Moms always have batteries. It’s a proven fact. If the portable DVD player you get for Christmas needs batteries, she’ll have exactly the right ones in stock. And, where do moms store their batteries? The moms I know, store them in the freezer, of course! It has been common knowledge for quite a while among moms that storing batteries in the refrigerator or freezer prolongs their lives.
Is there a problem with this? Well, the most obvious disadvantage is that agonizing wait until the batteries warm back up. You can breathe on them or roll them and squeeze them in your hands over and over, but they just don’t warm up quickly enough. You end up just using them while they’re still pretty cold. Is it a bad idea to use cold batteries? Is it really a good idea to store them in the cold in the first place? We’ll consider two types of batteries separately:
Alkaline batteries
Put simply, batteries should be stored in a cool, dry place. The ideal temperature is around seventy degrees, and at around eighty or ninety degrees, batteries do start losing power more quickly. Storing batteries in the refrigerator or freezer is thought to have a slight positive effect. The extension of their life is very small (certainly less than five percent,) and the advantage only occurs if the batteries can also be kept dry.
In fact, the major manufacturers of alkaline batteries do not recommend refrigeration or freezing at all. Duracell says, "Do not refrigerate Duracell batteries. This will not make them last longer." And, Energizer recommends against storing their batteries in the refrigerator as well specifically because it is too damp.
So, unless you live in a very hot or humid climate, it is probably not worth storing batteries in the refrigerator or freezer. The whole idea about the storage of batteries in cold places by moms likely started before homes had good climate control. When the temperatures and humidity levels were much less bearable both for people and for batteries, it probably did help to store them this way.
Rechargeable Batteries
Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) or Nickel Cadmium (NiCd), which are rechargeable batteries, are a whole different story. They lose their power much more quickly, as much as a few percent per day at room temperature. Storing them in the freezer may allow them to retain up to ninety percent of their charge for weeks or even months.
Storage
Regardless of the type of batteries, if you do store them in the refrigerator or freezer, then seal them first in airtight bags or containers to keep them dry. You should also place them in a drier area such as on the door. And finally, whenever you store batteries in the cold, it is a fact that you should allow them to return to room temperature before using them. OK, thanks mom!
Links
http://www.duracell.com/care_disposal/care.asp
http://www.energizer.com/learning/batterycare.asp
