-->
Quick Tip: You Can Still Use “Dead” Batteries
I can’t claim to be an engineer, so I don’t know the intricacies of how batteries work and what level of voltage that appliances or electronics need to operate, but I found out something useful regarding batteries.
We’ve been using rechargeable batteries in our camera, but they have been holding less and less charge, and basically can’t operate the camera even when “fully charged”. But I held off from tossing the batteries completely just because they couldn’t take a picture of my posing in that dress. No no! I found a better use for them!
I know of two items that use very little charge in our household: Nintendo Wii remotes and TV remotes. I popped in those worthless batteries and have gotten weeks more use out of them (on just that one charge) and can still keep charging them up. This also goes for non-rechargeable batteries too. Don’t think that they’re useless just because they can’t be used in one electronic. Think about what low-voltage items you have in your house like remotes, or anything without moving parts or flashes. Give that digital wall clock a shot!
TweetLike this article? Subscribe to our emails & stay in the loop.
Other possibly related posts:
- Clever use for all those spare quarters!
- Quick Frugal Tip: Use less shaving cream
- 5 QUICK Ways to Save Money IN the Bathroom
Leave a Comment
If you would like to make a comment, please fill out the form below.
Clever Dude and his bride started with $113,000 in consumer debt and in just 3 short years, it's gone!
Hmm, that’s interesting… thanks for the tip.. I’ll have to try this.
Great idea Clever Dude, I’ll have to try it.
Well, we don’t have a Wii, but we have a few remotes. Good to know!
That’s a great point. It’s also good insurance for battery life not to use “regular” type batteries in high-drain electrical items, like digital cameras (especially with a flash!). There are batteries specifically designed to handle the higher power requirements of these gadgets, and using the right battery for the job will lead to much longer and more effective use.
Jerry
Great tip. I remember trying this a couple times; I’m sure it works, I’m just not that lucky!
I’ve done this for a while now, and it does work pretty well to squeeze a little more battery life from otherwise “dead” battery. Agree with Jerry too though, some batteries are made for high drain devices, and are worth the money.
Also, something that not a lot of people know is that you should not mix an old and a new battery. This will actually cause the new battery to drain much faster than it would otherwise, giving you less overall life than you would have gotten by just tossing the old one.
You can also use the old trick of putting them on the radiator (use common sense here, eh?) or just warming them in your hand. Batteries work by chemical reactions and heat speeds up the reactions allowing you to squeeze a little extra out of them. Of course this stops working when they return to room temperature.
We have kids toys that take more batteries than I can keep up with. Good to know, thanks…
@ERE – I always get one last pop from dead batteries when I throw them into fire.
On a more serious note, good tip.