Fully charged: Top tips for improved battery life

Fully charged: Top tips for improved battery life

(written by Sam Smyth , BCF Service IT Engineer)

There are so many different stories about how to best store lithium batteries that it can get a bit confusing.
So, we thought we would provide some top tips on how to best take care of your batteries for your digital x-ray system.

• Never store batteries in the X-ray Plate.
  Storing the battery in the X-ray plate will cause it to cycle quicker and as a result the battery will drain even when off
• Store the batteries with more than half charge in them.
  We recommend that batteries are stored with more than half charge in them at all times as emptying the battery fully can cause it to become unstable when charged again. They'll slowly lose their charge over time, and if it drops into the true-zero danger zone, your battery will automatically trip its safety circuit and kill itself for real before it can become unstable.
• Always keep some charge in the battery, even when it is not being used.
  No matter what batteries will drain when they aren’t being used, so we advise that you always remember to keep some charge in the battery as this will protect them. 
•  Don’t drain the battery fully
  If you can, try to avoid draining the battery fully at any point.
•  Keep it cool
  When possible try to keep your battery cool. Overheating of the battery will “bake” it so try to avoid leaving it in warm places for long periods of time, freezing temperatures are not good either so avoid also particularly when leaving in your car overnight in the freezing cold.
•  Don’t let batteries run your life
  Always ensure that you have a spare battery wherever you go and ensure that these are charged. 
•  It’s inevitable
  No matter how much you take care of your battery it will always degrade over time so ensure that you stock up on new batteries when necessary.

Our equipment is designed to be tough and reliable, but in the unlikely event of a breakdown, our dedicated customer care team are there to support you, when you need it the most. We have out of hours support available 24/7. BCF engineers are trained to exceptional standards and we have an unrivalled range of loan equipment to minimise your downtime.