| Leaving a power tool battery on a charger for too | | | | batteries, none of them will automatically shut off. This |
| long, or even all night long, is one of those simple | | | | means your battery and charger are still hot, and your |
| mistakes any craftsman can make - you plop your | | | | battery is still connected to the charging terminals. |
| battery down to charge, you eat your dinner, you | | | | This should mean at least several things to you: firstly, |
| watch Jeopardy or the news, and suddenly you have | | | | that you are depleting the life of your battery with |
| completely forgotten about that battery charging in the | | | | every overcharge, secondly, that you are wasting |
| garage or behind the sofa. It happens. Few of us, | | | | energy, and thirdly, that you are at a much greater risk |
| though, truly realize how just how detrimental this can | | | | of electrical fire. Keeping your battery on a charger for |
| be to your battery. Overcharging generates an excess | | | | too long is not only dangerous for your batteries, but |
| amount of heat within the battery and charger that | | | | also to yourself and your environment as the heat |
| can and will deplete the overall life and general | | | | generated and the electrical nature of battery charging |
| performance of your generally very expensive | | | | is always a fire hazard. Ultimately, overcharging is bad |
| batteries. Every second your battery is unnecessarily | | | | for everyone. I suggest err on the side of |
| connected to a charging terminal, you are losing | | | | undercharging (unless, of course, you are still using an |
| valuable time with your battery - the thing will die | | | | old NiCad battery which will usually experience "the |
| prematurely and you'll be stuck with the bill for a new | | | | memory effect", but that's an entirely other story). |
| one, and likely a tear or two in your eye. Its never | | | | Undercharging may be frustrating once or twice for |
| easy to lose a battery. | | | | just a minute or two, but will ultimately save you and |
| Most chargers will indicate when a battery has | | | | your battery from a lot of avoidable heartache. |
| received a complete charge, and what's more, most | | | | Despite all this, it is still easy to forget your charging |
| chargers will tell you exactly how long it will take to | | | | batteries; its easy to leave them charging for seeming |
| recoup your battery (i.e. "this is a 15 minute charger" or | | | | endless hours, but you must stop. Stop or suffer |
| "this is a 30 minute charger"). This, however, is | | | | eternally the under-performance of overcharged |
| sometimes not enough for the busy or forgetful | | | | batteries. Tie a string 'round your finger, set your alarm |
| craftsman, and although these days many chargers | | | | clock, write a note on your hand, but remember to pull |
| have and integrated interior cooling fan, some have a | | | | those batteries off your chargers. You'll be glad you |
| chime to notify when a battery is completely charged, | | | | did, and your batteries will perform optimally for a |
| and others still will stop delivering charge to your | | | | longer, healthier time frame. |