How to discharge a screwdriver battery at home

Battery life for screwdriver

A battery can last for about three to four years if properly used and stored. In practice, this period is sometimes reduced to two years. It is very expensive to constantly change the tool, so it is better to choose the best option right away for certain purposes.

There are 3 different types of batteries:

  • Nickel-cadmium. Most affordable, but short-lived, especially with frequent operation in cold weather conditions.
  • Nickel metal hydride. Small device that does not have a long service life.
  • Lithium-ion. The most demanded, they are capable of not being discharged for a long time, but they have a higher cost than the above options.

Regardless of the type of battery, battery life depends on the number of charges used and storage methods. That is, the more the tool works, the faster it discharges. At the same time, “downtime” in work negatively affects the period of use, especially if you store the tool in a state where it sat down.

Refurbishment of nickel-cadmium batteries for screwdrivers

discharge, screwdriver, battery, home

The ni cd battery device is manufactured using the same technology, so any battery can be donated of this type.

Such devices are separate components. blocks, with a nominal voltage of 1.2 V and an energy capacity of 1200-1500 MA / h. They are found in Interskol screwdrivers. Each unit affects the power, that is, with its value of 12 V, the number of units is 10, 14.4 V. 12, etc. After changing the battery, the power may drop for the first time of operation, but then everything will be restored.

The battery on the screwdriver runs out quickly

The problem with fast self-discharge of the battery is quite common. It consists in fast charging, which takes about 20 minutes and the same short work.

This situation can be the result of improper operation of the thermal sensor located in the removable battery. This thermal sensor may not be installed as originally. You must return it to the place of purchase.

If the battery begins to discharge quickly after prolonged uninterrupted use, which could happen after a fall, you need to take on its repair.

How to restore a screwdriver battery at home

Can all types of batteries be reanimated? Nickel-cadmium blocks, which are found in almost all modern screwdrivers, lend themselves better to repair.

The restoration process requires an understanding of the basics of electricity. That is, to have school knowledge about the operation of batteries.

To work you will need tools and materials:

  • screwdriver;
  • tester;
  • soldering iron;
  • tin (with low corrosive flux).

You will need a donor to resuscitate the battery. In the complete set of a screwdriver, it may be available, or you need to find it yourself, for example, by removing it from another old device.

To start the operation, you need to fully charge (about 6 hours) both batteries, swing it. Then remove the plastic cover from the part to be restored using a screwdriver. This procedure must be done carefully so as not to damage the clips. Otherwise, for subsequent assembly, you will need glue, like “Moment”.

Battery does not charge

The screwdriver, after prolonged use, sometimes fails. Its working element may stop charging, which will lead to the impossibility of fulfilling the functional capabilities of the instrument, the instrument, roughly speaking, will “die”.

In order to extend the life of the instrument, so that you do not have to remove it from the field of view, you can try three methods in turn. Each subsequent one is considered more complicated and costly. They consist in:

  • restoration and increase of capacity after its reversible loss (memory effect);
  • adding distilled water to the electrolyte;
  • replacing some or all of the battery packs.

Restoration of the 18 volt screwdriver battery

18 V is a common power, which corresponds to the presence of 15 units. As a donor, you need to choose an electrical appliance with a voltage of 14.5 V, that is, a 12 V car battery will not work.

How to repair and start a lithium-ion battery

For these types of batteries, you need to remember where the positive, negative and charging contacts are located. The voltage control board located on the batteries most often fails, or rather, their stabilizers and protective diodes.

The voltage at the output of the battery is checked, if the value is significantly less than normal, resuscitation is performed.

Checking the battery condition with a multimeter

It will be helpful to determine the reason why the battery is not charging. The procedure will reveal the health of the batteries. Here are some easy-to-implement methods that you can use at home. Prepare the equipment: in addition to the multimeter, you will need tools for disassembling the battery (pliers, soldering iron, screwdriver, knife.

  • Check the battery on charging by taking readings at 30 minute intervals. The voltage should rise steadily until fully charged.
  • A quick method to check the condition of the battery. We measure U with no load. We compare the result with the real voltage and the number of elements. The indicators differ. the battery has non-working parts that need to be replaced.

We offer you to watch a video on the topic of removing the charge from the car battery. How to perform a discharge device for a safe process.

