Dos and don’ts summary how to use, maintain and dispose of batteries.

Summary of Do’s and Don’ts

These are some of the suggestions on how to extend battery life by following simple guidelines. Because of similarities within systems, the chemistries are limited to lead, nickel and lithium.

Table 1: Dos and don’ts summary how to use, maintain and dispose of batteries.

Battery care	Lead acid: Flooded, sealed, AGM	Nickel-based:NiCd, NiMH	Lithium-ion: Cobalt, manganese, phosphate
Best way to charge	Apply a saturated charge to prevent sulfation; can stay on charge with correct float charge.	Avoid getting battery too hot on charge. Do not leave battery in charger for more than a few days (memory!).	Partial and random charge is fine; does not need full charge; lower voltage limit preferred; keep battery cool.
Charge methods	Constant voltage to 2.40–2.45/cell, float at 2.25–2.30V/cell; battery stays cool; no fast charge possible. Charge  = 14h	Constant current, trickle charge at 0.05C, fast charge preferred. Slow charge  = 14h Rapid charge = 3h Fast charge   = 1h	Constant voltage to 4.20V/cell; no trickle charge; battery can stay in charger Rapid charge = 3h Fast charge = 1h
Discharge	Do not cycle starter batteries; avoid full discharges; always charge after use.	Do not over-discharge under heavy load; cell reversal causes short. Avoid full discharges.	Prevent full cycles, apply some charge after a full discharge to keep the protection circuit alive.
How to prolong battery	Limit deep cycling, apply topping charge every 6 months while in storage to prevent sulfation, keep cells at or above 2.10V	Do not keep battery in charger for more than a few days, discharge to 1V/cell every 1–3 months to prevent memory (NiCd)	Keep cool, battery lasts longest when operating in mid state-of-charge of 20–80%. Prevent ultra-fast charging and high loads.
Storage	Do not store below 2.10V/cell; keep fully charged if possible	Store in cool place; NiCd stores for 5 years; prime before use	Store at 40% charge in cool place (40% SoC reads 3.75–3.80V/cell)
Disposal	Do not dispose. Lead is a toxic metal	NiCd: Do not dispose. NiMH: Can be disposed in low volume	Can be disposed of in low volume