Flashlight Battery Storage

Modern dry cells may be different. When Adm. Byrd. left Little America in Antartica years ago they left supplies behind. The next expedition to Little America found the battery powered telephones were working upon their arrival as well as when they departed.

Try Google and/or the battery manufacturers for their reccommendations?

Sounds reasonable from the view that cold temperatures will slow down the chemical reaction that "makes" the electricity.

Probably true, but since most of us don't have a requirement for long term storage of dry cells, it is of little consequence. You could do an experiment. Take ten new cells from the same package (hence manufacturing lot) and put five in the fridge for a year and leave the other five out in the household ambient environment. After a year, take each cell after reaching normal room temperature and subject each one to a timed discharge test, perhaps at C/20 rate. Compare your results. I'll bet you wasted more energy opening the refrigerator door twice than is saved by the reduction in self discharge of the dry cells.

It has worked for my family for several years. We buy batteries in bulk quantity since we seem to have a large collection of battery powered things in the house, then keep them in the crisper drawer of our second refrigerator. Even after an entire year of storage the common batteries have great power. Some lithium batteries I got in a killer deal have been stored for ten years, and still seem to have full power when I pull one out for use in my old tactical flashlight. So ... cold works for us. Give it a try.

thank-you

I quit buying flashlight batteries a few years ago when I purchased a rachargable unit. I leave it plugged in all the time, on a trickle charge, ready any time, fully charged, the batteries are good for 1000 dead to full charges, should last for years, paid USD $20.00. Considering what I was spending on batteries to keep a usable flashlight, it just made too much sense.

thank-you

No. And battery manufacturers all recommend strongly against refrigerating their battery cells. And what would really be the point? Given that cells are warranted to "last" (stay fresh) for many years before first use? If you think about it you realize that a cell in the refrigerator or freezer is never lasting longer because it is not being used! And the idea of making them last in storage before first or subsequent use is really a false economy in more ways than one. Now photographic film? that's another matter.