Everyone knows that a tool such as a screwdriver is often indispensable not only among professional craftsmen, but also in everyday life. At the same time, you must always keep in mind that its rechargeable battery requires a certain approach during operation. This is especially true if your tool is equipped with a NiCd battery pack. It is because of them that it becomes necessary to completely discharge the battery. Therefore, you need to know how to discharge the screwdriver battery correctly.

Correct discharge: how to do it?

How to properly discharge the battery is a question that may seem strange. It should be noted right away that it will not work to do this by turning on the instrument at full power. over, if the screwdriver connected to the network is continuously and idle, it can lead to the fact that it simply breaks. And the complete discharge of cadmium batteries in this way still cannot be achieved due to the fact that they hold the residual charge for a long time and stably.

There is a much more reliable and gentle method in which the battery discharges quickly and without harm to the screwdriver. To do this, you need to use an ordinary light bulb.

Screwdriver battery device

Main structural elements:

  • The case on which the contacts are located (connected to a charger or a power tool).
  • “Banks” (as a rule, there are several of them), united by a common chain.
  • For safe operation, there is a temperature sensor to prevent overheating.

Battery specifications for screwdrivers:

  • Voltage (V) is an indicator that characterizes the capabilities of the tool. It affects how difficult tasks can be accomplished with it. The voltage can be described as the equivalent of the power of network devices. The indicator is not constant: it reaches its peak when the battery is fully charged, gradually decreases during the discharge process. That is why it makes sense to perform work that requires a high impact force, at first.
  • Capacity characterizes how much energy the device stores. Affects the duration of work on a single charge. We must remember. one device with one battery will work for different times (depending on the complexity of the tasks).
  • Weight and dimensions affect how comfortable they are to use with the tool. It will be inconvenient to hold a device with a heavy battery for a long time, which will affect productivity and quality of work performed.
  • Additional functionality. The indicator reflects how much energy is left before a complete discharge. Useful to plan working hours. Some manufacturers produce batteries that are compatible with a wide variety of tools: trimmers, screwdrivers, saws, jigsaws.

What types of batteries are there?

What types of batteries are used by screwdrivers?

  • Nickel cadmium (NiCd). The first type of devices, holds a charge for a long time, is equipped with sufficient capacity. There is a memory effect that prohibits charging when the battery is not fully discharged. Therefore, frequent recharging is unacceptable, this leads to a reduction in the battery capacity. Before using for the first time, first fully charge the unit, then start using the tool. Nickel-cadmium are used with budget-class screwdrivers. They are cheap. Suitable for infrequent use.
  • Nickel metal hydride (NiMH). They replaced nickel-cadmium. environmentally friendly and weigh less. Worse keep charging when idle, which can quickly deplete battery capacity. It is advisable to recharge before each use, always take the charger with you.
  • Lithium-ion (Li-Ion). They are characterized by sufficient battery capacity. Free from memory effect, designed for intensive and regular use. They are quickly charged, the number of cycles is up to 1000. They are distinguished by a relatively high cost. Discharges faster when operated at low temperatures, giving an unstable flow of energy. Store such batteries half-discharged, periodically replenishing capacity.

Features and rules for charging the battery of screwdrivers

The batteries are made from different materials. This affects the size, weight, the ability to drill at subzero temperatures, voltage, capacity, susceptibility to the memory effect. The latter especially affects the principle of charging a screwdriver.

The memory effect is the loss of capacity achieved by incomplete discharge of a battery. If you stop using the tool before it is completely discharged, the device will “remember” this and will not use the resource in full. Failure to properly handle the battery will reduce capacity.

How long does it take to charge the screwdriver battery?

Before charging the cordless drill or screwdriver, you need to determine how long it will take for this procedure. The period is prescribed in the instructions attached to the instrument. Some models have a light indication. it will show when the device is fully charged. After charging is complete, immediately disconnect the battery from the charger.

Typical charging times range from half an hour to 7 hours, depending on the type of battery and charger. Nickel-cadmium are fed with energy for the longest time. 3-7 hours.

