FAQ's on nimh batteries, and nicad rechargeable batteries compared to heavy duty batteries

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Information on environmentally friendly rechargeable batteries > NiMH Battery FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions about NiMH Rechargeble Batteries of

all sizes and capacities and how they compare to other battery
types.
(Email address)
■ Is it normal for my digital camera to use so many
alkaline batteries?
battery name
■ Why do my alkaline batteries run down so quickly
Information: when used in a digital camera (or other electronic
Li-ion Battery FAQs device)?
■ Do "Ultra" or "Advanced Formula" alkaline
NiMH Battery FAQs batteries last any longer than standard alkalines?
Battery Myths vs Battery ■ Can NiMH batteries be substituted for 1.5 volt
Facts alkaline batteries even though they are only 1.2
NiMH Battery Charger volts?
FAQs
■ Which are better, NiCd batteries or NiMH
Downloadable Battery
Guide
batteries?
Glossary of Battery ■ Do NiCd batteries really have a memory effect?
Terms ■ Do NiMH batteries have memory effect?
Recommended Reading ■ Does rapid charging reduce the life of batteries?
■ What is the shelf life of a NiMH battery?
Website Links ■ How many times can rechargeable batteries be
recharged?
Shopping: ■ Does putting batteries in the freezer or
Rechargeable Batteries - refrigerator make them last longer?
Lithium ion
■ What about using rechargeable or renewable
Battery Chargers -
Lithium Ion alkalines?
Rechargeable Batteries - ■ What does mAh stand for?
NiMH ■ Can I substitute a higher mAh battery for a lower
Battery Chargers - NiMH one?
Battery Holders and
Cases
Battery Testers and
Battery Accessories Is it normal for my digital camera to use so many
Misc Accessories and alkaline batteries?
Adapters
Solar Products Unfortunately, it is. Digital cameras use alkaline batteries at a
shockingly fast rate. (For an explanation why, see the
Greenbatteries Store
Gift Certificates
following question). If you are using lots of alkaline batteries
for your electronic devices you'll probably want to switch to
Contact Us rechargeable NiMH batteries ASAP. Not only will the NiMH
Shipping, Tracking, batteries power a digital camera (or most other electronic
Returns, Credits devices) much longer than alkaline batteries will, but they are
much less expensive to use.

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FAQ's on nimh batteries, and nicad rechargeable batteries compared to heavy duty batteries

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Why do my alkaline batteries run down so quickly

when used in a digital camera (or other electronic
device)?

Alkaline batteries were not designed to meet the very high

power demands of today's electronic devices. Alkaline
batteries have a high rated capacity, but they can only deliver
their full capacity if the power is used slowly. (See chart).
Electronic devices such as digital cameras place a high power
drain on batteries, so it is much better to use rechargeable
NiMH or NiCd batteries for these type of devices. Lithium
batteries also work well in high drain applications but they
are expensive and are not designed to be recharged.

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Do Ultra or Advanced Formula alkaline batteries last

any longer than standard alkaline batteries?

Yes, for high drain applications Duracell Ultra and Energizer

Advanced Formula batteries do last longer than standard
alkalines. Unfortunately, they only last about 30% longer.
So instead of lasting for say 15-25 images they might last for
20-40. That's a little better but it's still pretty poor,
especially considering that these new style alkalines cost as
much as $1.50 each. Rechargeable NIMH or NiCds are the
better choice for high drain applications. They last much
longer on a single charge and don't have to be discarded
after a single use.

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Can NiMH batteries be substituted for alkaline batteries

even though they are only 1.2 volts?

Yes, for most high drain electronic applications NiMH batteries

are ideal substitutes and you needn't worry about the
apparent voltage differences. Even though alkaline batteries
are rated at a nominal 1.5 volts, they only deliver 1.5 volts
when they are fully charged. As they begin to discharge the
voltage of alkaline batteries continuously drops. In fact, over
the course of their discharge, alkaline batteries actually
average about 1.2 volts. That's very close to the 1.2 volts of
a NiMH battery. The main difference is that an alkaline
battery starts at 1.5 volts and gradually drops to less than
1.0 volts. NiMH batteries stay at about 1.2 volts for most of
their discharge cycle.

