How Much To Charge The Screwdriver Battery

Battery charging cycle

Charging a battery is a complex electrochemical process. The simplest models of chargers charge the battery in series. This means that electrons pass through all the elements in turn. At the same time, in the extreme batteries, the dissociation process will be more complete, and in the middle ones it will not be complete. It also takes much longer to charge. advanced chargers charge each cell in the battery separately. In this case, charging lasts several times faster, and all the elements in the battery are charged approximately the same, the process of dissociation in them goes almost to the end.

The first charging method has a certain drawback. The elements in the middle of the chain are not fully charged, and over time they begin to lose their properties. Battery replacement may be required. Therefore, if you have the opportunity, leave such a battery on for charging overnight, but no more. All elements will be charged overnight.

For all types of batteries, there is such a thing as memory effect.

That is why it is recommended to discharge the batteries to the end.

Indicators on screwdriver chargers

What does the green LED indicate? In most cases, it shows that some electric charge current is still passing through the battery. When the potential difference of the battery equals the voltage of the charger, the current stops and the green light turns on. When the charging current is still flowing through the battery, the red light is on. complex models of chargers have a special electronic control system that monitors not only the charging current, but also the potential difference of each element, and the value of the charging current.

Screwdriver Battery. How to Charge Properly

How Much To Charge The Screwdriver Battery

It would seem that charging a battery for a screwdriver is a simple process. Just insert the battery into the standard device and wait for the green LED to turn on instead of the red one. Then we take out the battery, and you can work. And in the work of the screwdriver there are no problems. it still works, and everything also successfully tightens and unscrews screws, screws, screws. But let’s take a closer look at how the screwdriver battery works. How do I charge the battery correctly? You just need to understand what its principle of operation is based on.

Differences in the types of batteries (rechargeable batteries) screwdrivers

The rechargeable battery is a chemical power source. It consists of several elements of a certain type. In budget screwdrivers, nickel-cadmium elements are used, sometimes nickel-metal-hydrite, in expensive ones. lithium-ion, or lithium-polymer. They are designated, respectively, Ni-Cd, Ni-MH, Li-ion, Li-Po. The cells in the battery are connected in series. Each of the elements in a charged state produces a fixed potential difference. Connected in series, these cells together provide the operating voltage of the battery. Each of the series-connected ones gives the difference in potential with the neighboring one, and the two extreme ones. in total, the operating voltage value. You can read more about batteries on Wikipedia:

When the battery is being charged, electrons sequentially penetrate the batteries and restore the chemical solution. In the process of work, as well as storage, the substance is oxidized, and the electrons again pass into a neutral state, simultaneously doing useful work. This is called a charge-discharge cycle. Until the end, the discharge still does not occur, and some value of the potential difference remains. This is called residual stress. Battery operation is based on electrolytic dissociation processes.

Storing screwdriver batteries

How to store batteries, charged or discharged? For nickel-based batteries, it is best to fully discharge, while lithium-based batteries are best charged to about half. Half of the charge will be reached approximately 2/3 of the time of normal charging, when the battery is completely discharged and then fully charged again. Since lithium batteries usually come with an expensive device, then you can consider the moment when the green light turns on as a full charge.

About restoring the battery charge of the screwdriver:

Batteries are shown not for screwdrivers, but the information is more than relevant:

How much to charge a lithium battery

Battery charging time is determined by the process of restoring capacity. Distinguish between full and partial charge.

Capacity is measured in ampere hours. This means, if you apply a charge that is numerically equal to the capacity, then in an hour the required voltage will be created at the terminals, and the energy reserve will be 70-80%. If capacitance is measured in C units, 1C-2C current should be applied during fast charging. Fast charging time about an hour.

For a complete charging cycle of batteries from several cells connected in series, 2 stages are used. CC / CV. The SS stage lasts until a voltage equal to the operating voltage appears at the terminals in volts. The second stage: at a stable voltage, a current is supplied to the jar, but with an increase in capacity, it tends to zero. Charging time takes about 3 hours, regardless of capacity.

How to charge a screwdriver lithium battery

A lithium battery screwdriver is almost always an upgrade. While Ni-Cd cells had the same charging requirements, now they are the opposite. First of all, you need to purchase or assemble a charger, specifically for the power-hungry lithium batteries of a screwdriver with a form factor of 18650. The charging scheme is applied in two stages CC / CV.

