Battery Glossary: Can you provide me with more technical knowledge and battery definitions?
Yes. Please visit our Battery Glossary to learn more. By reading through this Glossary, you can learn and understand basic battery terminology and better understand the world of batteries. Our Technical Support Team is here to answer any additional technical questions you may have.

What are your battery uses and applications?
Please see our Battery Uses and Applications Guide. Here you will find a listing of battery types used in various applications.

Can you tell me more about your rechargeable lithium batteries?
Our lithium batteries offer high energy density, high voltage, pollution-free, non-metal lithium, long cycle life, no memory affect, and fast charge capacity. Applications include personal computers, cellular phones, personal cordless electronic applications, portable CD players, PDAs, and power tools.

Can you tell me more about your alkaline batteries?
Our alkaline batteries offer sealed maintenance free operation, high current, large capacity, stable voltage, long storage life, excellent resistance to leakage, free of mercury and cadmium, high quality, stable current, and high reliability. Applications include cameras, electric shavers, electronic calculators, electronic door locks, fire detectors, high-power flashlights, recorders, toys, and other cordless products.

Can you tell me more about your mobility batteries?
Our mobility batteries offer sealed maintenance free operation, long shelf life, flexible design, high discharge rates, long service life, easy handling, wide operating temperature ranges, deep discharge recovery, excellent resistance to leakage, compact, high reliability, and high quality. Applications include scooters and wheelchairs.

Can you tell me more about your sealed lead acid batteries?
Our sealed lead acid batteries offer sealed maintenance free operation, high discharge rates, deep discharge recovery, long service life, low resistance, cycle use, standby use, high reliability, long shelf life, and high quality. Due to their completely sealed construction, they also require no special handling. For cycle use, applications include portable TV, tape recorders, radios, power tools, cameras, photographic equipment, portable personal computers, lawn mowers, vacuum cleaners, portable terminals, portable measuring equipment, portable telephone ads, and lighting equipment. For standby use, applications include communication equipment, electrical equipment, emergency lighting equipment, fire alarm systems, security systems, and various telemeter equipment.

Can you tell me more about your UPS Backup Batteries?
Our UPS Backup Batteries offer surge protection and battery backup. They provide enough backup power for you to work through short and medium length power outages and safeguard your equipment from damaging surges and spikes that travel along your utility and data lines. Applications include home computer systems, office computer systems, data centers, electrical equipment, and telecommunication equipment.

What is considered proper handling and mishandling of a battery?

Everyday Battery Handling Tips:

• Keep batteries free of dust and clean.
• Perform regular inspections during warm/hot weather.
• Always recharge batteries after they’ve been discharged.
• Fully charge and discharge batteries up to four times in order to achieve maximum capacity.
• Always ventilate the battery compartment prior to performing maintenance.
• Batteries should be charged in areas free of ignition sources away from electrical equipment.

Accidental or Intentional Mishandling

• Be careful not to short circuit. Short circuits can cause major damage to the battery.
• Be careful not to drop, hit, or abuse the battery. Poor treatment and care can result in the exposure of cell contents, which are corrosive.
• Keep batteries out of the rain or any kind of moisture environment. This can cause severe damage.
• Keep batteries away from fires or other extreme heat environments. Never burn or incinerate your batteries. This can cause explosion.

What is the best way to store my batteries?

Follow these steps to properly store your batteries:

• Remove the battery from any devices and chargers prior to storage.
• Completely charge the battery prior to storage.Store it in a cool, dry location.
• Always recharge the battery to full charge after a storage period.
• Do not allow an unused battery to sit in storage for more than six months without a recharge.

Can I recycle my old battery?
Yes, Big League Battery would be happy to assist you in recycling your batteries! We appreciate you taking the time to make the Earth a better place. It is a necessity that all rechargeable batteries are disposed of properly, through approved recycling locations. Your help allows us to protect the environment and preserve our natural resources. Rechargeable batteries include alkaline, nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride, lithium ion, and sealed lead acid.

You can recycle your batteries a few different ways:

• Visit any participating recycling retailer. In the U.S., this includes Best Buy, Home Depot, and Sears.
• Contact the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC): Call RBRC at (800) 8-BATTERY or visit their website http://RBRC.org, to find a local battery recycling center near you.
• Please contact our Customer Support Team toll free at 877-525-5330 or e-mail Big League Customer Support for any additional recycling questions.

What batteries are recyclable?
Alkaline, nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride, lithium ion, and sealed lead acid.

What can I do to maximize the performance of my batteries?

Follow these steps to maximize the performance of your batteries.

• Keep batteries free of dust and clean. Use cotton swabs and alcohol to clean your batteries. Clean batteries help ensure a good connection between your battery and its device.
• Keep brand new batteries charged. Fully charge and discharge new batteries two to four times prior to first time use to allow it to reach its maximum rated capacity.
• Never leave your battery in a charger for more than 24 hours at a time. This shortens the lifespan of your battery.
• Keep your batteries dry. Moisture corrodes and also limits the charge and discharge capabilities.
• Store your batteries in cool, dry locations away from heat. Batteries will self discharge during storage, so always recharge batteries to full charge after a storage period.
• Keep batteries active and healthy. Do not leave a battery dormant for a long period of time. Use batteries often, at least once every two to three weeks.
• Special conditions apply to sealed lead acid batteries. They must be kept at full charge during storage. If this can’t be done, do not store these batteries for more than three months.
  

What are the most common causes of early battery failure?

Please be careful not to allow the following causes to occur:

• Using a battery in the wrong application or device.
• Using the wrong size, often undersized, battery.
• Overcharging
• Deep Discharges
• Corrosion
• Extreme Temperatures or Climates
• Failure to charge a battery for more than a six month period.

