Recommendations for storing batteries
Batteries of all types should be stored with the electric screwdriver disconnected. Each type of battery also has its own peculiarities in this regard:
- Nickel-cadmium batteries need to be discharged to the point where the electric screwdriver does not work at its full capacity before storage;
- Ni-MH batteries should be kept fully charged, but slight discharging is still allowed;
- lithium-ion batteries must also be discharged before they are stored, but only halfway.
Ni-MH batteries, which can be recharged 200 to 300 times without loss of capacity, must be recharged within 24 hours after long periods of storage. Units of this type have a significant self-discharge parameter.
As mentioned above, lithium-ion batteries have no memory effect. They have a high capacity and the lowest self-discharge rate. They can be recharged at any time, regardless of the degree of discharge.
Li-Ion batteries should not be fully discharged, because it may disable the built-in electronic protection system against temperature or voltage rise.
To reach 50 percent of a charge needed for proper storage, lithium-ion batteries need to be charged from near zero for about 65 percent of the time it takes to reach full capacity.
Compliance with the simplest recommendations for storage and charging of battery packs of different types will allow to work out the entire resource of batteries, laid in them by the manufacturers.
Basic classification
Experts distinguish the following categories of electric screwdriver:
Since the battery is designed for a specific job and load, each type of tool requires an appropriate charger. Tool’s operating time depends on battery capacity. Specialists distinguish the following types of batteries:
2 type of battery, unlike the others, is compact, has a higher capacity. With proper use, the tool can be charged more than 1000 times. The battery of an electric screwdriver must be charged according to the following rules:
- Full charge of the battery. Otherwise, the capacity of the energy carrier and the duration of operation of the tool will be reduced.
- Toxicity of the nickel-cadmium battery (must not be dropped).
- Nickel-metal hydride battery is developed by new technology and is environmentally safe for humans. It can be recharged frequently. If the tool is not being used, then the battery is stored in a charged state. When an electric screwdriver is at rest for long periods of time, the battery is completely discharged.
- Lithium-ion battery has no memory effect. A battery has a high energy capacity. Because of its susceptibility to cold temperatures, the lithium-ion battery pack cannot be used in the winter.
Specialists distinguish the following categories of electric screwdriver:
Since the battery is designed for a certain work and load, each type of tool requires an appropriate charger. Tool life depends on battery capacity. Specialists distinguish the following types of batteries:
2 type of battery, unlike the others, is compact, has a higher power capacity. The tool can be charged more than 1000 times when properly operated. The battery of an electric screwdriver must be charged according to the following guidelines:
- Fully charging the battery. Otherwise, the energy capacity and run time of the tool will be reduced.
- Toxicity of the nickel cadmium battery (must not be dropped).
- The nickel-metal hydride battery is designed with new technology and is environmentally friendly to humans. It can be charged frequently. If the tool is not being used, then the battery is stored in a charged condition. The battery will be completely discharged if the electric screwdriver is not used for an extended period of time.
- Lithium-ion device has no memory effect. The battery has a high energy capacity. Due to its susceptibility to low temperatures, the lithium-ion battery pack cannot be used in the winter.
How to charge an electric screwdriver battery without a charger
Cordless screwdrivers and drills quickly entered the domestic market of construction tools and firmly entrenched in it. It is noteworthy that these devices are quite problematic. First of all, batteries fail often, and to avoid regular breakdowns, you need to buy expensive devices initially. Secondly, even more often broken chargers, which, by the way, are also not so cheap. The second problem can, in principle, be solved by yourself. It is enough just to understand how to charge the battery of an electric screwdriver without a charger. There is a specific instruction, following which you will be able to get your electric screwdriver back in working order within a minimum of time.
Charging an electric screwdriver. Safety and Precautions
Note that the following methods allow you to charge an electric screwdriver with constant current. You need to keep an eye on the process and make sure the battery is fully charged at all times. The fact is that once the process is complete, the electrolytes inside the battery jars begin to boil. This helps to significantly increase the temperature of the battery itself. In addition, the slightest spark can cause the device to burst.
Materials for making your own charger
Naturally, to do the charging yourself, you will need additional materials and tools. This:
- An old spoiled battery.
- Two wires, from 15 centimeters long.
- Charging cup.
- A heat gun.
- Drill.
- Knife.
- Soldering iron.
- Screwdriver.
Most of what you probably already have, so it won’t cost much to build it. First you need to remove the terminals from the old battery. To do this we use a soldering iron. In order not to mix up the polarity, make a marking right on the body of the device. Now the holes need to be adjusted to the right size, using a knife. Next, pull the wire through the prepared holes and solder to the charging cup, taking into account the polarity. The design is still quite fragile, so put cardboard in the body. Attach the bottom of the battery directly to the charging cup. You have a finished construction. Now you can plug it into the adapter and fix it into the battery itself.