Charging the lithium battery of the screwdriver is optimal when 20-50% of the capacity remains. one stick on the indicator. The more often you charge, the more stable the voltage at the terminals and the longer the life of the energy source. The more even the voltage at the terminals, the more cycles the lithium battery of the screwdriver will withstand.

Discharge depth,% Number of charge cycles
one hundred 500
50 1500
25 2500
ten 4,700

If there are 2 batteries in the screwdriver, remove one, charge to 50-60% and keep in reserve. But always charge the second one at the end of work, even by 10%. The best temperature for charging is 15-25 0 C. At minus, the battery of the screwdriver will not charge, but it can work up to 10 0.

How to charge the lithium battery of a screwdriver with a charger depends on the scheme for collecting the battery from the cans. In any case, the voltage on the charger should be equal to that declared for the device, and the current strength should be 0.5 C at the first stage. On the second, the terminal voltage is stable, and the current falls, until the end of the process.

How to charge lithium batteries

Lithium batteries are a galvanic pair in which lithium salts serve as the cathode. Whether it’s a lithium-ion, lithium-polymer dry cell, or a hybrid battery, the charger fits everyone. Products can be in the form of a cylinder, or hermetically sealed soft packaging, the charging method for them is general, corresponding to the characteristics of the electrochemical reaction. How to charge a Li-ion battery?

Accumulators and batteries

Energy storage information website

How to properly charge lithium batteries

There are several schemes for charging lithium batteries. The two-stage charging developed by SONY is more commonly used. Devices using pulse charging and step charging, as for acid batteries, are not used.

Charging any type of lithium ion or lithium polymer battery requires strict voltage compliance. One cell of a charged lithium battery should have no more than 4.2 V. The nominal voltage for them is 3.7 V.

Lithium batteries can be charged quickly, not fully? Yes. You can always recharge them. Battery operation by 40-80% capacity lengthens battery life.

How to charge a 12 volt lithium battery

Each lithium battery is a sealed product of a cylindrical, prismatic shape, for Li-pol in a soft package. All of them have a voltage of 3.6-4.2 V and a different capacitance, measured in mA / h. If you collect 3 cans in series, you get a battery with a voltage at the terminals of 10.8. 12.6 V. The capacity during sequential charging is measured by the weakest lithium battery in the bundle.

How to properly charge a 12 volt lithium 18650 or Pol battery you need to know. To return the container to the device, you must use a charger with a controller. It is important to have in the PCM assembly for each can, protection against under- and overcharging. Another scheme of unprotected lithium-ion batteries is the installation of a PCB. a control board, preferably with balancers, for uniform charging of the cans.

On the charger, it is necessary to set the voltage under which the battery operates, 12.6 V. The number of cans and the charging current are set on the dashboard, equal to 0.2-0.5 C.

How to charge, we suggest looking at the charging method for 2, 3 lithium 18650 batteries connected in series. Using a budget charger.

Charging options for lithium-ion lithium polymer batteries:

  • Charger purchased with the device.
  • Use a USB connector from electronic equipment. computer. Here you can get a current of 0.5 A, charging will be long.
  • From the cigarette lighter by purchasing an adapter with a set of ports. Choose the one that matches the parameters of the 12V battery.
  • Universal charger "frog" with a dock for installing the gadget. How to charge? There is a charge indication panel.

Experts advise using a standard charger to charge lithium batteries, the rest. only in force majeure circumstances. However, how to charge a lithium battery without a standard charger, you need to know.

Car charger

It is not necessary to use this method all the time due to the mismatch of the parameters. A car charger is suitable if it is equipped with voltage and voltage adjustment elements. You just need to set the indicators correctly: the current is set as 0.5-0.1 of the total battery power.

General rules for charging the battery

If everything is done properly, the battery will last a long time. Here are the basic principles for properly charging a screwdriver:

1. If the battery is charged for the first time, it must be fully discharged and then fully charged before use.

2. The temperature in the room should be between 10 and 40 °.

3. To prevent the unit from overheating, it is necessary to disconnect the storage battery (accumulator) from the charger as soon as it is charged.

4. If the screwdriver is not used for a long time, it is necessary to recharge it once a month for preventive purposes.

Checking the battery condition with a multimeter

A device like the STHT0-77364 can help you find faults in various electrical components, including screwdriver batteries. It is best paired with other testers to achieve reliability. This allows you to check the indicators and calculate the error.