The process of discharging the battery of the screwdriver

First, disassemble the battery pack and carefully remove the bundle of “cans” from there, having previously unsoldered it from other parts of the electrical circuit. Now you need to connect a light bulb with the same voltage indicator as that of the tool to the battery terminals. usually 12 or 13 volts. U and the current of your particular screwdriver, as a rule, are indicated in the instructions for its use, or on its case.

As the lamp heats up, it draws more energy from the batteries, and eventually they are completely discharged. When the light goes out completely, it means that the battery is discharged, and the “memory effect” can be considered removed.

Now you know how to properly use this simple method at home and how to discharge a screwdriver’s battery without harming the tool itself. If you notice that the nickel-cadmium battery begins to accumulate a “memory effect”, you will always have the opportunity to use an ordinary light bulb to completely and efficiently discharge it.

What you should especially pay attention to?

How to store batteries correctly, if one is in a screwdriver, and the spare is separately?

Do I need to measure the voltage, if so, how often?

It is important to take into account which batteries are installed on the screwdriver (I mean by type), as well as a new tool, or charge an old one.

If your screwdriver has nickel-cadmium batteries (battery), then yes, they have the same “memory effect”.

To bring the capacity of such batteries to the proper level, they must be fully charged and completely discharged at least three times, thus removing “memory effect” and the battery will last a long time.

And another thing is lithium-ion batteries, they “pumping” not needed and they do not have “memory effect”.

We simply charge such batteries immediately after purchasing the instrument and that’s it.

They do not like deep discharge, so you need to recharge periodically, even if you do not use a screwdriver for a long time.

When charging any batteries, you must observe the temperature regime, the temperature should be in the range from 10 to 40 degrees.

Well, and most importantly, read the instructions for a specific model of the purchased screwdriver, there is information about its correct charging.

Nickel-cadmium batteries are currently the most popular power tool manufacturer.

Ni-Cd batteries are lightweight, small in size, relatively low in cost, but at the same time have one significant drawback, the so-called “memory effect”.

Now take a break from reading for two minutes and watch this video to better understand what the “memory effect” is and how it occurs.

That is, we ourselves are to blame for the appearance of this effect, incorrectly servicing the battery. without waiting for a full discharge, we put it on charge, and even aggravate the situation, not allowing it to fully charge, we stop charging. Here is the battery and “remembers” these values ​​and works within these values.

Hence the conclusion: you need to observe the operating mode of the battery. bring the battery to the maximum full discharge, and only then charge it with the parameters recommended by the manufacturers.

A rechargeable battery, “sick” by the memory effect, can be “cured”.

For this, there are special chargers that, after connecting the battery, first connect it to the load, dissipating the remaining charge, and then the charging unit is turned on.

You can “cure” the battery on your own. In this case, you need to connect a 12-volt 5 W light bulb to the battery terminals and wait until it goes out. Then the battery should be fully charged.

There are not two or three such cycles to be carried out, it may be necessary to do this procedure a dozen times and, although it is unlikely that it will be possible to obtain a complete restoration of the original capacity, the battery will work better. this is a fact!

Usually, when buying a screwdriver, we tend to choose one that includes two batteries and, of course, the question arises of how to store a temporarily inoperative battery?

A battery left without operation for a short time (a week or two) can be stored fully charged at room temperature, but not in a screwdriver.

If there is a long break in work (about a month), then it should be discharged, but not completely, otherwise irreversible processes will arise in it. It is enough to work with a screwdriver until the stage when there will be a noticeable decrease in the number of revolutions at full load and send it to rest. Before use, it is necessary for a preserved battery to perform a cycle “full discharge. full charge”.

When storing the battery without operation for more than a month, it is necessary to carry out the above cycles on a monthly basis.

Energy storage information website

There are times when the battery of a phone, a screwdriver or other gadget needs to be drained urgently and completely. You can use a capacious program for your phone, screw a lot of screws into the board, making the screen go out or the tool fails. Is it always necessary to completely discharge a new smartphone battery, and for what purpose? How to properly and quickly discharge any battery using special programs, devices, tools?

Structural elements of the screwdriver

The screwdriver is rightfully considered an indispensable universal tool. The modern screwdriver market is represented by a large number of models equipped with batteries. Despite the variety of brands and modifications, all batteries have the same structure and only slightly differ from each other.

