Put your batteries in the freezer?

Hi.

I have a guy in a Danish mobile phone forum, saying that you can bring your old NiMH and NiCd batteries back to 95-100% of their original capacity, by putting them in a freezer for a couple of days, then taking them out and recharging them (making sure to wipe it clean of ANY moisture) - and that's it.

I also have some more guys saying that it actually works. It should work for AA NiMH batteries also.

How can this be true? Can anyone give me an explanation? I can't come up with anything by googling, only that you can preserve your NiMHs by keeping them in a freezer..

Akerman:

My dad, a retired Electrical Engineer, keeps his batteries in the freezer and SWEARS by the practice. I'm not sure of the validity of it, but he says it works.

I have heard that keeping them in the freezer slows down the "lost charge" effect, but with a 30-minute charger at my disposal (and 5 sets of back up AA NimH batteries, I'm "freezer" free here.

My Dad would be SO disappointed in me.

Hope this helps.

akerman said:

Hi.

I have a guy in a Danish mobile phone forum, saying that you can
bring your old NiMH and NiCd batteries back to 95-100% of their
original capacity, by putting them in a freezer for a couple of
days, then taking them out and recharging them (making sure to wipe
it clean of ANY moisture) - and that's it.

I also have some more guys saying that it actually works. It should
work for AA NiMH batteries also.

How can this be true? Can anyone give me an explanation? I can't
come up with anything by googling, only that you can preserve your
NiMHs by keeping them in a freezer..

Click to expand...

--
---
Ray Flanagan
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http://www.the-flanagans.org/ray
---
For me, the joy of photography is not about taking
great pictures. It's getting the chance
to take pictures at all.

Yes, the fact that the capacity of NiMHs is kept better preserved at freezing temperatures seems to be an established fact.

What's not an established fact though (as far as I can see) is that freezing batteries can also help them regain some of the lost capacity, this is what I am interested in =)

Ray Flanagan said:

My dad, a retired Electrical Engineer, keeps his batteries in the
freezer and SWEARS by the practice. I'm not sure of the validity
of it, but he says it works.

I have heard that keeping them in the freezer slows down the "lost
charge" effect, but with a 30-minute charger at my disposal (and 5
sets of back up AA NimH batteries, I'm "freezer" free here.

My Dad would be SO disappointed in me.

Hope this helps.

akerman said:

Hi.

I have a guy in a Danish mobile phone forum, saying that you can
bring your old NiMH and NiCd batteries back to 95-100% of their
original capacity, by putting them in a freezer for a couple of
days, then taking them out and recharging them (making sure to wipe
it clean of ANY moisture) - and that's it.

I also have some more guys saying that it actually works. It should
work for AA NiMH batteries also.

How can this be true? Can anyone give me an explanation? I can't
come up with anything by googling, only that you can preserve your
NiMHs by keeping them in a freezer..

Click to expand...

--
---
Ray Flanagan
[email protected]
http://www.the-flanagans.org/ray
---
For me, the joy of photography is not about taking
great pictures. It's getting the chance
to take pictures at all.
---

Click to expand...

There are a lot of people that say a lot of things based on their non scientific observation alone.

Unless they have controlled measurements of this helping, I would be extremely skeptical like you.

The number of pictures you get with a digital camera can very greatly upon how long the lcd is on, how much you zoom, and how much you use the flash. I could very well see some goofball go put batteries in the freezer, take them out and charge them up. Then proceed to see how many pictures he can take. Which without a doubt would be more than normal because he is not using the flash or lcd as much per picture as usual.

So unless they have some legitamate proof other than casual observation, I would say it is a myth.

akerman said:

Hi.

I have a guy in a Danish mobile phone forum, saying that you can
bring your old NiMH and NiCd batteries back to 95-100% of their
original capacity, by putting them in a freezer for a couple of
days, then taking them out and recharging them (making sure to wipe
it clean of ANY moisture) - and that's it.

