Battery life question

Quick question.

I have an X61 that I have been using happily for the last 1.5 years. I just bought a new replacement 8-cell battery from Lenovo to use after the summer holidays when work starts again full force. My old battery was starting to get a little weak.

The new battery has arrived but I decided I'd rather not use it over the summer holidays (i.e - add wear and tear) until I'm back at work full force. The laptop won't be getting much "unplugged" use over the summer, but will be plugged into the wall mostly. Is it wise to keep the new battery stored away for the next two months in a box without ever using it? Or would it be "healthier" for the battery to start using it now? The manufacture date of the battery is June 4th, 2009.

 

Charge the new battery once, drain it down to 40%, and store it in a cool dry place (a desk drawer or cupboard will probably work, but the fridge is an option if you want to get a little crazy).

 

That's good advice.

But a small point of clarification: the fridge does not mean the freezer! When you put the battery in the fridge, I would suggest wrapping it in a small dry towel and putting it in a ziplock bag, and try to get as much air out of it as possible - the idea is to prevent moisture.

 

lithium-ion batteries wear away with time - even if you dont use them.

so might as well start using it now, because its gonna start degrading as soon as the manufacturer shipped it. (unless you want to freeze it, i guess, and slow it down a bit)

 

Don't freeze it. Use the first advice of charge/discharge to 40% and store in a cool area.

 

I can not say this loudly enough, DO NOT FREEZE A LI-ION BATTERY. At most, you can put it in a fridge in a airtight bag.

 

airtight, to avoid condensation?

i guess you could microwave it to evaporate all the air, and then put it in the freezer. (sarcasm)

 

well i just buy a new T400
and i got a second battery
is the best idea to put it inside a freezer ?
how to know how good is it (the bag)?

 

Again. DO NOT PUT IT IN THE FREEZE. keltix, now youre just confusing people.

 

so ? what must i do to keep it last forever ?
can i just put it on a room temp condition ?

 

Sorry if I confused anybody.

Lithium-ion batteries cannot last forever. They start degrading as soon as they are made (so, look for manufacturer date, if you can). Other than that, there are only small tips you can follow to prolong expiration.

 

Thanks all for your advice. I think I will do the 40% charge/discharge and keep it in a drawer in my A/C office over the summer.

 

That should work fine. The main thing is to keep it away from heat and at a moderate charge.

 

Li-ion accus wear from four factors:
-Time
-Temperature
-Cycling
-Chargelevel that's not 40%

The solutions are:
-None: you cant stop time
-Put it in the fridge (moisture close bag)
-Not cycle it
-Charge it to 40%

So you still have the factor time, so it wears down anyway.