Is it recommended to store batteries in the refrigerator?
We do not recommend this. It only helps to store batteries in the refrigerator only if they are dry, kept in an airtight container, and placed in the driest part of the refrigerator, such as the door. When removing batteries from refrigerators, always make sure to allow batteries to warm up to room temperature before using them in your device. Storing batteries in a cooler environment can sometimes increase the shelf life.

However, there are often high humidity levels inside refrigerators. Keeping batteries stored in refrigerators increases risks to this type of exposure, and high humidity and moisture levels will often cause rust and corrosion. To maximize performance and shelf life, store batteries at normal room temperatures with moderate humidity levels.

Can batteries freeze?
Yes. Please be careful not to let batteries freeze. If they do, this can cause severe damage to the battery and early battery failure.

Is it possible to overcharge my battery? And is it safe?
Yes, you can overcharge your battery. This will reduce the life of the battery, the effectiveness, and can cause additional damage to the battery. It is not safe to overcharge your battery. Once a battery is fully charged, it needs to be removed from the charger.

Battery Dos and Don’ts: What are some safety guidelines?

Dos:

• Do take good care of your batteries. Keep them clean, dry, and dust free.
• Do charge and discharge batteries up to four times to achieve maximum capacity.
• Do fully charge and discharge batteries every two to three weeks.
• Do store batteries in cool, dry locations.
• Do fully recharge batteries after a storage period.
• Do keep batteries active and healthy.

Don’ts:

• Don’t short circuit your batteries.
• Don’t drop, hit, or abuse your batteries.
• Don’t expose your batteries to rain or moisture environments.
• Don’t expose your batteries to extreme heat or fires.
• Don’t burn or incinerate your batteries.
• Don’t allow unused batteries to sit in storage for more than six months.
• Don’t leave a battery in a charger for more than 24 hours at a time.

I need to charge my battery. What size charger should I use?
For sealed lead acid batteries, on the front side of the battery, you will find the Constant Voltage Charge. Under Constant Voltage Charge, it lists cyclic use, standby use, and initial current. The initial current tells you what size charger needs to be used. For example, it will say LESS THAN 2.1A. This means a charger the size of 2.1 amps or less needs to be used.

For all other batteries, the charger size will vary based on the battery. It will vary from one manufacturer to another. For additional questions, please contact our Technical Support Team at 877-525-5330 or e-mail Big League Battery Technical Support.

How do I charge my battery?
Follow these steps to properly charge your batteries: Before connecting the charger connectors to the battery, ensure the charging circuit is not energized. Follow the manufacturer’s operating instructions and ensure the charger connections are to the correct polarity, positive/red to positive/red, and negative/black to negative/black. Do not over-charge the battery too frequently. Do not wait until the battery is dead to charge it.

How long does it take to charge my battery?
It will take several hours to charge or recharge a battery. Whenever possible, slow charge your batteries. Repeated fast charges may overcharge the battery and can shorten the lifespan of the battery.

How long can I expect my new battery to run?
Actual battery run time can vary. It depends upon the power demands made by the device and the usage.

How can I tell the age of my battery?
A date code is engraved on all sealed lead acid batteries. This date code represents the date the battery was manufactured. A date code is engraved on all alkaline batteries. These are clearly marked expiration dates located near a corner of the battery. This date code represents the date the battery will expire. We do not recommend using these batteries after this date, as their effectiveness most likely is reduced at this point. If you cannot locate a date code on your battery, please contact our Technical Support Team at 877-525-5330 or e-mail Big League Battery Technical Support. They will be happy to help you determine the age of your battery or answer any other questions you may have about your battery.

What is the average battery life?
The life span varies depending on the usage.

Are wires and cables included when I buy batteries from Big League Battery?
No. To keep the cost of our batteries at their everyday low price, we do not include wires and cables with your battery purchase. However, you can reuse the wires and cables that came with your original battery. If you are still in need of these items or any other accessories to go with your battery, please feel free to call our Customer Support Team toll free at 877-525-5330 or e-mail e-mail Big League Customer Support. They will be happy to assist you.

My new battery isn’t working. What should I do?
Most likely, it is not charged. New batteries come in a discharged condition and need to be fully charged before use. If it is not a charging issue, it’s most likely some other fixable problem. Please contact our Technical Support Team at 877-525-5330 or e-mail Big League Battery Technical Support. They will be happy to assist you.

Will my batteries self-discharge when they’re not in use?
Yes. All batteries, no matter the chemistry, self-discharge. Nickel Cadmium, Nickel Metal Hydride, and Lithium Ion batteries will have higher self-discharge rates when not in use. The rate of self-discharge also depends on the storage temperature the batteries are exposed to. Please remember to recharge batteries whenever they have been inactive for a period of time or are left in storage for a month or longer.

How long do rechargeable batteries last?
Battery life under normal use should last 500 to 900 charge-discharge cycles. This translates to 1 ½ to 3 years of battery life for the average user. More frequent users will notice a shorter life, due to the higher frequency of charge-discharge cycles. You will know your rechargeable battery is losing its effectiveness, when you notice a decline in the running time of the battery. When a battery lasts only for 30 minutes as opposed to its original 2 hour running time, it’s time to find a replacement. Also, when a battery is inactive for more than a month, it should be removed from the device and stored in a cool and dry environment. Fully charge the battery before using it again after storage.

My new battery isn’t charging. Is it defective?
Most likely, no. New batteries come in a discharged condition and need to be fully charged before use. We recommend you charge and discharged the battery up to four times to achieve maximum capacity.