Each of them includes separate elements connected in series with each other. They are all made to standard sizes and have the same voltage level. Certain types of elements differ only in capacity, measured in A / h and indicated in the marking.

There are 4 contacts in the tool body that perform various functions. Including, two are power, designed for charging and discharging. In addition, in the upper part there is a control contact included in the circuit together with a special temperature sensor. It protects the battery, disconnects the charging current and limits it to the set value by changing the temperature.

The fourth contact is separately located, connected together with the resistance. It is necessary when using charging stations of increased complexity, capable of equalizing the charges of all battery cells. Such stations are rarely used in everyday life due to their high cost. A conventional 12-volt screwdriver does not require such stations.

One of the reasons for the failure of a screwdriver is a malfunction of the battery, that is, its separate element. In such cases, the daisy chain breaks down the entire circuit. Therefore, it is very important to pinpoint the faulty location. As a rule, this happens after the expiration of the established service life. This problem can be solved in two ways: purchasing a new battery or repairing and restoring an old battery.

What batteries are used in screwdrivers

Correct diagnostics requires knowledge of the main types of batteries used in screwdrivers and the design features of each of them. Each battery consists of mini-batteries connected in series in a single chain. Depending on the material of manufacture, they are nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd), nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) and lithium.

The first option, Ni-Cd, is the most widely used. In these batteries, each cell has a voltage of 1.2 volts, for a total of 12 volts with a capacity of 12,000 mAh. They differ from lithium in the possibility of recovery, since they have a well-known memory effect, which is a reversible loss of capacity.

Due to the design features of batteries, not all methods are suitable for their recovery. For example, lithium cells cannot be recovered using Imax B6 charging, since lithium gradually decomposes, loses its quality and does not hold 18 volts. The same method is not always suitable for Ni-Cd batteries, since in some cases the electrolyte can completely boil off in them. Nevertheless, there are many options for recovery.

Different types of batteries also differ in their own operating voltage. This difference is due to the materials used to make a particular battery. This factor also affects the capacity, which ensures long-term operation of the tool without additional charging. Therefore, at the initial opening of the case, first of all, the type of elements placed inside is determined. The fact is that it is not allowed to replace lithium mini-batteries with nickel-cadmium ones, since their operating voltages differ significantly. Accordingly, the methods of repair and restoration will differ.

Discharge!

To bring a non-working Ni-Cd battery back to life, place it in the battery compartment and a working alkaline battery in the compartment on the camera board.

Turn on the charging switch and wait until the light comes on. As soon as it lights up, press the button and you will hear a loud “POP” sound. This is normal and it should be. This means that the battery was “dead” and now you have “revived” it! For greater confidence that the dendrites are destroyed and the battery was able to reanimate, pass the discharge through the battery again.

After recovery, charge the battery fully in the dedicated charger.

That’s all. Use!

How to Change Non Removable Battery

How else can you restore battery cells

If, for any reason, it is not possible to restore the battery by replacing the faulty cells, you can try to reanimate them. Just keep in mind that this cannot be done with lithium-ion cans. Only batteries with nickel-cadmium cells can be reanimated.

There are two ways to resuscitate:

  • using a vice, pliers or hammer, seal the cans with a detected defect by squeezing;
  • make the firmware of faulty cans under high voltage.

Battery gas release

This repair method applies to lithium-ion battery cells. During the period of operation, they overheat, as a result of which electrolyte evaporates from some batteries. This causes gases to build up inside the battery, causing swelling and bending of the plate. After that, you have to restore the screwdriver battery.

The solution to this problem is carried out in the following order:

  • Dismantling the battery and finding a faulty battery with a multimeter. Usually, there is no voltage at all in such elements.
  • The battery is then pulled out and gas is released from it. In the first case, you will need some kind of flat tool curved at the end. It is brought under the positive contact and the swollen plate is gently pressed down. The gas finds its way on its own, making a hole and going out. In this case, you restore your working capacity only for a short time, because the electrolyte will evaporate completely through the hole and the battery will stop working again.
  • In the second case, the positive contact is disconnected using pliers, after which it is slightly bent, but not completely cut off. After that, an awl is inserted under the curved plate and gradually pushed inward. That is, the plate is disconnected from the edge of the battery and the gas is released to the outside. After that, it is inserted into its place, and the hole is closed in the most convenient way. It remains only to solder the contact disconnected at the very beginning.

types of batteries, identification of malfunctions, methods of repair and replacement

Anyone who has made repairs in an apartment at least once in his life is well aware of how effective and convenient a hand-held power tool working autonomously is to use. A professional builder engaged in finishing work cannot do without the use of a screwdriver.