I also have some more guys saying that it actually works. It should
work for AA NiMH batteries also.

How can this be true? Can anyone give me an explanation? I can't
come up with anything by googling, only that you can preserve your
NiMHs by keeping them in a freezer..

Click to expand...

--
Brian

• C-7OO, and some other stuff

http://www.greenbatteries.com/documents/battery_myths.htm

--
Tyson Schettig

This site does not recommend putting batteries in the freezer. It doesn't say you shouldn't either. It basically states that they discharge slower in the freezer. This is a fact. I've seen actual data on both engergizers web sites and duracell websites to this effect.

However, no where does it mention anything about rejuvinating a battery that only takes a partial charge back to a battery that takes a full charge.

TysonicII said:

http://www.greenbatteries.com/documents/battery_myths.htm

--
Tyson Schettig

Click to expand...

--
Brian

• C-7OO, and some other stuff

Next time i'll specify:

Brian said:

only that you can preserve your NiMHs by keeping them in a freezer..

Click to expand...

The site clearly backs the notion by claiming up to 90% retention of charge over a month. I posted the site because it's the best battery myth debunker site I've found.

My post was not to confirm the partial charge claim, but I can see where the confusion came from since the orginal post had more than one question/comment in it.

Brian said:

However, no where does it mention anything about rejuvinating a
battery that only takes a partial charge back to a battery that
takes a full charge.

TysonicII said:

http://www.greenbatteries.com/documents/battery_myths.htm

--
Tyson Schettig

Click to expand...

--
Brian

• C-7OO, and some other stuff

Click to expand...

--
Tyson Schettig

This is an old wives tale.

Keeping your batts in the freezer might make your batts hold their charge a bit longer but not significanly with NiMH to make a difference. It will definitely NOT bring back old batts that are not holding a charge like they used to.

FOr all you would ever want to know about battereis,

http://www.batteryuniversity.com

Regards,
Sean

akerman said:

Hi.

I have a guy in a Danish mobile phone forum, saying that you can
bring your old NiMH and NiCd batteries back to 95-100% of their
original capacity, by putting them in a freezer for a couple of
days, then taking them out and recharging them (making sure to wipe
it clean of ANY moisture) - and that's it.

I also have some more guys saying that it actually works. It should
work for AA NiMH batteries also.

How can this be true? Can anyone give me an explanation? I can't
come up with anything by googling, only that you can preserve your
NiMHs by keeping them in a freezer..

Click to expand...

Sean Keegan said:

This is an old wives tale.
Keeping your batts in the freezer might make your batts hold their
charge a bit longer but not significanly with NiMH to make a
difference.

Click to expand...

I should clarify the above.... NiMH die quickly if left unused... if frozed they will last longer, but even in the freezer after 6 months they would be pretty dead.... if you are planning on storing batts for emergency use you should never use NiMH even in the freezer. Use Alkaline batts stored in the freezer... this can make them last for years and years at full capacity. Since NiMH are rechargable, there is no point to storing them in the freezer for extended periods as it is a simple process to "top them off" before use anyway, as long as your charger is a good one like the one at:

http://www.ripvan100.com

you will not damage your batts by charging a almost fully charged NiMH... again to top it off AS LONG as you have a good charger good at detecting peaks.

It will definitely NOT bring back old batts that are

Sean Keegan said:

not holding a charge like they used to.

FOr all you would ever want to know about battereis,

http://www.batteryuniversity.com

Regards,
Sean

akerman said:

Hi.

I have a guy in a Danish mobile phone forum, saying that you can
bring your old NiMH and NiCd batteries back to 95-100% of their
original capacity, by putting them in a freezer for a couple of
days, then taking them out and recharging them (making sure to wipe
it clean of ANY moisture) - and that's it.

I also have some more guys saying that it actually works. It should
work for AA NiMH batteries also.

How can this be true? Can anyone give me an explanation? I can't
come up with anything by googling, only that you can preserve your
NiMHs by keeping them in a freezer..