How to correctly charge the battery of an electric screwdriver without the charger by USB
To make a charger that works with a USB port, you will need:
- A 10A fuse.
- Any USB charger.
- 220V socket.
- Connectors.
- Duct tape.
- Scotch tape.
- Paint.
The process of charging an electric screwdriver from a USB
First you need to take the tool apart. It is necessary to separate the upper working part from the handle with a knife. A special hole is made in the handle, where the 10A fuse will be installed. The wire is connected to the fuse with a soldering iron and the structure is inserted into the handle body. To fix the fuse, use glue and a heat gun. It is recommended that you wrap duct tape around the handle for added security. The resulting device is inserted into the battery of an electric screwdriver. The remaining wires are mounted on top of the electric screwdriver. The body is wrapped with duct tape, painted and sanded. A detailed diagram is as follows: The detailed process of such charging the battery of a cordless electric screwdriver is shown in this video:
Common problems and their solutions
There are often a number of characteristic problems with a battery-operated electric screwdriver:
It will not charge
If the battery of an electric screwdriver simply does not charge, the cause may lie in the breakage of the charger, and in the malfunction of the device, or in the exhaustion of the resource of the battery itself. The problem is solved in the following ways:
- Replace the battery with a new one.
- By returning the contact terminals in the device to their normal state. if they are bent after prolonged use, they should be bent back.
- Cleaning the metal contacts that are dirty or oxidized after prolonged use.
- Rocking the NiCad battery through three to five successive charge-discharge cycles.
No charger
In cases where it is necessary to charge the battery of an electric screwdriver without a brand-name battery charger, the following methods can be used:
- Using any other suitable charger with similar supply voltage characteristics. Must be matched in capacity, voltage and polarity. At the same time the power can be any. this value will depend only on the time of recharging. However, it is better to select it so that the battery is charged for a standard time. as with a brand-name charger, for example, 5-7 hours.
- connect the car charger with setting of optimum parameters, observance of polarity and control of temperature of battery case heating.
- Connect a universal charger with the necessary current settings.
How to Charge an Electric Screwdriver Battery Without a Charger: Ensuring Safety
Before using any charging method other than a native charger, remember that:
- the process should be continuously monitored, at the end of the battery filling it is recommended to stop the procedure, because.к. from overfilling the electrolytic cells of the battery can boil, the temperature rises sharply, the appearance of the slightest spark will blow up the entire construction;
- Non-native, homemade chargers threaten to completely ruin the battery, eliminating the possibility of its subsequent recovery;
- It is necessary to ensure that all elements of the circuit are connected correctly, that the technical parameters of the battery are strictly taken into account when installing the circuit, the safety of the procedure, the observance of polarity;
- If the modules have slightly different characteristics (for example, 10 and 13 volts), you can not charge the battery for a long time.
Further useful information
Batteries are available in different versions: lithium, nickel.metal hydride.cadmium. Powerful lithium blocks are the easiest to charge, recharging the other two types has some peculiarities. The charging time of different batteries also varies from 0.5 h to 7 h. Cadmium modules take the longest to fill (7 hours).
The considered ways of solving such a problem, how to charge the battery of an electric screwdriver without a charger, are not acceptable for every type of power tool. Before you start experimenting, you need to consider all the technical features of the devices used, materials, so as not to damage the power tool itself, your health, property or real estate.
an electric screwdriver, equipped with an battery, makes it possible to fully work in places where there is no opportunity to connect to an electrical outlet. This simplifies construction and repair work.
The screwdriver is in excellent condition, but the charger is lost, but it is unreal to find the same.
How to charge a screwdriver battery without a battery charger?
If you understand the basics of electromechanics, you will find the battery voltage and capacity on the battery or screwdriver, on the body of the battery or screwdriver find the polarity is important!
It needs a charger its characteristics define from the data for example battery 18V and a capacity of 2 A / hr then you need a charger capable of giving a charging current of 18V and a capacity of approximately 200 MA / hr, as it is charged, a longer time, but a smaller charge its enough to take 8-10 times less, adjust the charger, or buy exactly those characteristics.
To apply charging current to the battery, use small alligators just hanging them on the current-drawing plates of the battery connector.
With an ordinary rectifier for car batteries. It is extremely important not to mix up the polarity of the connection because not all batteries for screwdrivers have a symbol, such as Makita. It is better to have a tester at hand.
A current of 1 ampere is sufficient and the charging time should not exceed half an hour, under constant supervision.
Such a method can save the situation once or twice, but you should not use it permanently. In order to maintain the battery life as specified by the manufacturer, only original chargers should be used that deliver the necessary voltage and charging current.
