# Safe to charge a cordless battery that was left out during the winter?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safe-to-charge-a-cordless-battery-that-was-left-out-during-the-winter/659260>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 24, 2013, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safe-to-charge-a-cordless-battery-that-was-left-out-during-the-winter/659260 "2013-05-24T20:16:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safe-to-charge-a-cordless-battery-that-was-left-out-during-the-winter/659260/1 "2013-05-24T20:16:44Z")

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Last winter, a [Black&Decker 18V slide-pack battery](http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-HPB18-OPE-18-Volt-Cordless/dp/B000VL603Y)was left in a cabinet on a covered outdoor porch. No rain or abominable snowmen got in, but temperatures did what they do during winter. I don’t see any physical damage, and it’s been inside for well over a month now. I’d like to put it back on its charger, but because I think of electricity as magic—and have the appropriate respect for anything that can burn my house down—I figured I’d ask here. Any thoughts? Anything I should look for/test/do?

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**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safe-to-charge-a-cordless-battery-that-was-left-out-during-the-winter/659260/2 "2013-05-24T20:23:10Z")

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If you are really worried, get an extension code and hook up the charger away from the house or any other structure.

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**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2013, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safe-to-charge-a-cordless-battery-that-was-left-out-during-the-winter/659260/3 "2013-05-24T20:48:41Z")

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See my post of 11/15/2013:

“So I left a cordless battery outside all summer…”

It’s not just the initial plugging in that I’m wondering about, but also leaving it on the charger for weeks at a time.