November 2009:  Fall/Winter Battery Care

Replacing gas powered lawn equipment with electric or rechargeable types helps the local air quality.  However, to get the most life out of your battery-powered equipment it is important to follow the manufacturer’s directions. 

• NiCad batteries (in cell phones) need a full discharge to prevent a partial charge “memory” from forming. 
• However lead-acid batteries common to lawn equipment need to be fully charged—generally at least once a month—to prevent build-up of lead sulfate (this is called “sulfation”), which can result in a weakened or dead battery.  Storing batteries in a hot location can also contribute to sulfation.  Letting a lead-acid battery sit over the winter could lead to degradation of performance, so refer to the manufacturer’s recommendation to maintain good battery life with periodic maintenance charging.

For more info:

• Rechargeable batteries (Wikipedia)
• Sulfation (Wikipedia)
• Battery tutorial (BatteryStuff.com)
• Battery charging systems (EnergyStar)

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