Batteries Included – Using Rechargeables

Modern society depends on battery-operated devices, most of which are rechargeable. Amazingly, this reliance on rechargeables has not given many the courage to explore using rechargeable batteries in devices that take standard “flashlight” batteries.

This is understandable, since the instructions included with almost any device clearly state that only alkaline batteries should be used “for best results.” This is probably because one rechargeable cell delivers a steady 1.2 or 1.25 volts, whereas an alkaline cell delivers an initial 1.5 volts. A few devices need exactly 1.5 volts (and frequent battery changes as that power drains and diminishes). However, I have yet to find a battery powered device that doesn’t work well with .25 less volts. (My guess is that the warning words in the instructions are meant to protect the manufacturer from lawsuits for less than optimal results).

There’s a lot to be said about using rechargeable batteries, more than I’m willing to say. I’ll try to keep it brief, stick to basics, and break it up into multiple posts.

Most people have no interest in using rechargeable batteries other than those that are conveniently pre-installed in their electronic devices. Recharging these are an accepted part of modern life; people are trained to do so. Still, they will not try rechargeable “flashlight” batteries.

A common excuse for not using rechargeables is that they don’t last as long as alkalines. This is true, but isn’t it better to accept slightly shorter run times between battery changes if one can recharge the batteries rather than buying replacements every time?

Rechargeable batteries are frugal. They can be used repeatedly, discharged and recharged thousands of times before needing to be replaced. This amortizes their higher initial cost over the life of the battery set, making them far cheaper to use than disposable alkaline batteries. According to The Solar Living Sourcebook, 8th Ed., In the mid-’90s, the average cost of using alkaline batteries ranged from $400-1,000/kilowatt hour. The cost of using rechargeables was less than $1/kilowatt hour! Rechargeable technology has advanced incredibly in the years since then; it’s safe to assume the cost for rechargeables is less today.

Rechargeable batteries are better for the environment. Spent alkaline batteries are toxic waste. They ought to be disposed of properly, but very few waste disposal companies are willing or prepared to help users do so. The vast majority of dead batteries get tossed in the trash, or worse! Nickel-cadmium rechargeables (NiCd) are less toxic, although cadmium should be safely recycled; nickel-metal hydride rechargeables (NiMH) contain no toxic chemicals. I’ll detail further differences between these two most common types of rechargeable batteries in future posts. And, again, each rechargeable gets reused thousands of times over its life, while each alkaline battery has but one brief life to give before it gets tossed.

Next, I’ll compare NiCds and NiMHs.

If you’re looking for rechargeable batteries, check All-Battery.com. Their battery saving kits seem to be an excellent online source for batteries that aren’t normally stocked at the local retail store.

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Mark Zeiger is a regular contributor to Self Reliance Works. He and his family homestead off the grid in Southeast Alaska, so, as you might imagine, much of their power comes from rechargeable batteries. Learn more about their life through their photos and blog at AKZeigers.com.