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Life Expectancy Home Plus 14.8 V BatteryUpdated 10 months ago

About the Home Plus 4S 14.8 V Battery: 
The usable voltage range for a standard LiPo battery cell is 3.2v to 4.2v PER CELL. Which shows in the charger read-out as: 12.8v to 16.8v - be sure to charge fully charge the battery to assure a balanced charge in all four cells. A fully charged battery may alternate between the voltage and  "FUL" on the charger. 

Expected Lifespan:
A realistic approximation of a LiPo battery’s lifespan should consider both its number of charge cycles and its age (as well as proper use and storage.)  In any case, a LiPo battery is deemed to be past its useful lifespan when its capacity has declined to about 80% (13.44v) of its original capacity.

The maximum capacity is 16.8 volts. The voltage 14.8volts which is written on the battery is the median charge. The battery pack contains four cells and the charger is designed to charge them equally to maintain a balanced charge between all cells.

4.2v per cell is the maximum each cell should be charged. The readout on the charger is actually the sum of the four cell's voltages. Always charge to "FUL" (the readout may alternate between the voltage and "FUL"). As the battery ages the maximum capacity will slowly be reduced.  Remove the battery from the charger once it stops charging. 

Always use a fire resistant charging bag to charge the battery.

Never leave the battery connected to the drive when not actively in use.

IMPORTANT: Fully charge before use every time to assure proper balance of all cells inside the battery. 

Note: you may stop charging before it reaches full and continue charging later - as long as you don't USE it until it has been fully charged. 

Over discharging - do not allow the battery voltage to drop below 12.8V  (3.2v per cell) - this may permanently damage the battery.

Over charging Never overcharge batteries beyond 16.8v (higher than 4.2v per cell) will significantly increase the risk of a battery bursting into flames. 


More about the LiPo battery:

  • Always check the voltage of your battery before each charge session by plugging it into the charger. 
  • Heat can shorten the life of a battery and is the #1 enemy for LiPo batteries.
  • Batteries should never be exposed to extreme heat of direct sunlight.
  • Allow the battery to cool to room temperature (~70° F / ~21° C) before charging.
  • Allow battery to come to room temperature (~70° F / ~21° C) before charging. 
  • The battery will not work if allowed to become colder than 40° F (4.4° C)
  • The temperature range must be between 40-120° F (4-49° C).
  • Do not puncture, alter, or cause any physical damage to the battery.
  • Never charge, discharge, or store a damaged or puffy battery.
  • Avoid dropping the battery. Dropping the LiPo battery can crush the cells inside causing an internal short, which may lead to fire. 
  • Always store and charge your batteries in a fire resistant bag or container. 
  • Ensure you verify the voltage of your battery before use.
  • Make sure you store your LiPo battery at 3.80 volts +/- 0.05 volts per cell. 
  • Always use a proper balance charger. It’s crucial that all cells in the battery maintain the same voltage across all cells at all times. 
  • Never leave batteries unattended while charging.
  • Charge batteries in an open area and keep away from flammable materials, and liquids; and charge on non-flammable surfaces.
  • Never charge batteries that are swollen, misshaped, puffy, too hot to touch, punctured, or otherwise damaged.
  • Never attempt to charge the battery while still plugged into the SwiftPaws drive unit.
  • Never allow the positive and negative battery leads to touch each other. This may cause ballooning, cell damage, fire, or an explosion.
  • Always ensure you use the proper charger for your battery.
  • If you start seeing any physical changes to the battery while charging, STOP charging immediately and dispose of the battery responsibly. Google “battery recycle center near me."
  • It is recommended to keep a fire extinguisher near the charge location. A LiPo fire is a chemical fire, due to the internal gel/liquid electrolyte solution. Therefore a dry chemical fire extinguisher should be used. 
  • Never keep your LiPo battery at full charge for more than 2-3 days. If you are not going to use your battery after fully charging it, you need to discharge your battery down to 3.6v-3.8v per cell (14.4v-15.2v) for safe storage. 


CAUTION: The battery should always be allowed to come to room-temperature before charging. Charging a hot or cold battery might delay charging or damage the battery. For best results, charge the battery at temperatures between 50º and 80ºF (10º-30ºC).


Disclaimer 

The advice given above is general in nature and you are responsible for the safety of your batteries. SwiftPaws is not responsible for any direct, indirect, special, or consequential damages and personal injuries, including that to life, and health, resulting from the customer’s application and use of batteries sold by SwiftPaws.com.


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