How to Charge Lipo Batteries: Tips to Extend Battery Life

How to Properly Store LiPo Batteries: A Key to Prolonging Their Lifespan

Whether you're into drones, RC models, or any other battery-powered devices, proper battery storage is crucial for extending their lifespan. In this post, we'll walk you through some simple steps to ensure your LiPo batteries stay in top condition, avoiding degradation, swelling, and the risk of reduced performance.

Why is Storage Charging So Important?

Every time you finish flying or if you haven't used your LiPo batteries after they've been fully charged, it's crucial to storage charge them. But why is this so important? If you leave a battery fully charged for an extended period, it can cause battery degradation. This degradation happens quite quickly–sometimes even within a day or two–and leads to swelling, puffiness, and overall loss of battery capacity. Over time, this can destroy your battery's performance, even though it may still work. If you've spent a decent amount of money on your LiPo batteries, you'll want to ensure you get the most out of each cycle. Regularly storage charging your batteries can help avoid these issues.

The Ideal Lipo Battery Storage Voltage

When fully charged, each cell of a LiPo battery is typically at 4.2 volts. However, storing a battery at this voltage for extended periods is not ideal. The perfect storage charge is around 3.8 volts per cell. When you buy a brand-new LiPo battery, it usually comes with a storage charge. If you check the voltage with a LiPo cell checker, you'll often find the voltage is between 3.75 and 3.85 volts, which is considered safe for storage.

How to Storage Charge Your LiPo Batteries

Sometimes, life happens. You might charge your batteries the night before going to the field, but something comes up, and you don't have a chance to go. Instead of leaving them fully charged, you need to store charge them. Here's how to do that.

Set Up Your Charger: Make sure you have a charger that supports LiPo batteries. Most chargers on the market will have a similar interface.

Plug in the Battery: Connect your battery to the charger and also connect the balance tap. It's essential that you use balance mode to ensure proper storage charging.

Select the Storage Mode: On most chargers, there's an option for storage charging. Make sure to choose the "Storage" setting. If you mistakenly use "Discharge" mode, the charger will continue discharging the battery until it's completely drained, which can damage the battery.

Set the Charging Rate: Set the charger to a 1C charge rate. Discharging generally takes longer than charging, so make sure the discharge rate is safe for your battery.

Confirm and Wait: Once you've confirmed the settings, the charger will automatically stop once the battery reaches the ideal 3.8 volts per cell.

Safety Tips While Storage Charging

When storage charging, always stay present and never leave your battery unattended. While I'm in a controlled environment here with my batteries, it's crucial to emphasize safety. Consider placing your batteries in a LiPo-safe bag or a secure compartment to further reduce risks. Whether you're charging, storage charging, or discharging your battery, always stay nearby. If something goes wrong, you'll be there to stop it quickly.

If you absolutely need to leave the room, unplug the battery and shut everything off. Once you're back, you can reconfigure everything. Even if you have multiple chargers running at once, always ensure they're attended to during the process.

Benefits of Storage Charging Regularly

Regular storage charging will significantly extend the life of your LiPo batteries. After every use, or even if you're unsure about the battery's charge, it's a good idea to storage charge it. If you check the voltage after flying, it will often be around 3.8 volts per cell, which is perfect. But if it's above 3.8 volts, or if it's too low (say 3.6 volts), just put it back on the charger in storage mode, and the charger will bring it back to a safe storage voltage.

Conclusion

Storing your LiPo batteries properly is essential for getting the most out of them. A simple habit of storage charging after each flight or when you don't use them will keep your batteries in excellent condition for longer. By following these tips, you'll avoid the common issues of battery degradation and ensure you're ready to go whenever you need your batteries.

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