Battery life, rechargeable...

[Bobbie Mayer]

I put the full-sized air mattress in the Campster yesterday, and since I needed to blow it up, I kind of groaned, realizing I had not used the Coleman rechargeable inflator since September 2006. After locating it, I figured I would have to go charge it up. But no, it had plenty of charge! It has been sitting in a box in the garage for all this time. Why is it retaining charge when most rechargeables go dead much faster? I got two complete fillings of the mattress with it (and it isn't dead yet.)

http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-2000000834-R...5880&sr=8-1

The description does not say what kind of battery it has.

Any ideas?

[Gina D.]

Can't tell either. Coleman usually has high quality stuff, regardless of country of origin.. no doubt they speced in some good small battery.

They don't discharge quickly if the conditions are right.. not sitting in the cold or excessive heat. You may have hit the storage sweet spot.

[Bob H]

Batteries can hold a charge very long if they are well insulated and kept cool. A battery's storage capacity is what is lost with age. Over time and after several charge/discharge cycles the potency of the electrochemical materal in the battery cells become tapped out. The battery slowly loses it's capacity and will discharge quicker.

Also oxidation on the cell plate surfaces can build up, creating a platina of non-conducting oxidation that robs capacity. Fresh electrolyte can rejuvinate a battery, as well as a "Hard Charge", a fast charge from a high current source that can physically boil the platina off the surfaces of the batteries cells.

I bet your battery can keep a charge very well, but you may find it may tend to discharge faster with age.

ConwayBob

[Bobbie Mayer]

Batteries can hold a charge very long if they are well insulated and kept cool. A battery's storage capacity is what is lost with age. Over time and after several charge/discharge cycles the potency of the electrochemical materal in the battery cells become tapped out. The battery slowly loses it's capacity and will discharge quicker.

Also oxidation on the cell plate surfaces can build up, creating a platina of non-conducting oxidation that robs capacity. Fresh electrolyte can rejuvinate a battery, as well as a "Hard Charge", a fast charge from a high current source that can physically boil the platina off the surfaces of the batteries cells.

I bet your battery can keep a charge very well, but you may find it may tend to discharge faster with age.

Yes, I was thinking that the fact it was only used a few times would help.