Why put lithium batteries in the fridge?

I've seen people say they have a box of 123A batteries in the fridge. How much longer do they last in there compared to in my closet?

I just got another new box delivered today and am deciding which place to stash it at :wave:

ETA these are primary cells and are not rechargable.

I've heard folks doing that with alkies, but not with lithiums.

Extreme temp. changes such as tossing a couple of cold lithiums into a high-output incan, might not be best.

Frankly - I keep my lithium primaries in my fridge because that's where I keep my alkalines and it's easier to just have one "battery depot" where I keep everything. I figure that since it's known that storage in high temps can reduce their shelf life, it can't hurt to keep them cool. As I don't have an enormous stock of batteries on hand, I don't really miss the space used in a corner of my refrigerator.

I'm sure there's one of our experts here on CPF who can give you details on how much storage life at 40F you'll get versus room temperature, but my opinion is that if you've got the room in the fridge - why not?

I personally never herd of stashing batteries in the frig but in a cool place would be better like your basement ect. Todays batteries tend to have a great shelf life 5-10 years so putting them in any other place other then direct heat i would say would be oppropriate i would think :thumbsup:

Heat tends to speeds up chemical reactions and hence self discharge.

I don't know whether lithium batteries are subject to the same issues as alkaline batteries....but apparently the notion that batteries need to be stored in the refrigerator to extend their life is outdated (or was never correct in the first place). Here's a link to Energizer's website, which offers the following advice for storing batteries:

1. Is it a good idea to store batteries in a refrigerator or freezer?

No, storage in a refrigerator or freezer is not required or recommended for batteries produced today. Cold temperature storage can in fact harm batteries if condensation results in corroded contacts or label or seal damage due to extreme temperature storage. To maximize performance
and shelf life, store batteries at normal room temperatures (68°F to 78°F or 20°C to 25°C) with moderated humidity levels (35 to 65% RH).

http://data.energizer.com/pdfs/non-rechargeable_faq.pdf

Hope this helps!

- FITP

lol... this quote coming from the company that builds the leakiest batteries in the world!

FlashInThePan said:

I don't know whether lithium batteries are subject to the same issues as alkaline batteries....but apparently the notion that batteries need to be stored in the refrigerator to extend their life is outdated (or was never correct in the first place). Here's a link to Energizer's website, which offers the following advice for storing batteries:

1. Is it a good idea to store batteries in a refrigerator or freezer?

No, storage in a refrigerator or freezer is not required or recommended for batteries produced today. Cold temperature storage can in fact harm batteries if condensation results in corroded contacts or label or seal damage due to extreme temperature storage. To maximize performance
and shelf life, store batteries at normal room temperatures (68°F to 78°F or 20°C to 25°C) with moderated humidity levels (35 to 65% RH).

http://data.energizer.com/pdfs/non-rechargeable_faq.pdf

Hope this helps!

- FITP

Click to expand...

FlashInThePan said:

I don't know whether lithium batteries are subject to the same issues as alkaline batteries....but apparently the notion that batteries need to be stored in the refrigerator to extend their life is outdated (or was never correct in the first place). Here's a link to Energizer's website, which offers the following advice for storing batteries:

1. Is it a good idea to store batteries in a refrigerator or freezer?

No, storage in a refrigerator or freezer is not required or recommended for batteries produced today. Cold temperature storage can in fact harm batteries if condensation results in corroded contacts or label or seal damage due to extreme temperature storage. To maximize performance
and shelf life, store batteries at normal room temperatures (68°F to 78°F or 20°C to 25°C) with moderated humidity levels (35 to 65% RH).

http://data.energizer.com/pdfs/non-rechargeable_faq.pdf

Hope this helps!

- FITP

Click to expand...

While their FAQ says it's not necessary, the nature of storing batteries dictates it helps to store them just above freezing. Energizer's own data backs that up.

http://data.energizer.com/PDFs/temperat.pdf

Nice find on that last document. I've always kept alkalines in the fridge, vacuum sealed and double bagged in an effort to keep moisture out. Haven't ever had a problem with condensation. Will probably do the same now with my lithium primaries.

Nice find, Marduke! That's a pretty interesting discrepancy.

