Getting More Life from Batteries

With so many household and personal gadgets requiring batteries, there are ways to save money and the charge. This guide is about getting more life from batteries.

Solutions: Getting More Life from Batteries

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Making a Watch Battery Last Longer

I have several watches. Some for good, some for everyday. When I am not wearing the watches, I pull out the stem and that makes them stop working. This saves on the life of the battery and won't wear them down when they aren't being worn.

By dwedenoja from New Creek, WV

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Store Batteries in the Refrigerator

I store my batteries in Ziplock bags in the fridge. It's simple enough to just have a different bag for each size. They are easy to access, and supposedly storing them in the fridge will give them longer life! I mostly store them there because then I know where they are!

By Pam T. from Storm Lake, IA

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Getting More Life Out of Your Laptop and Phone Batteries

A common battery in cordless phones and computers is nickel-cadmium. Ever wonder why your nickel-cadmium (NiCad's) don't last as long as they should? You may be overcharging them. Most people's tendancy is to put the phone back on the charger between uses, or to use their laptop plugged-in instead of running down the battery, never letting the battery run down too far. Overtime this will reduce the amount of charge your battery can hold.

To help condition your batteries, let your phone or computer batteries run down once a month to the point that the battery is nearly out of life. Then charge it fully. This will prolong the life of the battery and maintain the length of charge you expect for longer.

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More Life from Batteries

When the batteries in my remotes stop working, I open the remote and roll them around. They will work for a long time yet. I even do it a few times more and they will work again. It sure saves on buying batteries.

By Betty from Fond du Lac, WI

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Questions

Here are questions related to Getting More Life from Batteries.

Does Putting Batteries In The Freezer Extend Their Life?

My question is... Does putting batteries in the freezer extend their life? I have been told that it does. Can someone answer this question. Thank you,

Mary

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Most Recent Answer

By alloydog03/10/2009

Freezing batteries usually kills them. I accidentally left some out in our garage for a few days - the air temperature was around -15 'C (A home freezer should be about -18 'C). When I tried them, they were all dead.

Saving Money on Batteries

Tips for saving money on batteries. One very common tip is to store batteries in the refrigerator or freezer to make them last longer. Both Energizer and Duracell claim this has no impact on battery life.

Most Recent Answer

By Cricketnc05/09/2009

I've also gotten batteries from Batterydepot.com and they are great! I've gotten batteries from there that I never would have thought replacement batteries were made for! And the prices are extremely reasonable. Especially when you consider the cost of replacing the item.

But it does sound like your battery is defective. Plus, as Mary T said, keeping it on the charger all the time when it's not in use will cause the battery life to be shortened big time. I let mine run down completely about once a month. Then give it a full charge. So far it's done great.

Making a Watch Battery Last Longer

Would it help my watch battery last longer if I pulled the pin at night so it didn't run for that period of time? I have 2 watches and they always go dead about the same time.

Sandy from Baltimore

RE: Making a Watch Battery Last Longer

Yes, most definitely a watch battery will last longer if the stem of the watch is pulled out when not being worn. That is, if you can remember to do it. I have too many watches , of course, mostly inexpensive ones that serve also as jewelry you might say. I switch off watches depending on my outfit and mood. Usually I just don't remember to pull the stem out but when I have done it, the battery has lasted longer. Also, when you pull the stem out, it means having to take a second or two to reset the watch. I guess I usually just don't take the time to mess around with the watches and just take them off and put them on and hope for the best on the battery. By the way, I get my watch batteries changed at Wal-Mart where it is less than $3. That is quite a bit cheaper than having it done at a jeweler. (07/13/2006)

By Debbie52

RE: Making a Watch Battery Last Longer

I have a lot of watches and one day took 8 watches to Walmart to get the batteries replaced and it was $17. That was a lot to spend on batteries at one time, so now I pull the stem every time I take a watch off and it only takes a second to reset it next time you wear it. That was before Christmas and none of the batteries have went out yet! (08/24/2006)

By suzi_homemaker01

Making a Watch Battery Last Longer

As soon as I return home from work, I take my watch off. I always pull the pin out to stop the time and therefore save on battery usage. It only takes a second in the morning to set the time and I won't have to replace the battery as often.

By Kathy from Houston, TX

RE: Making a Watch Battery Last Longer

My mornings are busy and I would forget to push it back in. I have never had to replace a battery in any of my watches. By the time they go dead, I am ready for a new style. My watches usually last 3 or more years! Of course my watches don't cost much because I am rough on watches. (05/21/2010)

By Teresa Kay

RE: Making a Watch Battery Last Longer

I have very good watches. My oldest is around 25 years old. Batteries don't go dead so often that I would ever think to save money this way. They usually last YEARS for an $8 investment. (05/21/2010)

By Beth

RE: Making a Watch Battery Last Longer

I would be worried that pushing/pulling the pin daily would shorten the life of the watch. Considering batteries last five or more years, I am not sure I would risk my watch this way. If you are not going to wear it for a period of time, it sounds like a good idea. (05/22/2010)

By Jilson