How many times have you tried to switch on your electrical gadget and it failed to start? Batteries have a tendency to fail at the most inopportune moment. Or so you think!! So it’s time you found out why batteries actually fail.
Internal Resistance
You know that electric currents face resistance when passing through a circuit. Batteries also have an internal resistance of their own. This resistance could be due to temperature, type of electrolyte, size, etc. When this resistance increases, after a certain point the battery stops working.
Lead acid batteries have low internal resistance, while alkaline batteries have high internal resistance.
Aging
Everything, including human capacity, fades away with time, and so do batteries. As the time progresses, the internal resistance of batteries increases. This is more so for rechargeable batteries because they get heated during charging. This increase in internal resistance leads to their failure eventually.
Electrical Leakage
All batteries tend to lose electric energy when not in use. This is called self-discharge. Primary batteries lose minimum power due to it. Rechargeable batteries tend to lose power the most when they are fully charged and then lesser amount as their charging decreases. Some of the factors affecting electrical leakage are manufacturing practices, aging, operating temperature, charge/discharge cycle, etc.
High Cut-off Voltage
In the case of rechargeable batteries, manufacturers prescribe a cut-off voltage for the batteries. The voltage at which a battery is supposed to have discharged is its cut-off voltage. Actually, there is still some power left in it, but this threshold for recharging ensures longer battery life. Many portable device manufacturers set high cut-off limit for their devices. So, the devices shut down due to lack of power much before they actually could.
Improper Storage
Your battery needs proper maintenance and care. Improper storage of the battery when not in use is a very important reason for premature battery failure. You should carefully read manufacturer’s instructions about disconnecting the battery when it is not in use, as well as how to store it.
I have listed 5 reasons here and you might have felt that only the last one, i.e., improper storage, is what you can actually take care of. Other factors seem to be there by default. Well, actually there are some common factors that affect all of these. If you choose a good quality battery and gadget using it, keep it away from high or low temperatures, and care for it well, you can prevent it from failing when you are least expecting it to.
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