Lithium-Ion batteries power up almost all our electronic devices. That’s why it must be on your checklist when getting ready for an RV trip. But, of course, you don’t know when this would come in handy along the way.
More importantly, if your batteries run out of stocks, you’re forced to extend it anyway. Especially in situations where you need flashlights or other signals asking for help, a battery with extended life may light up the hope of being rescued.
For this reason, we have come up with this guide to give you vital information to prolong your lithium-ion batteries.
Keep it Cool
First and foremost, do not expose your battery to extreme temperatures. For one, revealing a fully charged battery to more than 20-25 degrees Celsius may quickly degrade it. Not only that, intense heat may trigger explosions or catastrophic fires.
For such reasons, keep your RV at room temperature, especially when you’re charging your batteries. In addition, unplug your device from setting when it heats up and its battery has not reached full power yet. Hence, a dependable cooling system such as the best air conditioning units may keep your room cool enough to extend your battery life.
Meanwhile, exposing your lithium batteries to shallow temperatures may not be a pretty good idea as well. Cold weather slows down the energy transmission of the battery, making it inefficient to function. Therefore, plug in your vehicle during cold weather to run its heating system to neutralize the temperature suitable for your battery.
Avoid 100 and 0
More often than not, we usually wanted to use fully charged batteries during the day. So, you plug it in at night before you sleep, especially when you have used up 20 – 30% power. However, it deteriorates the battery life when you do that repeatedly.
Therefore, instead of charging it again, use it until it reaches charging time again. By doing this scheme, you avoid putting a lot of stress on the battery.
Likewise, it is not advisable to drain your battery charge up to 0%. It automatically discharges when it does, which is more dangerous when it remains unplugged. So the bottom line, use your battery well until it’s time to recharge.
High capacity over spare ones
Once you use your batteries, it is bound to degrade. Nothing can stop it from weakening until it’s no use anymore. Therefore, instead of having weak spare batteries to supplement your existing one, have a high-capacity battery of your own.
Also, better check the manufacturing date and learn the mechanisms of the battery aging process before you buy one. A newly manufactured unit may degrade upon usage, even the best RV lithium batteries. Hence, a spare battery may not be the correct answer to prolong its life.
Partial Discharge Sometimes
Although it is dangerous to drain your battery always, sometimes discharging it may help. After 30 or more charging, it could be better to consume its energy until fully drained once in a while.
Frequent charging creates digital memory, which reduces the gauge accuracy to display the actual power remaining in the battery. The recharging process recalibrates the gauging capacity to its regular, accurate readings by allowing an automatic discharge.
However, it is not also safe to recharge batteries immediately after being discharged for so long. There is a high risk of overload or explosion when deeply discharged batteries are suddenly charged.
Avoid Fast Charging Always
Fast charging may be beneficial at times, especially when on long travels. However, using it frequently may speed up the life span of a lithium-ion battery.
Also, fast charging consumes more power generated by the camper van. Hence, it increases the gasoline utility all the more while driving.
So, as much as possible, resort to a regular charging pace when there is no need to rush. After all, it may reduce stress on the battery and decrease your fuel consumption.
Keep it Cool at 40
Partial discharge is suitable for your battery to recalibrate the gauging mechanisms. When your battery has only a 40% charge left, store it in an excellent place to extend its life span.
Fully charged batteries are more prone to oxidation because of too much heat. Oxidation is another factor why battery life shortens. It damages the lithium ions and its metal coat and exterior.
However, please do not put it inside a freezer to make it cool. Extreme coldness produces moisture when the temperature increases again.
Therefore, doing something crazy like that may damage batteries as well. Remember, oxidation occurs when too much oxygen is in moisture and heat.
Conclusion
Batteries’ aging and degradation process are inevitable. Once used, it is bound to lose. So use it and replace it when it does not work anymore.
Luckily, there are many ways to keep your batteries in a satisfactory state for efficient usage at a minimal cost. This guide may help you do that.
You may not be able to extend a lithium-ion battery’s life. But, through these tips, you can maximize its use and enjoy the benefits along the way.