Note: Before you start measuring, you need to make sure that the multimeter itself is working. To do this, you just need to connect it to an outlet along with another similar device and check the readings.

Screwdriver battery device

The main components of power tool batteries:

  • The case on which the contacts are located;
  • Thermistor, which is needed to protect against overheating (not all models have);
  • Battery.

The main types of batteries and their features:

  • Nickel-cadmium. they are cheaper than others, they are lightweight. The downside is the memory effect. They need to be discharged to zero and charged to the end. If this is not done, the capacity will decrease.
  • Nickel metal hydride. This type does not have a pronounced memory effect, so such devices are more expensive. When idle for more than 30 days, the Ni-MH type battery needs a full recharge.
  • Lithium-ion. One of the most popular types. They do not work well in the cold: they discharge faster, and with regular use and storage at subzero temperatures, their service life is reduced. But otherwise, such batteries are better than others. The high cost of Li-Ion is fully justified by the speed of charging and impressive capacity, as well as the absence of the aforementioned memory effect.

External sources of electricity

The option described above also belongs to the category of external devices for charging the battery. Alternatively, you can connect the instrument to a different power source, such as an old battery, to act as a power bank. The main thing is that it is working and has identical parameters. But this requires remarkable knowledge of electrical engineering: it is necessary to create a chain with the help of crocodile adapters. You will need a 10 amp fuse, and you will also need to use oversized wiring.

Tip: if you need a power tool to work for a long time, it is better to select a model among professional options. Their batteries are much more powerful than household models.

How to properly charge a screwdriver battery: 3 best ways to charge

This article explains how best to handle the cordless screwdriver in terms of charging and storage. The manual also tells you how you can recharge the power tool without the supplied charger.

Battery types

In order for the battery to last a long time "like a clock", you must first read the instructions supplied with the device. It should be noted that screwdrivers differ not only in price, power, manufacturer, but are also divided into professional and semi-professional. Accordingly, batteries will also have different prices, quality and charge capacity. Professional types are equipped with more capacious power supplies, which will cost one level more, but will also last longer than normal ones. Manufacturers use various batteries in the manufacture of their devices, each of which is endowed with certain parameters and features that should be taken into account during recharging. Batteries for screwdrivers can be classified into the following types:

1. Lithium Li-Ion

They are considered the most powerful batteries. They charge quickly enough, and they also have a complete lack of memory effect. Recharging this type of battery is easy. There is no need to recharge it after a complete discharge, it is allowed to recharge as needed. The high cost and intolerance to low temperatures discourage many people from buying, so they are not too in demand. Charge batteries at temperatures between 10 ° C and 40 ° C. If the battery heats up while charging, it must be cooled to avoid further damage.

2. Nickel-cadmium Ni-Cd

Nickel-cadmium battery is endowed with compact dimensions and large capacity. By following the attached instructions, they can be recharged over 1000 times. There is a memory effect, if you charge it before a full discharge occurs, this can reduce energy consumption. Before the first use, you need to charge and discharge the battery at least three times. In the future, it is also recommended to completely discharge and charge the device, this will make it possible to bring the capacity to the required operating state. The same rule applies when storing the instrument.

3. Nickel-metal hydride Ni-MH

They belong to the latest generation of batteries, for this reason, the memory effect is somewhat weaker than the previous version, which is an undoubted plus. The disadvantage of the NMGB is the highest self-discharge current. In order for the battery to function for a long time, it must be kept charged. In case of prolonged non-use of the screwdriver (about a month), it must be completely recharged.

As you can see, each rechargeable battery is endowed with characteristic features, given which, it will be possible to properly charge the screwdriver.

What is the optimal amount of time for charging?

The recharging period is usually specified in the device manual. In most cases, the device has a special indicator that helps you understand how long it takes to charge. After charging is complete, disconnect it to avoid damaging the batteries. The average charge for a screwdriver is between 30 minutes and seven hours. Longest period for Ni-Cd 1.2 V, 250 mA feed approximately seven hours.

There are also two types of battery chargers: ordinary and impulse. Standard charging is most often completed with non-professional tools, the charge lasts about 3-7 hours. The impulse device is designed for professional models and is able to power the battery in a maximum of 1 hour.

