I have been reading a lot lately on rechargeable battery. I started my research since I had to buy a new battery for my laptop. The battery is really expensive!

Since then, I was wondering if there are any ways to extend the life of a rechargeable battery.

As I was doing my reading, I got a very good tip from an e-book that I bought. The title of the book is “How To Recondition Batteries At Home”. In one chapter of the manual, it talks about getting a good smart charger.

The idea of using a smart charger is not to overcharge the battery. Overcharging a battery will kill its lifespan very fast.

So what is so special about a smart charger?

Apparently, a smart charger will sense when a battery is fully charged. It has a feature known as “trickle charging” that keeps the battery tops off. The trickle charging process charges the battery at a lower power rating and usually it will last for another 15 to 30 minutes.

What if we bought a cheap “dumb” charger?

Firstly, a dumb charger will take a longer time to charge a battery because it has a lower charge current. A dumb charger would not have the feature to revert into trickle charging. This means, the charger will keep on charging the battery at the same power rate even though the battery is full.

The result of overcharging is reduced battery life or in some cases fire or explosion due to excessive heat.

I use a lot of AA rechargeable batteries at home. Most of the time when I recharge them, I will leave them on the charger overnight.

Is the charger overcharging and killing the batteries?

I hope not, or I’ll be wasting a lot of money.

If you are keen to learn more on how to extend the life of reusable battery, check out the “How To Recondition Batteries At Home” e-book. You can find them at www.reconditionbattery.com.

Related blog post:

1) Battery storage for solar panels – 3 useful battery bank tips

2) 5 tips on maintaining deep cycle battery for home solar power system.

This blog post was written on my laptop. I have been using the same laptop for the last 2 years. I noticed the battery life does not last as long as it used to. I guess it’s time to get a new battery pack.

How often do you replace your laptop battery?

Generally, the function of the battery is to store electricity. Therefore, the cost of buying batteries also falls under our household energy expenses.

After surfing the web for the cost of a new lithium-ion battery for my laptop, I was surprised how expensive it is. That has lead me to think whether there are any ways to extend the life of lithium based battery.

I did some reading and came up with 5 ways of doing so.

1) Use the power cable.
The best way to extend your laptop battery is not to use it. I don’t mean not using it literally. If you are at home or in the office, you can use the power cable instead.

In situation like this, we can take out the battery and use only current from the power outlet.

2) Charge the battery often.
If you are on the move and have to use your notebook, plug it in and charge it as soon as possible.

3) Don’t use the battery until it’s completely dead.
As it turns out, a dead battery is a battery that has been completely discharged. This is not good for the battery. Completely discharging the battery will drastically reduce its lifespan.

4) Keep it cool.
Most of us will use our laptop for a long duration. That will tend to heat up the whole computer. It is best to keep the notebook processor and its battery cool.

I think the best option is to use a laptop base cooler with exhaust fans.

Here’s another tip. During hot summer days, try not to leave your laptop in the hot car. Doing so will elevate the temperature of the battery. It’s common sense but some people still do it.

5) Not for storage.
Do not buy extra lithium-ion battery and keep it in your drawer. Unpack it and use it immediately.

Observe the battery manufacturing date carefully. If it has been more than 2 years, it is best to look for something that has been made more recent.

It can be tempting to buy cheap discounted battery on sale and keeping it for later use. That may not be a good idea.

Laptop Battery Reconditioning

Is it possible to bring a dead laptop battery back to life? It is not an impossible task if you know what to do.

If you are willing to give it a try, check out the Recondition Battery Guide at www.reconditionbattery.com. The manual has 21 content packed chapters that will show you step-by-step how to recondition your battery at home.

==> Click here to visit Recondition Battery Guide now!

Related web pages:

1) Rechargeable Battery Reconditioning – 5 easy tips to prolong the life of rechargeable batteries at home

2) Deep Cycle Battery Reconditioning

Are you a home owner? If you are, you’ll notice one of the biggest monthly expenses is the electricity bill.

The house I am staying is already paid off. Therefore, there is no more bank mortgage. The biggest household bill right now is the amount of money I have to pay for electricity.

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about some tips on how to reduce a home energy consumption. In this article, I thought of writing 4 more ways how we can cut our electricity bill.

1) Reduce consumption.

This is straight to the point…just cut down on the amount of power we use.

The equipment that I am using the most power right now at home is the air-conditioning unit.

I am located in the equator and it can get pretty hot in the afternoon and even at night.

One of the steps I have taken to reduce the usage of the air-conditioning unit is to open the windows and even doors in the afternoon to cool down the interior of the house.

2) Choose carefully.

When you are planning to buy a new electrical appliance, choose carefully. Remember, any appliance that generates heat will consume a lot of power.

Go for equipment with the “Energy Star” logo. If possible, look at the technical specification of the equipment. Find out what is the power wattage.

Go for the equipment with the lower power wattage to reduce energy consumption.

3) Go for renewable energy source.

Start using renewable resources (such as solar or wind energy) instead of nonrenewable resources (such as energy based on fossil fuels).

The local power utility companies here use oil to produce power. I have already started to use a solar panel to charge my rechargeable batteries. I know it is a small step, but it is step heading into the right direction.

4) Service equipment when needed.

The final step here has an indirect impact on reducing your home monthly electricity bill.

One of the quickest ways to cut your energy consumption is to service equipment such as air-conditioning unit, refrigerator, heater etc on a consistent basis.

Servicing makes the equipment more efficiency therefore using less energy.

The 4 steps above are very basis and common sense. But, common sense nowadays is not very common anymore.

I thought of writing it down as a reminder to the readers out there…but more important, as a reminder for me.

Related web pages:
1) Earth4 Energy Scam – Is The Earth4Energy E-book A Fraud?

2) Earth4 Energy Review – Reviewing Earth4Energy E-book