When electronics or components that operate these items are used every day, the batteries that are in them will likely run down over time. Sometimes, finding a battery is a bit harder than it should be if you need a certain size or if the batteries you have don’t have enough of an electrical charge to operate the items that you have. Fortunately, there are a few hacks to keep in mind that can prolong the life of your batteries and that can utilize other items that you have around your home if you don’t have batteries available.
Understanding Batteries
Before you begin using batteries in different ways or begin looking for other solutions when batteries aren’t available, you need to understand how they work in general. Batteries are small compartments for stored energy. When you look at a battery, you’ll see a positive and a negative end. These areas are where the electricity is released when the battery is put in the item that you’re using. Rechargeable or long-life batteries are often a better option, especially if you know that you’re going to frequently use an item, such as a remote control for your television.
Finding The Charge
There’s usually not a gauge on a battery so that you can see how much charge is left. At times, one battery among a few that are in an item can cause it not to operate as it should.
An analog meter can be used to determine how much charge the battery has left. The red end should go on the positive side of the battery and the black end on the negative side. A reading of 1.5V should be seen if there is enough charge left in the battery for it to operate the device that you have. There are some batteries that have a gauge built in them so that you can read the level instead of using a meter.
Another way that you can determine if a battery is charged is by dropping it on the ground. If it’s not charged, then it will usually bounce because there’s more gas inside the unit. You can take larger batteries to stations to detect their charge. If you have time, then you could keep changing batteries in devices until you find a combination that works, getting rid of the batteries that don’t operate the device that you have.
Longer Life In Batteries
Even if you don’t use a device that has a battery, each battery will lose some of its charge over time. You can prolong the life of your batteries by putting them in the refrigerator or freezer. Try to keep batteries insulated and away from other batteries as they can feed off of each other and drawing faster. Take the batteries out of items that you haven’t used for a few days. If you have batteries that have a full charge, you want to store them instead of using them right away so that they are ready to use when needed.
What You Should Avoid
Don’t cut into a battery to try to harvest energy from them. You should also avoid using a battery to charge another as this can create too much heat at one time. You don’t want to remove parts from the exterior of batteries as it could result in leakage.
