Do Non Rechargeable Lithium Batteries Drain In Camera

I was standing in line at a local electronics store the other day when I struck upwards a conversation with the guy ahead of me who had a basket total of battery chargers and AA rechargeable batteries. It turns out he had decided to replace all of the batteries in his house with the rechargeable kind. Between the batteries and the chargers this guy plunked downwards over a hundred bucks!

He was so proud, telling me about all the coin he was going to save.

I didn't have the heart to ask him if he had the same typical electronic devices found in most homes, because if he did and then he probably ended upwards spending a lot more coin than he should accept.

Rechargeable Batteries Aren't Always Cost Effective!

I realize many people desire to catechumen to rechargeable batteries for environmental reasons, which is fair plenty. But the truth of the thing is this: when cost is the primary discriminator, low current-draw devices merely don't warrant the extra expense of rechargeable batteries. That's considering the batteries of low current-draw devices are typically inverse so infrequently that the payback period for equivalent rechargeable batteries would be as well far long to justify the investment!

For example, it makes much more than sense to use traditional alkaline batteries for depression-describe devices like your wall clocks, radios, fume detectors, programmable thermostats, and remote controls considering they lose power at a much slower rate than rechargeable batteries.

And because traditional alkali metal batteries can hold a charge for years when not in use, they are also the ameliorate choice for items that may sit unused for long flow of fourth dimension, like your warning clock back-up battery and emergency flashlights.

When it comes right down to it, these low current-draw and/or low-utilise devices brand up the keen majority of battery-driven products in the typical domicile.

Okay. And so When Practice Rechargeable Batteries Brand Sense?

Rechargeable batteries are really intended for moderate to high electric current-draw devices that get at least moderate apply. Typically, these are devices that require a bombardment alter every xxx to sixty days.

In my business firm the only item that clearly met that criteria and, therefore, justified the added up-front end costs of rechargeable batteries, was the kids' Wii gaming organization. That is a perfect example of a high-use device where rechargeable batteries will save you lot a lot of money in the long run.

Merely for my household those are the only items where rechargeable batteries make sense.

"Just, Len, what near my wireless keyboards and mice? Those get a lot of use!"

Well, as my article on the practicality of wireless mice and keyboards noted, rechargeable batteries didn't even brand financial sense for those devices, based upon my battery usage over an 18-calendar month period — I only spent a niggling over $18 on replacement batteries during that period. Simply a gear up of eight good rechargeable AA batteries (five for the mouse and keyboard plus iii spares) would prepare me back roughly $24. Add together in the cost of the charger (a adept 1 can run upwardly of $40) and you can run into that the payback period on the rechargeable batteries becomes a real issue. Recall, rechargeable batteries eventually get bad too, so you'll demand your batteries and charger to final at to the lowest degree until the payback period is reached if you desire to recoup your costs in a reasonable amount of time.

How Do I Know Which Blazon of Rechargeable Bombardment to Buy?

If and when you decide you lot want to purchase rechargeable batteries, yous'll need to know that in that location are essentially 4 types to choose from: nickel metallic-hydride (NiMH), nickel cadmium (NiCad), rechargeable alkaline, and lithium ion.

NiMH rechargeable batteries typically perform ameliorate than NiCads and are costless of toxic heavy metals. Generally speaking, NiMH is the best accommodating choice for almost rechargeable bombardment applications. Every bit an added bonus, nigh NiMH bombardment charger systems tin conform NiCad batteries likewise (although the opposite is not true).

NiCads are beingness phased out in favor of NiMHs not only because they are losing the performance war, but also because of their inconvenience; the heavy metals used within the NiCad are toxic and require special disposal needs.

Rechargeable alkaline batteries take only two real advantages over NiMHs and NiCads: depression price and no need for special recycling. Otherwise, their long-term performance and recharge characteristics make these batteries a poor choice. Rechargeable alkaline batteries also require a special charger, which reminds me: don't ever confuse rechargeable alkalines with the typical dispensable element of group i batteries that are sold everywhere from 99-cent stores to the local grocery market — although some people practice information technology, those batteries cannot be safely charged.

Lithium Ion batteries have slap-up performance and tin go unused for long periods without losing their accuse. The big drawback is their price; not just are lithium ion batteries much more expensive than other types of rechargeable batteries, but they likewise require a special charger. Use them for rarely-used or high-drain devices like laptop computers, digital cameras, jail cell phones or portable televisions.

To help you decide which rechargeable battery is right for you, hither is a trade summary I put together of the four basic options:

Click on the image to enlarge it.

Some Final Thoughts and Recommendations

A bad bombardment charger volition prematurely age and greatly shorten the lifespan of your rechargeable batteries. Inexpensive chargers work too chop-chop, thereby heating the batteries, which damages them over fourth dimension. Good chargers will keep your your batteries from getting too warm.
Batteries should e'er be removed from their chargers after recharging.
More expensive battery chargers extend the life of your rechargeable batteries by properly monitoring and controlling the charging process; many too shut off when charging is complete.
If you practice use rechargeable batteries, be sure to go along several spare batteries set to become at all times then you tin swap them out when needed.
If you practice choose to swap out all of your devices with rechargeable batteries, you lot can spread out your initial costs by replacing only the moderate-employ devices offset. Yous tin can then purchase rechargeable batteries for the low-draw devices every bit needed.
For info on NiMH rechargeable batteries and battery chargers, cheque out this article from MetaEfficient.

To Summarize…

Rechargeable batteries are great for moderate to high utilize devices that drain batteries speedily, simply they are not toll constructive for low current-draw and/or depression-employ devices — and it is the low electric current-draw devices that tend to make up the great majority of bombardment-driven products in the typical home.

Hopefully, the gentleman I met at the hardware store has a lot of loftier electric current-describe, frequent-use devices at his house — otherwise, he probably made a big error.

Photo Credit: emrank