This Frugal Friday we're going to piggyback on last week's post regarding batteries, but today we're going to talk about battery charging. (excited yet?!?! lol)
Last week we talked about 'slow charging' your batteries. What is the difference between 'slow charging' and 'fast charging', you ask? Well, you're in luck - we have the answer! According to the Rechargable Battery Review: "Fast charging gets your batteries charged faster but usually results in more stress due to heat. This can reduce a rechargeable battery’s useful life. Also, fast charging may not provide a complete charge.
Slow charging usually means that the battery is stressed less and does not heat up as much. It also may result in a more complete charge. Remember, this is not always true. A bad slow charger can overcharge your batteries resulting in excess heat and permanent damage.
A good charger will not overheat or overcharge the batteries which can lead to damage and a shorter rechargeable battery life span. Good and bad chargers are not based on whether they are slow or fast chargers. Good chargers are built on technology that can monitor and react to changes in the rechargeable battery temperature and voltage appropriately."
More batteries are damaged by bad charging techniques than all other causes combined.
With all of that in mind, we wanted to let you all know about a great product that will save you $$$ and still gives an accurate slow charge. We found a wonderful smart charger by Maha that we absolutely love!! This charger holds up to 8 AA or AAA's. It has the ability to slow charge or fast charge, however we only ever use the slow charge feature. This method of charging takes about 2 hours to complete, so plan ahead. In comparison, the alternative fast charge option is completed in 1 hour. We appreciate that in the Maha charger there is a built-in microprocessor that keeps the batteries from being over charged or under charged.
It's definitely an all-around great product to have on hand if you use batteries frequently, like we do.
~ Kevin
