# Did I permanently mess up this rechargeable battery? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 19, 2020, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-permanently-mess-up-this-rechargeable-battery/925994 "2020-11-19T20:44:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-permanently-mess-up-this-rechargeable-battery/925994/1 "2020-11-19T20:44:38Z")
I bought this rechargeable fan to use outside on my deck to blow mosquitoes away. > **[Amazon.com: Geek Aire Rechargeable Outdoor High Velocity Floor Fan,16'' Portable...](https://www.amazon.com/GeekAire-Rechargeable-Velocity-Portable-Industrial/dp/B07MXCDTB9)** > > Buy Geek Aire Rechargeable Outdoor High Velocity Floor Fan,16'' Portable 15000mAh Battery Operated Fan with Metal Blade for Garage Barn Gym Camp, Run All Day Cordless Industrial Fan,USB Output for Phone: Everything Else - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY... I also use it in my laundry room in the garage partly because in the middle of summer it’s hot as hell’s front porch in there and yet the heat does not deter armies of mosquitoes. When running it in the laundry room, I leave it plugged in. Today I wanted to take it out to the deck to enjoy this 70-degree weather (mosquitoes still everywhere) and it wouldn’t turn on. It has been a while since I ran it on battery power alone-- a few months actually. Did I mess up this battery permanently? BTW, this is a fantastic, lightweight fan. When charged it runs for several hours at low speed on battery power. I used it when the inside of my car got wet from rain. I ran it for many hours. Good for when you’re painting inside or something and want to avoid being overcome by fumes. Also you can leave it outside when it’s raining. I usually tuck it under a table, but it’s nice not to have to run out and get it when it starts to rain. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-permanently-mess-up-this-rechargeable-battery/925994/2 "2020-11-19T23:55:33Z")
I doubt you did anything wrong. It’s totally normal to put a fan away for a few months and there shouldn’t be any problem taking it from storage and setting it back up. It’s also totally normal to leave a seasonal device plugged in for months at a time turned off before needing it. I’d try a different charger and cable (assuming all is standard USB) but, if that doesn’t work, yes, it might be a bad battery. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2020, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-permanently-mess-up-this-rechargeable-battery/925994/3 "2020-11-20T00:08:51Z")
The port on the fan that the cord plugs into is not USB. When I unplug the fan and then plug it back in, all of the lights come and flash, and then they go off. I’ll explore some more tomorrow. There may be a customer service number or something. I’m too exhausted to think about it any more today. Thanks for the reply. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2020, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-permanently-mess-up-this-rechargeable-battery/925994/4 "2020-11-20T03:15:49Z")
I’ve noticed this happens to laptop batteries. My work laptop doesn’t work at all if not plugged in (come to think of it i need to ask them for a replacement)