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

akerman said:

What's not an established fact though (as far as I can see) is that
freezing batteries can also help them regain some of the lost
capacity, this is what I am interested in =)

Click to expand...

The memory effect is caused by crystalization of the battery's media. No amount of cold will change that.

In the 70's when I was just a kid, lots of my toys used batteries, of course...all of us kids put our batteries in the refridgerator when they were run down and they would come back to life, if only for a short period, usually at least one more play sessions worth..I had forgotten we used to do that until i saw this thread...

http://www.pbase.com/wbrosen/

You don't have to put them in the freezer for that to happen. Just let your batts sit for a while and they will get a bit of charge back after being used. But like you said, it usually does not last long.

Regards,
Sean

Bill Brosen said:

In the 70's when I was just a kid, lots of my toys used batteries,
of course...all of us kids put our batteries in the refridgerator
when they were run down and they would come back to life, if only
for a short period, usually at least one more play sessions
worth..I had forgotten we used to do that until i saw this thread...

http://www.pbase.com/wbrosen/

Click to expand...

I realize this is a little off topic since the subject is Ni-Mh and regarding batteries for usage in cameras but just thought I’d mention it since it does apply to the freezer issue. I’ve owned a Makita drill for about 7 years and have never replaced the batteries that came with it. I’ve used it extensively in the past but only occasionally now. The batteries have been “shot” for about 3 years now and will not accept a charge (without “tricking” them). The batteries are about $60.00 each and I paid around $200.00 for the drill, case and two batteries. Do the math and you will see that buying two more batteries again to alternate would be a bit ridiculous. I might as well buy the original package again: A brand new drill, new case, and two new batteries for just a little more if I catch it on sale.

Now to my point. I didn’t go to batteryuniversity, I just experimented and found that putting the batteries in the freezer for about 15 minutes before putting them in the charger allows me to charge them and they get a very strong charge (for the job at hand; they don’t hold the charge for more than several days though). You can bet I’m going to drain them dry before discarding them. Yeah, I know they’re on their last leg but I’ve been doing this for 3 years and they perform very well once charged. Most would have thrown them away and paid the $120.00 for two new batteries. I don’t have any scientific data as to why this works but it is a real life experience that I can tell you works like a charm (inconvenient of course, but it works). FWIW.
Regards,
Robert

akerman said:

Hi.

I have a guy in a Danish mobile phone forum, saying that you can
bring your old NiMH and NiCd batteries back to 95-100% of their
original capacity, by putting them in a freezer for a couple of
days, then taking them out and recharging them (making sure to wipe
it clean of ANY moisture) - and that's it.

I also have some more guys saying that it actually works. It should
work for AA NiMH batteries also.

How can this be true? Can anyone give me an explanation? I can't
come up with anything by googling, only that you can preserve your
NiMHs by keeping them in a freezer..

Click to expand...

Robert Land wrote:

idn’t go to batteryuniversity, I just> experimented and found that putting the batteries in the freezer> for about 15 minutes before putting them in the charger allows me> to charge them and they get a very strong charge (for the job at> hand; they don’t hold the charge for more than several days> though). You can bet I’m going to drain them dry before discarding> them.

I think you are just kidding yourself. Even if freezing them was a good idea, 15 minutes is hardly enough time to get the coolth through the chemicals. If I read you right, the best thing you do is properly discharge the batteries before recharging them, not so difficult to do in a drill. The real story here is that Makita supplies seriously good batteries. My 9.6v battery is 13 years old and only just starting to show its age. The spare is even older but I don't know how old as I liberated it from my employer when I got the drill.

nick,

My batteries won't charge now unless they're cooled my friend. As I stated, I have used these batteries extensively (approximately 5 years) and they are "dead" (for the approximate 3 years following that). That is, until I put them in the freezer. This doesn't mean just after usage (while they're still warm). I'm talking about not using them for 2 or 3 weeks and they lose all charge. I always alternate and I have already covered the fact that I don't use them nearly as much as I used to. No, I'm not kidding myself You have no reason to trust what I say but at least listen. I've provided my experience and I believe that's what the original poster was interested in so I gave some input. You may choose to ignore it but that's up to you. The advice given might help someone that is willing to listen though.