Cordless screwdrivers are powered by a standard power supply. But if complaints about the instrument itself rarely arise, then the battery is called the weak point of the equipment. And since its cost can reach up to 50% of the price of the tool itself, their replacement becomes a problem for the owner. Therefore, there is nothing surprising in the fact that craftsmen are trying to extend the life of the feeding device in various ways.

The pricing policy of manufacturers of chemical elements is frankly not encouraging. The cost of one replacement screwdriver battery can be up to a third of a new tool. Therefore, you need to know what to do in order to fix it with your own hands, especially since most often it does not take much time.

Multimeter

The battery voltage is uniform. The resistances in the circuit are also known plus or minus. Therefore, we can safely switch to the DCV voltage measurement mode. The battery voltage is used differently:

  • nickel battery voltage. 1.2V;
  • lithium-ion voltage. 3.6V.

To reanimate a screwdriver battery at home, you need to follow these simple steps:

  • We charge all the way.
  • We check the banks one by one with a multimeter.
  • Each can, the voltage of which is below the minimum threshold, we mark.
  • We collect the screwdriver, turn it on. The task is to plant the battery before a noticeable drop in thrust, for this you can give an increased load.
  • After planting the battery, we repeat the voltage check manipulation along the circuit. If the voltage drops by 0.5. 0.7 V. the battery cannot be restored.

Replacing cans in the battery

How to repair a battery for a screwdriver? The easiest way to revive the battery is to replace one of the cans.

It is necessary to find a defective element with a low voltage. To do this, you need to use a tester.

Instructions on how to check the battery of a screwdriver with a multimeter:

  • A conventional multimeter has two test leads. a red and a black one. There are two contacts from opposite ends of the can (plus and minus).
  • The tester selection lever is set to the “constant voltage” mode. If the multimeter has an automatic selection of values, this is enough. If not, you need to put the lever in position “20”.
  • Probes are applied to the contact pads and the voltage is measured. The real voltage is shown on the screen. If there is a “-” sign in front of the numbers, then the probes need to be changed with each other.
  • Each bank is checked using this algorithm.

When a broken element has been found, it is simply unsoldered and replaced. You need to use a powerful soldering iron so as not to overheat the jar.

Topping up with distilled water

Restoration of the screwdriver battery with topping up should take place with a completely discharged battery. Ni-Kd batteries are covered with paper. If there was evaporation, then there will be noticeable traces on the surface.

After measuring the voltage, you need to completely discharge all the banks using a 12 volt light bulb. After that, the voltage is measured again. Those elements where it dropped to 0.7 are faulty.

To fill in distilled water, you need to make a hole in the side of the can. A groove is made with a very thin drill (0.5-0.7 mm). You need to make sure that it does not go inside and damage the plates.

A small amount of water is poured with a syringe with a fine needle. After that, the breakdown must be closed with epoxy resin or sealant.

The battery can now be rocked. Each unit must be discharged to zero again by attaching 1.5 volt bulbs to them. When the procedure is over, the battery is collected and it is necessary to carry out 5 charge and discharge cycles.

Fault definition

The most common cause of failure is the failure of only one element. They are connected in series, which means that even a drop in capacity on one battery will lead to a complete malfunction of the entire battery. In this case, we need:

  • Screwdriver. Usually, the body is connected with Phillips screws. Some models have foolproof protection and there may be vandal-resistant sprockets, triangles or even spanners.
  • Multimeter. Any model is enough, even the cheapest DT-830. Since measurements are taken in millivolts, Soviet dial voltmeters will not work.