Tip: The Interskol screwdriver is distinguished by its versatility, besides the main function, it can also be used as a drill.

How to properly charge a screwdriver

The screwdriver is one of the most sought-after tools used by professionals and amateurs. Using power screwdrivers is not always convenient, especially if you are away from 220 V. With a cordless tool, this problem is solved, with it you can move freely without dragging the cord along.

One of the main elements of any cordless tool is the battery, which ensures autonomous operation. But what is the correct way to charge the battery in order for it to last as long as possible? Further in detail in the article.

Features of charging one type or another

The initial charging of the screwdriver is considered a very significant factor, since it depends on it whether the full capacity of the charge becomes active or not. Any type of battery has its own characteristic features of primary recharging. The process of recharging a nickel-cadmium battery is somewhat complicated. Initially, it needs to be recharged three times in a row, and so that the charge capacity remains full.

It is recommended that the nickel-metal hydride species be completely discharged the first time, and also fully charged. The circle of full charging / discharging is repeated 4-5 times, then you can safely charge and discharge the battery regardless of the full capacity.

There are no special rules for lithium-ion, the capacity remains unchanged for a long time.

Advice! Do not allow the power supply to overheat over 50 degrees.

Should I charge before long-term storage?

Don’t use a screwdriver battery for a long time? Experts give the following recommendations.

  • Nickel-cadmium batteries, before storing, must be discharged to the point where the screwdriver ceases to function at full strength. For long-term storage, you need to carry out 3-5 full circles of charging / discharging.
  • Nickel-metal hydride ones are provided with a higher self-discharge value, in contrast to the previous elements. Experts advise keeping them charged, and after a long break, put them on charge for a day. The capacity decreases after 200-300 charge-discharge cycles. Partial discharge allowed for this type.
  • Lithium-ion devices are distinguished by the complete absence of the "memory effect". The battery can be charged whenever you want. It is not recommended to completely discharge them, as a result, you can disable the protective circuit. Equipped with special controllers that switch off the element at high temperatures to prevent overload. You can keep the cell charged only 50%.

What to do if the battery does not recharge? (2)

The reason may lie both in wear and tear and in the breakdown of the device. It often happens that the contacts between the terminals of the charger and the battery are broken. Then you can independently disassemble the "charging" and bend the terminals.

As you know, all contacts oxidize and get dirty over time, this is no exception for a screwdriver with a charger. This usually results in a significant reduction in the charging time as well as the duration of the power tool’s activity. To eliminate the oxide, you need to gently wipe the contacts with a special substance or, in extreme cases, with alcohol.

Very often nickel-cadmium batteries lose their capacity, especially when it comes to non-professional models. Experienced users prefer to overclock these batteries. First, the battery pack is disassembled and problem areas are found. Then they need to be recharged. It is better to immediately use a higher current than it should be, and then discharge it again. If Ni-Cd still has electrolyte, the procedure can restart the power supply.

And some connoisseurs even use a car charger to recharge the battery.

Instruments

Among power tools, both household and professional, the screwdriver is one of the most demanded. With its help, you can not only twist and screw in self-tapping screws, but also drill holes. It is not always possible to use tools powered from the mains and not everywhere, and the cord interferes with work all the time. Cordless screwdrivers are relieved of these disadvantages. With them, you can move freely and not depend on the presence of an outlet in the room.

An important element of every cordless tool is the battery, which allows it to work autonomously. This is very convenient, but sooner or later, each owner of such a power tool faces the question of how to charge the battery of a screwdriver.

Battery charging features

How to properly charge the battery of a screwdriver so that it lasts as long as possible?

Batteries must be charged before first use as they discharge during storage. To make the battery capacity of the screwdriver the maximum possible for the nickel-cadmium cell, it is recommended to charge it three times and then discharge it. Thus, since the new battery has incomplete capacity, it must be brought to full working capacity. After that, the batteries will need to be charged as soon as their capacity becomes minimum. Lithium-ion batteries are easier to use. They do not have a memory effect, so you can not bring them to full discharge and charge when it is convenient.

When charging, you need to take into account the optimal temperature regime of the process. It is better that the ambient temperature is above ten degrees and does not exceed forty. Batteries sometimes get hot during charging, but this should not be the case, as overheating negatively affects their performance, and they need to be cooled. It is undesirable to leave batteries in the charger. And it is better to store them by disconnecting them from the screwdriver, separately from the instrument itself. If the batteries are not used for a long time, they should be recharged once a month.

