Yep! Your spare batteries will generally last longer if you keep them refrigerated. Another helpful hint is to keep them individually wrapped in tin foil while they're just sittin' in the refrigerator!
But you should also know that it depends what kind of battery you're talking about.
- For alkaline batteries (the most common household battery), storing them in the refrigerator will extend their life by less than 5%, but if you store them at room temperature, they retain 90% of their power on their own anyways. Since you can't use cold batteries right away (you have to let them cool), if you need your batteries for a flashlight in an emergency, storing alkaline batteries in a refrigerator may be impractical since 5% is so small...
- For NiMH and Nicad batteries, refrigerating them is much more useful. When storing NiMH and Nicad batteries at room temp, they lose their charge after just a few days, but when refrigerated, they retain 90% of their charge!
Kodak says "refrigeration is not necessary, nor is it recommended" and "freezing is not recommended" for its alkaline batteries. Duracell advises: "Do not refrigerate Duracell (alkaline) batteries. This will not make them last longer." Both recommend storing batteries in a cool, dry place.
I hope this helps!
But you should also know that it depends what kind of battery you're talking about.
- For alkaline batteries (the most common household battery), storing them in the refrigerator will extend their life by less than 5%, but if you store them at room temperature, they retain 90% of their power on their own anyways. Since you can't use cold batteries right away (you have to let them cool), if you need your batteries for a flashlight in an emergency, storing alkaline batteries in a refrigerator may be impractical since 5% is so small...
- For NiMH and Nicad batteries, refrigerating them is much more useful. When storing NiMH and Nicad batteries at room temp, they lose their charge after just a few days, but when refrigerated, they retain 90% of their charge!
Kodak says "refrigeration is not necessary, nor is it recommended" and "freezing is not recommended" for its alkaline batteries. Duracell advises: "Do not refrigerate Duracell (alkaline) batteries. This will not make them last longer." Both recommend storing batteries in a cool, dry place.
I hope this helps!
