May 05, 2003

Shattered Illusion

I get a weekly notification from Popular Science telling me what's in the current issue; it always has a question attached. Today's was:

Is it true that unused batteries last longer if you keep them in the freezer? If so, why?

It's not true. According to Technical Service Manager John Hadley at Rayovac in Madison, Wisconsin, unless you're living in a jungle environment with extreme heat and humidity, keeping your batteries in the freezer may do more harm than good. Batteries convert chemical energy into electrical energy. Inside a battery, a chemical reaction takes place that generates electrons.

Every battery has a positive and negative end, which is why, if you put a battery in your flashlight upside down, it won't work. The electrons generated by the chemical reaction build up on the negative end and flow into the flashlight, lighting it up. Extreme cold "reduces the ionic energy flow and slows down the reaction," according to Hadley. Batteries that are kept in the freezer should be warmed to room temperature before use, which is time-consuming and inconvenient. And even if the outside of the battery doesn't feel cold, Hadley says, the chemicals inside may not yet be warmed up, and the battery won't operate at full power. Extreme heat, on the other hand, can reduce battery life by accelerating the chemical reactions inside the battery. In addition to the desired reaction that produces power, other reactions, called oxidation reactions, take place in the battery on a smaller scale. Oxidation reactions, like those that cause iron to rust, can use up the active ingredient in the battery and reduce its life.

People may have started putting batteries in the freezer before the days of air conditioning to protect them from the summer's heat. Modern batteries, Hadley says, can withstand temperatures up to 160 degrees Farenheit with relatively little loss of power, so they should be fine in your kitchen drawer for several years.

Well, hell. This means I can free up some space in my freezer, but I have to find another place to store batteries. Twenty-five years of belief destroyed in three short paragraphs.

Posted by Linkmeister at May 5, 2003 11:28 AM
Comments

Interesting, My parents, and grandparents, would heat batteries in the oven (many years ago, of course) on the theory that this extended the life of the battery. I had never, ever, heard of putting them in the freezer!

Posted by: fred at May 5, 2003 04:05 PM

Damned if I remember why I started doing it; must have "heard it somewhere." I'm waiting for PopSci to tell me about film next.

Posted by: Linkmeister at May 5, 2003 04:15 PM

Day-am. We put them in the fridge, not the freezer. End of that myth.

Posted by: The Other Scott at May 6, 2003 03:47 AM

Who knew? Guess it's time to take the batteries out of the fridge. We could certainly use the space. Thanks for the info. :)

Posted by: Melissa at May 6, 2003 04:37 AM

Who knew? Guess it's time to take the batteries out of the fridge. We could certainly use the space. Thanks for the info. :)

Posted by: Melissa at May 6, 2003 04:37 AM

Husband thought I was crazy for storing the batteries in the fridge. I guess I am! It must be a Hawaii thing, to do that.

Refrigeration is bad for unused film, since film needs to be completely defrosted and dry before use. But it is a fact that developed film leads a much longer life if placed in non-acidic holders in cold storage (refrigerated).

Posted by: bunny at May 8, 2003 08:21 AM

Psst. You don't get sick from going outside with a wet head, either. There's these thingies called "joims" that do it.

Isn't it amazing how we end up doing these things without knowing why? Excuse me, I would go clean out my freezer now, but I never stock batteries anyway. I'm not that organized.

Posted by: Skatemom at May 8, 2003 11:30 AM

When we used the old carbon-zinc cells, we used to refrgerate them until they were used. The chemical reaction they used is significantly different than that of the modern alkaline-reaction cells. Those cells had a relatively short shelf-life and would continue to react even when not producing energy.

So, at one time, refrigeration made sense. :)

Posted by: ruminator at May 12, 2003 07:31 AM

For fun, I did a little research. Everyready has a site here: data.energizer.com/batteryinfo/application_manuals/carbon_zinc.htm and there's a great description of the differences between carbon-zinc and alkaline cells here: hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/battery.html
Have fun!

Posted by: ruminator at May 12, 2003 11:56 AM

I don't have a clue why the heck I put my batteries in the freezer. I was at a friends place today and told him to put his batteries in the freezer. He asked me if my car starts better in the winter than in the summer, and said that the freezer thing is a big wives tale. So here I am reading this page( one of many to state that the freezer thing is false )who would have know.
Thanks......

Posted by: k3rs at September 8, 2003 07:14 PM

I am sure you know the answer to this... my housemates are irritating me by telling me i can't keep my tins in the fridge because - alarmingly - "they start to oxidise as soon as they are open!!" Is this a bit like how we used to unplug the telly at night? Unsure of the threat of this 'modern invention' called the tin? Why would it oxidise any more when open than when closed? Will the food contained therein line my stomach with lead???

Posted by: SUSANNAH at October 8, 2003 04:33 AM

I am sure you know the answer to this... my housemates are irritating me by telling me i can't keep my tins in the fridge because - alarmingly - "they start to oxidise as soon as they are open!!" Is this a bit like how we used to unplug the telly at night? Unsure of the threat of this 'modern invention' called the tin? Why would it oxidise any more when open than when closed? Will the food contained therein line my stomach with lead???

Posted by: SUSANNAH at October 8, 2003 04:33 AM

NB - when i say "tins", I mean "opened tins of things like baked beans"...

Posted by: SUSANNAH at October 8, 2003 05:38 AM