You say your battery is 13 years old. With all due respect, I find that hard to believe. I used mine daily (both 9.6 and 12v) all day long so if you are just a hobbyist, I could understand. The fact is, I used mine everyday, almost all day. Take advice from someone who knows. I was just trying to be helpful and provide my experience.
Regards,
Robert

nickoly said:

I think you are just kidding yourself. Even if freezing them was a
good idea, 15 minutes is hardly enough time to get the coolth
through the chemicals. If I read you right, the best thing you do
is properly discharge the batteries before recharging them, not so
difficult to do in a drill. The real story here is that Makita
supplies seriously good batteries. My 9.6v battery is 13 years old
and only just starting to show its age. The spare is even older but
I don't know how old as I liberated it from my employer when I got
the drill.

Click to expand...

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RC car racers routinely charge their battery while the battery is in the fridger to get more charge into the battery, perhaps the colder temperature lowers the internal resistance of the battery to allow more energy to be stored.

I'm going to give the original posters' idea a try with my old cell phone battery, heck I've got nothing to loose.

klin said:

RC car racers routinely charge their battery while the battery is> in the fridger to get more charge into the battery, perhaps the> colder temperature lowers the internal resistance of the battery to> allow more energy to be stored.> > I'm going to give the original posters' idea a try with my old cell> phone battery, heck I've got nothing to loose.

Click to expand...

I think what they are doing is using a high power charger, for a fast charge rather than more watts, and keeping the batteries in the freezer might help prevent damage. I wondered about this only a couple of days ago. I use NiMH AAs stripped out of an old phone battery in my flashgun. These were charged with a 30mA plugpack, obviously a tedious exerise but not really a problem. I decided to use the the original 780mA charger that came with the phone and therefore should be kosher. The cells got stinking hot and melted the insulation. There must have been a current regulating resistor I left in the phone.They don't seem to be damaged but putting them in the freezer might make this charger a more practical proposition.

Be sure to report back after trying!

klin said:

RC car racers routinely charge their battery while the battery is
in the fridger to get more charge into the battery, perhaps the
colder temperature lowers the internal resistance of the battery to
allow more energy to be stored.

I'm going to give the original posters' idea a try with my old cell
phone battery, heck I've got nothing to loose.

Click to expand...

the thaw mode. Just kidding, just kidding. it's late and I'm getting punchy.

akerman said:

Hi.

I have a guy in a Danish mobile phone forum, saying that you can
bring your old NiMH and NiCd batteries back to 95-100% of their
original capacity, by putting them in a freezer for a couple of
days, then taking them out and recharging them (making sure to wipe
it clean of ANY moisture) - and that's it.

I also have some more guys saying that it actually works. It should
work for AA NiMH batteries also.

How can this be true? Can anyone give me an explanation? I can't
come up with anything by googling, only that you can preserve your
NiMHs by keeping them in a freezer..

Click to expand...

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seeing as batteries perform far less well in cold environments...plus if you froze it and take it out in a hot space, condense will form and possibly short-circuit.

akerman said:

Hi.

I have a guy in a Danish mobile phone forum, saying that you can
bring your old NiMH and NiCd batteries back to 95-100% of their
original capacity, by putting them in a freezer for a couple of
days, then taking them out and recharging them (making sure to wipe
it clean of ANY moisture) - and that's it.

I also have some more guys saying that it actually works. It should
work for AA NiMH batteries also.

How can this be true? Can anyone give me an explanation? I can't
come up with anything by googling, only that you can preserve your
NiMHs by keeping them in a freezer..

Click to expand...

--
Warning: photographs steal your soul!