How long does it take to charge batteries?

Technological progress tirelessly rushes forward. New technologies and devices are appearing. Rechargeable batteries have ceased to be a fantasy, but have become a vital necessity. But the choice of power sources is a personal matter for everyone. Some people tirelessly replace one battery with another, while others only renew the battery charge. But in order for the battery to work for a long time, you need to know and follow the rules for charging and using it.

What batteries can be recharged?

In order for the battery to be recharged, it must be of a special, rechargeable type. You can determine which battery we have in front of us by reading the information indicated on the case. Do not even try to insert simple, disposable batteries into the charger.

If you do not follow this recommendation, the following may occur:

• if you are a lucky person, then nothing will happen;
• the battery may boil;
• the housing will overheat and, as a result, fire or explosion.
• It may also close the network.

It is precisely because of these likely consequences that you should not insert ordinary batteries into the charger.

In their shape, batteries are very similar to simple batteries. Among the batteries there are the same types, except for the tablet form. Limited quantities of tablets are produced. Those button batteries that are produced are intended for hearing aids.

The user may have a natural question: “How should batteries be charged?” The question is correct, because in order for the battery to be used for a long time, the charging process must be approached competently. You cannot take the battery and leave it on charge for two or three days. There is a simple formula to determine the exact recharging time, or you can use various services that have calculators for calculating time.

Why do regular batteries not charge?

The appearance of rechargeable batteries and simple batteries is almost the same. This leads many to mistakenly assume that all batteries, without exception, can be recharged. Naturally, this is far from the truth. All processes that occur in conventional batteries cannot be reversed. But in battery-powered ones it’s easy.

The process taking place inside both types of batteries is based on a single principle. The energy of the chemical process is converted into electricity. Batteries contain a special substance called electrolyte. The electrolyte contains electrodes. As a result of the chemical reaction occurring at the electrodes, a potential difference occurs. As soon as the ends of the terminals are closed by a conductor, the electrical discharge passes to it. Gradually, the number of ions decreases, and the battery charge runs out.

What's the point of passing current through a simple battery? There is nothing and nowhere to be restored there.

A completely different picture with the battery. In them, both the electrolyte and the electrodes easily return to their original state. In rechargeable batteries, the electrodes and the electrolyte itself can be restored to their original state.

How to determine if a battery is rechargeable

Considering that the appearance of batteries can be deceptive, because they are the same size and similar in color, to identify them you should carefully look at their inscriptions.

If there is a label on the case, there are no questions:

1. We look at what is written on the battery. If there is an inscription rechargeable, which means we have a rechargeable battery, since the marking says that the device is rechargeable. If there is - do not recharge, This means that we have in our hands a simple battery that cannot be charged.
2. In addition to these inscriptions, the batteries also indicate the capacity value, which is designated mAh, which means ampere-hours.
3. Well, it’s worth taking a closer look at the price tag - the battery will clearly be more expensive than a simple battery.

What if there is simply no label? In this case, you definitely can’t do without a tester. The voltage value of a simple battery corresponds to 1.6 volts; for batteries this parameter is 1.2 volts.

Battery charging rules

Before charging the battery, fully seat it, as they come from the factory already charged. And after it sits down, fully charge it. In the language of specialists, this procedure is called molding.

Attention! Do not interrupt the molding process. After placing the battery on charge, do not remove it until it is fully charged. You cannot not only remove the battery, but also switch the charger to another outlet.

This process must be carried out four times. If you do everything as recommended, you can significantly increase the battery capacity and also extend its service life.

Important! Never charge batteries if the ambient temperature is below five degrees or if it exceeds fifty degrees. The most favorable temperature for this process is in the range from twenty to twenty-five degrees. And do not keep it in the charger too long, otherwise it may fail.

How to understand how long to keep charging the battery

It may well happen that after putting the battery on charge and waiting for some time, you discover that no charging has occurred. There is no need to suffer any further. Clearly something went wrong. Maybe the battery itself is faulty, or maybe the charger is faulty.

The most important thing when dealing with batteries is to charge them correctly. And for this you need to know exactly and observe their charging time.

To determine this time, you can go in two ways:

1. Go to one of the specialized sites and calculate everything in an online calculator. Everything here is simple and clear.
2. You can calculate this time yourself. A formula has been developed for this.

Formula for calculating charging time and its fineness

To calculate the time required to fully charge the battery, use the formula:

Time required for charging = battery capacity / current * recharge coefficient, which ensures a 100% charge.

The coefficient can be from 1.2 to 1.4

For this formula to work, the following factors must be taken into account:

1. In order to charge the battery, you need to spend from four to twenty hours. No more, but no less. If the battery is charged earlier than four hours, the charger itself will stop supplying current. The battery can now be used. If the battery has not been charged in more than twenty hours, then the current strength is very low. In this state, the battery can remain in the charger for almost a week. It won't do him any harm.
2. The capacity value can be taken from the battery case, or you can find it out from the information on the packaging or in the instructions.
3. The current required for charging is written on the battery case, and it is also duplicated in the instructions.

The time it takes to recharge is not constant. This depends on several factors:

• chemicals included in the battery;
• ambient temperature;
• amount of charge remaining in the battery.

Number of recharge cycles

When using rechargeable batteries, be aware that they do not last forever. Their resource is gradually decreasing, and each new charge brings this closer. For example, batteries based on nickel and cadmium can be recharged between a thousand and one and a half thousand times. True, newer batteries can be recharged up to four thousand times.

Do not be lazy to study the instructions for the battery in detail. They are written by intelligent people and describe in detail how to charge the device.

Reference. Recently produced batteries, as a rule, can be used for almost three years.

How long do you have to wait for the battery to charge?

Calculating the amount of time required to fully recharge a battery is easy. To do this, divide the battery capacity by the charger current. Do not forget to take into account the coefficients. They range from 1.2 to 1.6.

To find out which coefficient needs to be applied, let's look at the difference between the current and the battery capacity value. The greater the interval between them, the greater the coefficient value we use.

Online calculators on special websites operate on exactly the same principles.