I am inquiring as to how hot and cold weather affects things like cordless screwdrivers, drills, and cell phones. I was told by Some Guy that temerature has an affect on the chemical reaction needed for the batteries to work (which I already knew), but what I am trying to find out is if storing my tools in the garage, where there is no insulation from the cold (and the same goes for cell phones left in the car…my wife and I leave ours in the glove box as we only use them for emergencies) will have a PERMANENT affect on the batteries.
Before I got married, my wife and I both had cordless screwdrivers, and both screwdrivers stopped working at the same time even with a full charge, so I am wondering if the temperature in the garage had permanently damaged them.
Here in Colorado, I leave cordless tools in the garage all winter with no adverse effects. Summer time I often have my tools in the truck for weeks; I assume they get pretty hot sometimes. I have two cordless drills that work fine & I’ve had them several years. Cell phone - I usually leave mine in the truck, and its worked fine for over a year.
I do notice that sometimes I have to let my cell phone warm up a bit before using if it’s really really cold, but it still holds a charge as long as ever.
Keeping batteries cold will slow down the self-discharge, making them hold a charge longer. However, when you want to use the battery, it’s better for it to be warm.
You won’t permanently damage a battery with cold unless it freezes.
Here’s a datasheet for a typical nicad battery. It’s rated down to -4F, but that’s pretty conservative. IIRC, a nicad battery doesn’t freeze until about -20F or below.
Arjuna34
It is true that storing rechargeable batteries at colder temperatures will decrease the self-discharge rate, but you should also make sure water does not condense on them. Batteries stored in the refrigerator, for example, should be sealed inside plastic bags.
It should also be noted that a NiCad’s “float” voltage during the charge cycle increases as temperature decreases, but most modern battery chargers automatically measure battery temperature and compensate accordingly.