It is better to buy rechargeable batteries at specialized points of sale. Correct use will help increase their service life. During operation, it is undesirable to discharge the elements completely until the engine stops. The fact that they need to be charged will be indicated by their markedly reduced performance.

Do I need to charge batteries before storing?

If the cordless tool is not used for a long time, experts advise you to carefully consider the battery cells.

It is recommended to discharge nickel-cadmium batteries before storage, but not to zero, but to the point where the instrument stops working at full capacity. During long-term storage, to restore the capacity of the battery, it is necessary to carry out 3-5 complete cycles of its discharge and charge. During the operation of the tool, it is also advisable to ensure that the battery is not partially discharged before charging, but completely.

Nickel-metal hydride batteries have a higher self-discharge rate than previous cells. They are recommended to be kept charged, and after a long "rest" charge for about a day. Partial discharge is preferred for this type of battery. Their capacity decreases after 2-3 hundred charge-discharge cycles.

Lithium-ion batteries, which have no memory effect, can be charged at any time, whatever the degree of discharge. These batteries have the lowest self-discharge rate at the highest capacity. It is not recommended to completely discharge them, as this may disable the protective circuit. Power tools with such batteries are equipped with control electronics that disconnect the cell from the load when the temperature or voltage rises. It is recommended to store these batteries 50 percent charged. The number of charge-discharge cycles does not affect the capacitive characteristics of the cells, however, their life is limited by time and is about two years.

How long does it take to charge the screwdriver batteries?

As a rule, the charging time of the screwdriver battery is indicated in the instructions for the tool. These recommendations should be carefully followed. Often the charger has a special display system to help you understand how the charging process is going. Thanks to this, you can easily determine with how much to charge the battery of the screwdriver. When charging is complete, you need to interrupt it in time so as not to damage the batteries. On average, the charger battery for a screwdriver can recharge from about half an hour to 7 hours. Practice shows that a Ni-Cd battery with a capacity of 1.2 Ah is charged with a current of 250 mA for about seven hours. Charging current is maintained using the mains adapter.

It should be borne in mind that there are two types of battery chargers. conventional and impulse. A standard conventional charger is more often used in a non-professional tool, it charges the battery in about 3-7 hours. Pulse. more suitable for professional mechanisms. Thanks to it, the battery performance can be restored in a maximum of an hour.

Types of batteries used to operate the screwdriver

Before purchasing new batteries for the screwdriver, you must carefully study the instructions for the device. The tools required for work can be professional, household and semi-professional. Batteries for them differ from each other in capacity, quality and price.

For certain jobs, certain types of cordless tools are also intended, designed for different loads, therefore, different batteries are needed for them. The higher the power rating of the battery, the longer it can work. For convenience, it is better to have two batteries so that you can recharge the second when working with one. Often a second battery is already included when the instrument is sold.

Various types of batteries can be used for screwdrivers. The most commonly used nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) and nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH), and more recently also lithium-ion (Li-Ion).

The most common of them are nickel-cadmium batteries, which are compact in size, large in capacity and at an affordable price. These batteries can be effectively charged more than a thousand times, depending on their design, purity of materials, operating mode, including correct charging. However, these devices have a so-called memory effect, and if you charge them without waiting for a full discharge, the battery capacity will gradually decrease. In addition, the production of such elements is so toxic that the European Union abandoned it on its territory.

In second place in terms of frequency of use. nickel-metal hydride batteries, representing a new generation of similar devices. From the point of view of ecology, both the production and disposal of these batteries are practically safe. The advantages of batteries of this type include the fact that they have less pronounced memory effect, and the disadvantages. High self-discharge current. These batteries must be kept charged and fully recharged when not in use for more than a month.

recently, more powerful lithium-ion batteries have been used for cordless tools. They also do not have such a disadvantage as the memory effect, which requires periodic discharge cycles to restore capacity. However, these batteries do not tolerate low temperatures, and it is undesirable to work with them in cold weather. Despite their fast charge and high capacity, they are not very popular yet, as their price is quite high.

  • Types of batteries used to operate the screwdriver
  • Battery charging features
  • How long does it take to charge the screwdriver batteries?
  • Do I need to charge batteries before storing?
  • What to do if the screwdriver battery does not charge?