How do I discharge the battery?

You discharge the battery by using it in the SwiftPaws main drive. 

There are also battery chargers that also have a discharge feature. We do not sell these, so I cannot advice you on these. But if you have a battery retailer near you - like a hobby shop that sells LiPo batteries or a store like "Batteries Plus Bulbs" you can ask for advice about what to us to discharge your specific LiPo battery.

Over time, you will probably develop a habit for charging the battery based on how you use your SwiftPaws. It's OK to wait to charge the battery until you know you're going to use it. But you'll want to make sure the voltage is not so low that you risk it dropping below the minimum voltage (see chart below).

The Home Plus kit/bundle ships with the Upgraded Charger that has a voltage readout window. This charger WILL work with both the 11.1v and the 14.8v batteries.
Using the upgraded charger you can plug in the battery just long enough to see what the voltage is - if its around the storage voltage for our battery, it should be fine to wait for a week or even a month or two before charging.

The Original battery is 11.1v

Maximum capacity voltage is 12.6v (this number slowly declines over time - this is normal) 
Minimum voltage is 9.6v - the voltage should not be allowed to drop below this.
Storage voltage is 11.4v
Replace the battery once the maximum capacity reaches 80% - which is 10.08v
The Plus battery is 14.8v  

The maximum capacity is 16.8v (this number slowly declines over time - this is normal)
The minimum it should be drained is 12.8v
Store the battery between 14.8v - 15.5v 
Replace your battery once the maximum capacity reaches 80% (13.44v)

The main thing you want to avoid is storing the battery with a full charge - or with the voltage so low that during storage you risk the voltage dropping below the minimum voltage. Even when not in use the voltage will drop very slowly. 

For long-term storage - the voltage for LiPo batteries is 3.8v per cell* - the LiPo battery is most stable at this voltage.  It is recommended to take a stored battery out every 3 months to charge and discharge back to storage voltage.

*The Original battery is a three (3) cell battery.
The Plus battery is a four (4) cell battery.

So you would multiply 3.8 by the number of cells for the total readout that will appear in the Upgrade charger readout window.

Always store the battery inside a fire resistant charging/storage bag.

For more info:
The Home Original battery is an 11.1v LiPo battery.
The Home Plus battery is a 14.8v LiPo battery.


This article inspired by customer Kimberly C.

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.

How do I discharge the battery?Updated 2 years ago