Man, I love CPF - so many smart people, so few places for misinformation to hide.

Energizer, you have some 'splainin to do!

So it sounds like the best route is to keep them cold, but dry?

- FITP

It's marketing. It is fairly common knowledge that batteries store better cold (but NOT frozen!!).

But, if brand A said "Store them anywhere at room temp and all is well", and brand B said "For best performance, store in a cold dry place, just above freezing", which do you think most consumers would purchase?

The more basic directions, or the more honest and technically correct, but more complicated?

I'm no expert and I don't keep any cells in the fridge but I can think of a few good reasons why some might.

1) Lithium cells conform to the rules of the physical world. Chemical reactions slow down as temperature decreases -- this is pretty much a given. Therefore cells should hold more of their charge over time if stored at a lower temp. The condensation issue is a red herring. There are numerous ways of countering it. It is a small thing.

2) Those who because of their location can not maintain storage temps below 78F without refridgeration. That would represent a significant swath of the world.

3) Many lithium cells suck in that they are manufactured so poorly that they will not have a shelf life of even four years, let alone ten. See the first example. Poorly made cells with a lessor shelf life should do better if stored in the fridge.

4) Storing lithium cells in the fridge gives them much more protection if your house catches on fire. It turns out that there are many things that will not burn in a house fire if they are stored in the fridge -- ask William Jefferson.

As far as storing "just above freezing" goes, that would be a whole 'nother kettle of fish. The first thing to ask would probably be 'what is the freezing temp of the materials inside of the lithium cell' as opposed to what most would probably think of -- the freezing point of water -- which has no value at all in this discussion.

I don't want this to come across as bashing, but they may be recommending against it in order to increase sales. If the shelf life is shorter, people need to replace batteries more often.

On the other hand, they have a point, most refrigerators are very humid, which can be harmful. It's probably best to put them in a sealed container in the fridge, with a desiccant of some sort.

electromage said:

I don't want this to come across as bashing, but they may be recommending against it in order to increase sales. If the shelf life is shorter, people need to replace batteries more often.

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My thoughts exactly.

electromage said:

On the other hand, they have a point, most refrigerators are very humid, which can be harmful. It's probably best to put them in a sealed container in the fridge, with a desiccant of some sort.

Click to expand...

There are numerous ways around this problem. Desiccants in tightish containers work, as do putting the cells in plastic bags with nearly all of the air evacuated. It's not rocket science.

Sub_Umbra said:

My thoughts exactly.
There are numerous ways around this problem. Desiccants in tightish containers work, as do putting the cells in plastic bags with nearly all of the air evacuated. It's not rocket science.

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A lot of people I know keep them loose in there, or in ripped open original packaging. That's where you'd have problems with humidity.

Are titanium cells cheap or are they good?

Storing cells in a refrigerator (NOT a freezer)will prolong their life to some extent, but any advantage in doing so will be entirely negated if they are not properly wrapped or bagged (Ziplock ideal) to prevent damage by condensation.

Moving this to the Batteries section...

electromage said:

I don't want this to come across as bashing, but they may be recommending against it in order to increase sales. If the shelf life is shorter, people need to replace batteries more often.

On the other hand, they have a point, most refrigerators are very humid, which can be harmful. It's probably best to put them in a sealed container in the fridge, with a desiccant of some sort.

Click to expand...

But a fridge is a de-humidifier? I guess it depends how much you open it. If we are talking about the garage/basement fridge at least, I wouldn't expect moisture to be a problem.

Then, at least in the case of rechargeable li-co cells, performance will suffer greatly until those cells warm up. I am guessing the same is true of primaries?

*edit*
I did a little quick research on this. It appears that lithium maganese primary cells are affected by temperature, but the temperatures found in a fridge shouldn't be a problem, I am finding mixed #'s when it comes to how cold is too cold. But, I have seen -40F listed!

VegasF6 said:

But a fridge is a de-humidifier? I guess it depends how much you open it....

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Climate is a big factor in how humid your fridge is. I would think a fridge in Las Vegas might be pretty dry. Where I live in the subtropics the weather is very humid most of the time. Under those conditions more moisture is pulled into the fridge every time the door is opened.