There are a couple of cases where their actual voltage

difference may be important to you. In the case of a device
like a radio, where a higher voltage can mean a stronger
signal, a fresh alkaline battery may be more desirable - but
more expensive - than a rechargeable NiMH battery. This is
also true for a flashlight, which will be brighter with the initial
higher voltage of alkaline cells. This minor difference may

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not be important to you and is probably offset by the much

lower cost of operating NiMH batteries. And keep in mind
that the alkaline battery only has a higher voltage when it is
fully charged. Once it gets to 50% capacity or less, it will be
delivering a lower voltage than a NiMH battery.

The one time when the voltage difference of the two is

important would be in the case of a device that checks the
voltage of a battery to estimate the amount of charge left on
the battery. Because the voltage of an alkaline battery drops
at a very predictable rate it's possible to estimate the amount
of capacity left in an alkaline battery based solely on its
voltage. (1.5 volts - fully charged, 1.25 volts - 50% charged,
1.0 volts - almost fully discharged). But a NiMH (or NiCd)
battery stays at about 1.2 volts until it is nearly completely
discharged. This makes it almost impossible to know the
amount of capacity left based on its voltage alone. When a
device that's using NiMH batteries indicates the battery is
low, it's time to change the batteries now!

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Which are better, NiCd batteries or NiMH batteries?

For most electronic devices it is better to use NiMH batteries

than NiCd batteries. NiCd batteries use Cadmium, a highly
toxic heavy metal, that can damage the environment if not
disposed of properly. (They should be recycled not
discarded). NiMH batteries usually have a higher capacity
than NiCd batteries of the same size. Some people argue
that NiCd batteries deliver faster discharge rates than NiMH
batteries. While this may be true under certain
circumstances, the difference is not relevant when
considering power sources for electronic devices like digital
cameras or portable music players. (If you are choosing a
battery to drive a high torque power screwdriver, then NiCds
can outperform NiMH). NiMH batteries require more
sophisticated chargers than those typically used for NiCd
batteries. But smart chargers designed especially for NiMH
batteries are now readily available.

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Do NiCd batteries really have a memory effect?

Answering this question is a sure way to start a flame war on

the internet. The simple answer is: Technically speaking
NiCd batteries do not have a memory effect. However, they
do suffer from a voltage depletion or voltage depression
phenomenon that most people call the memory effect. So
practically speaking, NiCd batteries do suffer from a memory
effect, even if it is not technically correct to call it that. There
is a lot of disagreement in the battery industry over what
actually causes voltage depression. The phenomenon itself is
very real. If a NiCd battery is repeatedly charged after it has
only been partially discharged it will develop a lower voltage
and a lower capacity. Fortunately, this effect is reversible by
conditioning NiCds. Conditioning is simply fully discharging

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the battery (down to about 1.0 V per cell) after charging it.
If a full discharge followed by a charge cycle is done several
times, a battery suffering from voltage depletion (voltage
depression, memory effect, or whatever you would like to call
it) should be restored back to its normal voltage and capacity.

If you use NiCd batteries you should be aware that most of

the problems experienced by NiCd battery users are not due
to a "memory effect" but are due to overcharging or improper
storage. Overcharging is usually caused by poorly designed
first generation battery chargers. These chargers continue to
deliver current to the batteries even after the batteries are
full charged. "5- hour" and "8-hour" timer type chargers can
damage NiCd or NiMH batteries if they are frequently used to
charge batteries that are only partially discharged.

The other common cause of damage to NiCd and NiMH

batteries is leaving them in a device like a flashlight left "ON"
after the battery has run down. Electronic devices normally
switch themselves off once the battery is discharged. But
other devices like flashlights, cassette players, and many
toys, will continue to put a small load (drain) on a battery
even after the battery is run down. Eventually (after a few
weeks) this drain on a discharged battery will cause the
polarity of the battery to reverse (the plus end actually
becomes minus and vice versa). Once this happens the
battery will not take a charge again. Battery makers
recommend that rechargeable batteries be removed from any
devices that will not be used for several weeks or longer.

The big difference between voltage depletion, the so called

"memory effect" and damage caused by overcharging or
improper storage, is that reduced capacity due to
overcharging is not reversible.

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Do NiMH batteries have memory effect?

Technically, NiMH batteries do not have a "memory effect",

but strictly speaking neither do NiCds. However NiMH
batteries can experience voltage depletion, also called voltage
depression, similar to that of NiCd batteries, but the effect is
normally less noticeable. To completely eliminate the
possibility of NiMH batteries suffering any voltage depletion
effect manufacturers recommend an OCCASIONAL, complete
discharge of NiMH batteries followed by a full recharge. NiMH
batteries can also be damaged by overcharge and improper
storage (see the NiCd section immediately above this one).
Most users of NiMH batteries don't have to be concerned with
this voltage depletion effect. But if you use a device say a
flashlight, radio, or digital camera for only a short time every
day and then charge the batteries every night, you will need
to let the NiMH (or NiCd) batteries run down occasionally.

