Useful tips for better using your battery

Useful tips for better using your battery

Missing an important call because your cell phone wasn’t properly charged is a common problem in an increasingly wireless world. Rechargeable laptop battery hold the key to our reliance on convenient, portable products, yet few people understand the basics rules of recharging rechargeable batteries. Even fewer know that when certain rechargeable batteries can no longer hold a charge, they can and should be recycled.

Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries are the most common type of portable rechargeable Toshiba laptop battery, and they’re used to power products such as cellular and cordless phones, camcorders, power tools and many other consumer electronic devices. By the year 2000, it is estimated that more than 75 million Ni-Cd batteries will be sold in the United States alone.

“Most people don't know that the used Ni-Cd Inspiron 1521 Battery that collect in their desk drawer or those left in products because they no longer hold a charge, can and should be recycled,” said Ralph Millard, Executive Vice President of the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC), an international, not-for-profit organization that runs the “Charge Up to Recycle!” program for Ni-Cd battery recycling.

To get the most out of your rechargeable Dell Inspiron 1720 Battery  and battery-powered products, RBRC recommends the following guidelines:

• Charge your new Dell Latitude D620 Battery overnight (14-16 hours) before using it for the first time. This is called “initializing” and will enable you to obtain maximum battery capacity.


• Let your battery cool to room temperature before recharging. The charge efficiency of most batteries is greatly reduced at elevated temperatures.


• Recharge iBook G4 14 Battery only when they are near to fully discharged. You can tell that a battery is discharged by a sharp drop in power or speed.


• Keep the contact of rechargeable batteries clean – wipe them with a cloth soaked in alcohol.


• Never return a fully-charged Apple A1022 Apple A1039 battery to the charger for an extra boost. This will overcharge the cells and shorten the life of the battery.


• Never leave your cellular phone, camcorder, etc., in the charger when not charging, unless approved by the manufacturer’s instructions. Don’t use your charger as a stand! Continuous charging will shorten battery life.


• If your rechargeable Ni-Cd Apple A1045 Apple A1061 battery will no longer hold a charge, don’t throw it away! Call 1-800-8-BATTERY or visit www.rbrc.org to find the nearest retail site or recycling center among the 26,000 participating across the country. National retailers participating include ACE Hardware, Ameritech, Batteries Plus, BellSouth Cellular, BLACK&DECKER, Car Phone Store, Cellular One, Circuit City, GTE Wireless, RadioShack, Porter Cable Factory Service Centers, Sears, Target and WAL-MART.