Next, you need to follow the instructions:

  • The battery is disconnected from the screwdriver. It must be fully charged.
  • The case is disassembled.
  • Now you need to remove all the jars. There are more of them in Ni-Kd, since the nominal voltage of one section is less.
  • Voltage is measured on each bank. For nickel-cadmium, 1.2 volts is nominal. For lithium. the normal voltage is in the range of 3.6-3.8 volts.
  • After measuring, you need to look at which banks the voltage is reduced. For example, if the voltage on two lithium batteries is 3.8, and on one it is 3.5, it means that it is defective.
  • The battery is assembled and installed in the instrument. Now she needs to be set to zero.
  • The battery is disassembled and the voltage is measured again. If the voltage on the alleged element is much lower than on the others, then it is being replaced or repaired.

How to repair a screwdriver battery at home

The cordless screwdriver is a convenient mechanism that allows you to quickly deal with repairs. Instead of a heavy drill on a wire, it is better to take a lightweight screwdriver that can handle the same tasks without being tied to one place.

They have one problem. batteries fail. There are many reasons for this:

  • Long downtime. Modern lithium-ion batteries require periodic charging and discharging. They drastically lose capacity if they are idle for a long time.
  • Temperature drops. Li-Ion does not tolerate high temperatures. Therefore, there are recommendations for storing these batteries in the refrigerator. But they cannot work in such conditions.
  • Overdischarge. The protection system can force the batteries to discharge to zero and a large current must be applied to the input to resurrect them.

General repair recommendations

How to restore a screwdriver battery? You need to have an elementary understanding of electrical engineering. The battery circuit is idle. Ordinary serial circuit (plus connects to minus).

When repairing Ni-Kd, the following recommendations should be taken into account:

  • They have a memory effect. The classic scheme for commissioning such batteries is 3 full charges and 3 discharges to zero. The new element must go through the same buildup.
  • A similar item. So that it does not get knocked out of the chain and does not break the battery at all, the new element must fully correspond to the previous rating.

The lithium battery of a screwdriver can be repaired at home if you consider the following:

  • They cannot be soldered. Intolerance to high temperatures will lead to a non-repairable condition. To do this, you need to use contact welding (it heats the electrode for a short time without harming the battery). If there is no access to the COP, soldering with a very powerful soldering iron from 100 watts is allowed. Movement must be fast and accurate.
  • Identical models. Now there are several main manufacturers of lithium batteries, which are used in popular foreign models of screwdrivers, such as Hitachi, Makita and domestic ones: Interskol, Zubr.

Repair and replacement of battery cells

Do-it-yourself screwdriver battery repair can be more extensive. For example, conversion of Ni-Kd to lithium ones. To do this, you need to purchase several Li-Ion batteries and a charging board. The number of batteries must correspond to the original voltage rating.

As practice shows, most screwdrivers can be easily converted from one type of battery to another, without any problems. Thanks to the increased endurance, resistance to constant use and higher capacity, the old screwdriver will last much longer.

Converting a Li-ion screwdriver for home

Authorization on the site

How to convert a battery from a screwdriver from nickel-cadmium to lithium batteries at home.

I got myself two used screwdrivers. One had a battery, the other did not, just the wires were brought out. I cleaned it and decided to complete it with normal batteries. I will convert to lithium-ion.

High-current elements are needed here, they will not work from a laptop. I have bu items. with a residual capacity of just over 1 amp / hour.

Battery conversion process

We disassemble the old battery and remove some of the batteries, leaving only two with a contact group.

We solder the wires to the positive and negative terminals. I soldered directly to the poles, since the contact plates were not tinned.

How to Recondition Batteries at Home. Step by Step Guide

We connect 18650 batteries in parallel and solder the old elements with a contact group to them.

So that the contacts with the elements do not fall through, I made a support from a wooden block.

Now you need to install a connector for charging each element, a balancing connector. I used the connectors from the motherboard and the computer’s power supply.

We solder everything in order. Plus with the first contact. The second contact to the plus of the second element and so on.

Cut out a hole for the connector, and fix the connector with epoxy glue. The glue is dry and we close the battery. Putting aside.

Since I will be charging the battery with a smart charger, I need to do the wiring for it. One part from the power supply, the second from the flop. We modify the connector from the flop, cutting off all the guides and keys. After deleting all the keys, it fits my Turnigy perfectly, fits Imax too.

We put on the charger with a balance (3S). After the end of the charge cycle, we use it. I am working on the second battery using this technology, and everything works fine. The first screwdriver with a converted battery proved to be excellent.