It is possible to charge it with the car charger (C/C).
On the device set the minimum voltage.
Remove the screwdriver battery, determine exactly where we have plus and minus (although the batteries are different, there may be nuances).
terminals from the charger to connect directly to the battery of a screwdriver, sometimes it is not possible, it is necessary to slightly improve this unit, using, for example, paper clips, or plates.
That’s all, turn on the charger, so as not to risk the battery of the screwdriver, control the charging time. 15 minutes, 20 minutes will be enough to start, as soon as the battery of the screwdriver is warm, turn off the charger.
Here is a video, man used the battery charger “Orion PW-260”, to charge the battery of a Hyundai screwdriver.
And of course it is better to buy a native (or at least similar) charger, you can find almost any charger at the markets, even for an old model of a screwdriver.
Influence of different charger types on charging time
There are 2 main types of chargers for screwdrivers:
When using the impulse charger an electric screwdriver recovers its power capacity within an hour, and there’s no need to keep the machine plugged in for longer. If you have a conventional battery charger, you will roughly need 3 to 7 hours for the entire recharging process.
Many people wonder which one is better? The answer depends on the model of the electric screwdriver. Impulse chargers are designed for professional tools and appliances with high power. Also, it doesn’t hurt to look in the manual to verify that your electrical system is compatible with the power rating of the electric screwdriver. If the mains voltage is higher than required, do not forget to buy an adapter or small-caliber transformer to compensate for the discrepancy. Otherwise, the device may burn out, short circuit, and if there is an internal fuse, it just won’t charge.
If you still have doubts about how to charge the battery of an electric screwdriver in the right way, it will be best to look for information on the manufacturer’s website, where you will always find all the necessary data, including technical specifications, operating instructions and tips for troubleshooting.
A forced digression: the energy features of batteries
As you have already understood, the device is not complicated. Nevertheless, a series circuit of connected batteries may have an additional component in the form of an installed thermistor (heat sensor), the principle of which is to open the charging circuit at the moment when the temperature reaches a critical level. overheating. However, when repairing the battery, you should consider the output rating of the battery used in the power tool, as well as adhere to the identity of the typical layout.
Charging A Drill Battery Without An “Official” Charger
In other words, quite powerful batteries for screwdrivers (18 volts is a very common standard) are usually assembled of fifteen nickel-cadmium cells. How to charge and store an electric screwdriver battery. An electric screwdriver is one of the most popular electric tools in home and professional work. Each individual capacity has an energy potential of 1.2 V. In the case where the device is equipped with a lithium-ion type of battery, 18 consists of five cells with a rating of 3.6 V. As a result, Li-ion batteries are more compact and lighter than batteries of previous technologies.
Ways of charging the power supply
If the question arises as to how to charge the battery without the charger, there are several ways to do it.
Recovery through the charger from a laptop computer
It is not always possible to use the options listed above. Therefore, drivers wonder how to charge a car battery with a laptop charger?
This will require certain items:
To prepare the circuit of the battery charger the leads for the minus as well as the plus are brought out. The negative wire is concentrated outside and the positive wire is concentrated inside.
The connection is made according to the following diagram:
- First bring the minus wire to the negative terminal of the battery.
- A resistor or a high-performance light bulb with set characteristics, the indicators are inserted into the prepared gap. Actions are performed taking into account the rules.
Experts recommend introducing a resistor with the required characteristics into the circuit, as there will be no problems with the change of resistance.
You can charge the battery pack fully with this method. But the process is carefully monitored. Constantly check the voltage on the terminals. As soon as the voltmeter reads 14 volts, the procedure is terminated. To determine the end of the process, pay attention to the condition of the electrolytic composition.
Using a laptop charger
If you have a laptop at hand, you can use its power supply to recharge the car battery. Additionally needed:
From the laptop charger you need to take out two conductors. It is necessary to connect the cable inside the plug of the power supply unit of the portable computer for the plus, the negative wire is concentrated outside.
- Connect the car battery’s negative lead to the negative lead out of the charger. Firmly fasten to ensure good contact. The entire recharging process depends on its quality.
- In the gap of the plus section include a car bulb or resistor. The resistance of the last one is chosen according to the necessary charging current. For 2 A you need 10 ohms. To adjust the charging time use the trimmer.
- In order to control the charging process, an ammeter should be included in the circuit in series. But the charging device can also be used in the absence of the measuring element.
The battery is ready to use when the voltage across the battery terminals is 14 volts. This is best achieved by allowing the electrolyte to “boil. You can disassemble the circuit and try to start the motor.
After such a recharge, the battery needs to be serviced in normal conditions with fully functional instruments and tools.