill Battery Discharge When it Not Used?
A drill battery can be self discharged when it is not in use. This occurs many problems until its death. So let’s see why a drill battery discharges when it is not used.
Normally we can categorize not in use like this. Store for selling, store after using and transporting. In these categories, all drill battery is belonged.
If we do a drill battery business, drill renting business we must know how to store them properly because we have to sell the good quality products to the customers. And also we have to store the batteries after we use them at home. We tend to do many DIY projects. So we have to use the drills and batteries for them. After finishing the project, we have to store them.
Sometimes we need to pack them for transportations. So we must know how to transport them properly. All these are related to the self-discharge of the drill batteries.
Self-discharging is a general factor for all batteries.
Read More About – How Long Does It Take to Charge a Cordless Drill Battery?
How a Drill Battery Self Discharge When It not Used?
What is self-discharging?
Self-discharging is the process of decreasing the performance of an electrochemical power source without the flow of current through an external circuit. (with no load connected to the positive and negative poles)
Source
Normally self-discharge depends on many factors.
Temperature
When an outer temperature is high, it affects the inside of the cell. This can occur in unwanted chemical reactions that cause the internal current leakage between electrodes of the cell. This will increase the discharge rate.
Self-discharge rate for batteries.
- Lead Acid 4% to 6% per month
- Nickel Cadmium 15% to 20% per month
- Nickel Metal Hydride 30% per month
- Lithium 2% to 3% per month
Read More About – 09 Most Drill Battery Problems and Solutions
Internal Impedance
When the internal impedance is reduced, it can discharge quickly. This can be seen in old batteries. When a battery is used, its inside chemical combination is reduced, and then it causes to decrease the inside resistance. As a result of this, a drill battery can be self-discharge
Bad Storaging
A drill battery is stored with the metal objects such as nails, pins, paperclips, coins, keys, or other metal objects; those can make a connection from one terminal to another. So it will leak the current. Sometimes it can cause fire also. Hence make sure where do you store the drill batteries and with what?
Battery Condition
This is about the battery condition. If it is a new battery, its self discharging is last, and if it is an old battery, there will be a high amount of self-discharging.
Read More About – Battery Performance Characteristics
What Happen When a Drill Battery Not in Used?
When a drill battery is not in use for a month, its charged capacity is completely discharged, and finally, it can be dead. As I discussed above, there are many reasons. So let’s see how much extent a drill battery charger is loosened per month.
According to many researches, it is about 1.5-2% per month. But it is for the controlled conditions. Normally environmental conditions are varied with these. So we can assume it is about 5%. When a temperature is high, its discharge is also high.
It about 8% at 21 °C, 15% at 40 °C, 31% at 60 °C in 1999 technology batteries. This amount has decreased nowadays. Although the percentage has reduced, its mechanism has not reduced. When the temperature is increased, its discharge rate is increased.
It is recommended to store the drill batteries at room temperature. It can be varied from location to location. So we have to consider the environmental temperature.
When the drill battery is not in use for a long time, its inside chargings can be reduced. As a result of this, the inside chemical reaction has stopped. This means the battery has died. A dead battery can be live with using the jumpstart that we regularly do in the car battery.
Some times terminal can be corrosion due to water in the air as well, as some insects can live inside the battery case. In order to avoid these cases, you have to apply wise steps to protect the drill battery.
Read More About – How Long Will Drill Batteries Last? – 09 Tips to Improve
How to Jump start the Drill Battery?
Finally, you have a dead drill battery, and it is needed to live again. This is done by using the external power supply. You can use the same types of fully charged drill batteries or DC supply with proper controlled methods. A dead battery will not charge using the charger. So you need additional methods.
You can follow the below steps to jumpstart the drill battery.
Step 01 – Place both drill batteries next to each other
Step 02 – Use a metal conductor that can connect terminals.
Step 03 – Then connect positive to positive and negative to negative terminals using the conductor wire. If you use any multimeter, apply a similar voltage and current.
Step 04 – This will reactivate the inside chemical reactions. So keep it about 05-10 mins.
Step 05 – Check for the full charge using the charger.
Read More About – How I Revive Dead Drill Battery? – The Way of Jumpstart
How to Store Drill Battery Properly
Another important thing is to store the drill battery in the right place for transportation or any other purpose. As discussed above, the temperature is really affected as a negative for the drill batteries. So let’s see how to store the drill batteries without dead the batteries.
- Store in the room temperature. Do not store more temperature. It will discharge the battery soon. If you use least temperature its essential chemcial reacton rate will be reduced. So keep the room temperature
- Keep the 50% of full capacity beofre store permanently
- Charge the battery up to 50% of full capacity after every 6 months
- Remove the battery form too when it store
- Do not exceed battery temperature above the 60 °C (140 °F)
- Before transport the batteris check all local, national, and international regualtions before tranporitng thr batteries. According to those regulations you shouls arrange the packages.
Read More About – 06 Steps to Store Cordless Drill Battery – [Li-Ion, Ni-Cd]
Conclusion
Drill batteries can be dead when it is not used due to self-discharge. Self-discharge can be increased by the below factors.
- Connect with drill machine
- Store in high temperature
- Due to old battery and lack of charge cycles
- Environmental problems
- Store with the condition medium. ( wires, pins, clips, dust)
When a drill battery is dead it can revive using the external voltage source. So store the drill battery properly when it is not used.
