Nimh Battery Charger: Need, Pros and Cons

Have you ever seen a person who keeps using the same battery again and again for his/her devices? If someone you know does that, there is a big chance that he is using a nickel metal hydride battery or NiMH battery for short. It’s not a surprise though, since NiMH battery is one of the commonly used battery when someone constantly uses battery. What makes it so special though, that someone decided to use it constantly? Here, we will talk about the NiMH battery charger and how it’s related to people’s daily usage of the battery.

Can you charge the Nimh battery in any charger?

Before we talk further about NiMH battery charger, let’s talk about the battery itself first. NiMH battery has the same trait as the nickel-cadmium cell (NiCd battery) because both of them use nickel oxide hydroxide (NiOOH) as its chemical. However, the NiMH batteries are still different from NiCd batteries because they use alloy to absorb the hydrogen instead of cadmium.

NiMH batteries are also more superior to their relative when it comes to energy and capacity. If you compare NiMH battery with a NiCd battery, NiMH batteries actually have capacity three times more than NiCd batteries. They have more energy too.

Another perk of NiMH batteries is its rechargeable state. That’s right, the battery can be recharged and used repeatedly too! Of course, you can’t do that all the time, but you’ll be accompanied by the same NiMH battery for a while until you might even get tired of it.

However, just because it can be recharged, it does not mean that NiMH batteries can be used with any kind of charger. It’s best not to use an incorrect charger for charging NiMH batteries, as it can lead to the charger being unable to detect the batteries. In the end, everything will be in vain.

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When do you need a Nimh battery charger?

You will need a NiMH battery charger when your battery is running out of energy. You can easily see it when your device starts to go on and off repeatedly. It means that the battery is running out of energy.

When your NiMH battery runs out of energy, it’s time for you to take out your charger and charge the batteries. Here are some things you need to consider when you charge the battery:

Don’t use the wrong charger

People often use a NiCd battery charger because they have several properties that are the same. This is where people are wrong. The charger will not detect the NiMH battery when they use a NiCd battery charger for it. Even if it works, there is a big chance that the charger will overcharge the NiMH battery.

So, it’s best to buy your own NiMH charger. You will have to spend extra money, but it’s worth the result.

Be mindful of the temperature

One of NiMH’s weaknesses is its sensitivity to temperature. If it’s too cool, it won’t work. The same goes if the temperature is too hot. So it’s best to charge the battery at room temperature to make everything work properly. If not, you’ll have a hard time charging the battery.

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Check the charging process constantly

Although this doesn’t apply to all NiMH battery chargers, this should be something that should be noted for the charger owners. There are some NiMH batteries that do not stop the charging process automatically when it’s full. There are times when the battery will be overcharged. If you cannot check regularly, you can opt using a timer to know when you should stop the charging process.

So, it’s best for you to regularly check up on your battery and see if it has finished charging or not. Of course, unless your NiMH battery charger can stop the charging process automatically when the battery is full. If that’s the case, you can kick back and relax.

Use fast charging

If you can use fast charging, it’s best to use it as soon as possible. What makes fast charging great is the fact that you can detect when the battery should stop charging.

The charging is usually almost close to done when the battery reaches seventy percent. When the battery reaches seventy percent and is still cool, then you can go ahead and continue until it reaches one hundred percent.

What are the pros and cons of using a NiMH battery charger?

From here, we can see the benefits and disadvantages of using a NiMH battery charger. The first advantage is being able to charge the battery properly. Without a NiMH battery charger, there is no way you can charge a NiMH battery charger properly. Of course, this means that you won’t be able to gain the energy you need.

The second advantage is how you can actually gain more energy if you charge with a NiMH battery charger properly. This is because you will be able to charge the battery properly without any trouble whatsoever. When this happens, you’ll be able to replenish the energy of the battery you lost.

However, there are disadvantages to using a NiMH battery charger. The first disadvantage is its sensitivity to heat. Since the battery is sensitive to heat and other temperatures, it’s best for you to use the charger in dry room temperature. If you charge in hot or cold locations, there is a chance you will encounter trouble during charging.

The solution to this problem is to get a NiMH battery charger that automatically stops the charging process when you’re done. If you buy an automatic charger, there is no need for you to constantly check up the charger whatsoever. So you don’t need to worry about your battery being overcharged too.

As it can be seen, there are pros and cons of using a NiMH battery charger. So are you going to buy the charger, or are you going to stay with your old charger? Remember, your decision will decide the fate of the battery!