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What is the shelf life of a NiMH battery?

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You probably mean to ask: What is the self discharge rate of

a NiMH battery? The rate of self discharge for any battery
depends on the temperature at which it's stored. Stored at
70 degrees F (20 C) NiMH batteries will lose up to 40% of
their charge within a month. If they are stored at a higher
temperature, they will self discharge at an even higher rate.
Stored at a lower temperature they self discharge at a lower
rate (Self discharge chart available soon).

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How many times can a rechargeable battery be

recharged?

I normally answer that question by simply saying "hundreds".

The reason I can't be more precise is because this is a more
complex question to answer than it might seem. The number
of times a battery can be recharged depends on how the
battery is used. An analogy that is sometimes used is to
compare a rechargeable battery to a loaf of bread. Suppose
someone asked, how many slices can be cut from a loaf of
unsliced bread? The answer, of course, depends on how thick
or thin the bread is sliced. If the slices are very thin it can be
cut into more slices. The same is true for recharging a
battery. Every time a rechargeable battery goes through a
charge and discharge cycle it loses a tiny bit of capacity.

If the battery is completely discharged before it is recharged,

that takes a bigger "slice" of the battery's capacity, if it is
only partially discharged a before recharging, it uses up a
smaller "slice". A NiMH battery can be charged and
discharged hundreds of times, but whether that means 200
times or 800 times has a lot to do with how big of a "slice"
you take each time.

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Does putting batteries in the freezer or refrigerator

make them last longer?

It depends on which type of batteries and at what

temperature you normally store them.

Alkaline batteries stored at "room temperature" will retain

90% of their power for years without refrigeration. Under
normal circumstances, refrigerating or freezing alkaline
batteries will extend their life by less than 5%. (see Battery
Myths)

NiMH and Nicad batteries, start to lose power when stored for
only a few days at room temperature. But they will retain a
90% charge for several months if you keep them in the
freezer after they are fully charged. If you do decide to store
your charged NiMH cells in the freezer or refrigerator, make
sure you keep them in tightly sealed bags so they stay dry.
And you should also let them return to room temperature

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before using them.

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Does rapid charging reduce the life of batteries?

No. So long as it is done using a properly designed, smart

charger, most NiMH batteries can be recharged in about an
hour without any damage or reduction in their life. However,
NiMH batteries must be rapid charged with a charger
specifically designed for charging NiMH batteries. Chargers
designed to charge NiCd batteries can overcharge NiMH
batteries. Even a standard or slow NiCd charger can damage
NiMH batteries.

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What about rechargeable or renewable alkaline

batteries?

Rechargeable alkalines work well for some uses but, they are
not a good alternative for use in digital cameras. They
typically have an even lower capacity than standard alkaline
batteries. This means that if a standard alkaline only lasts for
a few exposures, a rechargeable alkaline will last for even
fewer!

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What does mAh stand for?

mAh stands for milli Ampere hour or milli Amp hour. It is a

measure of a battery's energy storage capacity. If you think
of a battery as a small fuel storage tank, which in a sense it
is, mAh a measure of how much "fuel" the battery holds.
(This is roughly comparable to using gallons to measure how
much fuel a gas tank can hold. The more gallons of
capacity, the more fuel the tank can hold.) With a battery
the higher the mAh rating the more electrical energy it can
store.

While it is useful to think of mAh as being the rough

equivalent to gallons, the analogy is not a perfect one.
Different types of batteries use different methods to measure
mAh so comparing the mAh rating of one type of battery, say
an alkaline battery to another say an NiMH battery, is not
always meaningful. However, in general, the mAh rating of a
battery is a quick way to compare the relative energy storing
capacity of one battery to another battery of the same type.

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Can I substitute a higher mAh battery for a lower one?

If the batteries are of the same type, i.e. both are NiMH or
both are Lithium-ion, then you can use a higher capacity (i.e.
higher mAh) battery instead of the lower one. The reverse is
also true. Using a higher mAh rated battery will allow the
device to run longer on a charge. So a camera should take
more pictures and a music player can play more songs.

Keep in mind that it will take a little longer to charge a higher

capacity battery. (Staying with the fuel tank analogy from
above, it would also take longer to fill a 20 gallon gas tank
than a 12 gallon tank).

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