Introduction
The Lipo battery you’ve charged to use has been neglected over weeks.. This worries you about the health of your battery and you’re looking for a solution.
So, how to discharge a Lipo battery for storage?
The 3in1 battery discharger is the cheapest option for discharging Lipo batteries. Higher-end dischargers like the ISDT FD200 can discharge Lipo batteries more efficiently and safely. Make sure to discharge the battery to 3.8V, the optimal value for storing.
Not enough information to go with? Then tag along and read this comprehensive article that we’ve put up for you!
What Is The Favourable Setup For Lipo Battery Storage?
One needs to understand Lipo Batteries and it’s optimal voltage before discharging them. Or knowing how to do so.
The Lipo battery has a minimum voltage ceiling of 3.2V. If you go any lower, your battery will be irreversibly harmed and its longevity will be shortened.
It’s advised to discharge the battery somewhere around 3.6-3.8V before storing it. It’s best to keep the Lipo battery at ambient temperature.
Refrain from storing them in too hot, or too cold temperatures. The battery’s life will be shortened if the temperature is too high. Whereas, even though the cold temperature can prolong the lifespan of batteries, it can cause condensation. This can lead to safety hazards.
How To Discharge A Lipo Battery?
A Lipo battery can undergo massive damage if stored fully charged for a few days. Due to its complex, yet sensitive chemistry, it tends to stress itself. The power of a fully charged Lipo battery might be dropped by 20% when stored.
Not just that, the battery’s lifespan will be drastically reduced. Overheating can make the battery puff up and you may need to depuff the battery.
The most efficient and effective approach to deplete a Lipo battery is to utilize it. A Lipo battery can also discharge itself over time. But that is a very slow process and might deplete the battery over its discharge limit.
Fortunately, there are several methods for discharging a Lipo battery. It’ll save you a lot of time and discharge your battery properly without harming it.
Using 3in1 Battery Discharger
Despite being the cheapest option on this list, it can do more than a fine job. This battery discharger can discharge most batteries out there within minutes.
It lets you pick a voltage limit to discharge. With that, you can set the optimal voltage as an indicator to stop the discharging. This will leave you with one less thing to worry about.
Furthermore, it’ll also ensure that all the cells are equally discharged, maintaining proper balance.
In case you’re looking for a good 3in1 discharger, we got you covered! We’ve made this list of some of the best 3in1 battery dischargers available in the market. Take a look-
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Charging the Charger
This is a clever, power-saving way to discharge your Lipo battery. It saves time and also prevents electricity waste. But for this, you require a Lipo charger which can be powered with a battery.
In this scenario, the charged Lipo battery will act as the power source of the charger. It’ll also charge other empty Lipo batteries in the process. If you want to discharge multiple batteries, use a parallel charging board.
Be careful when setting the minimum input on the charger. Slight miscalculations can often turn out to be fatal for the battery. Discharging your battery below 3.2V can lead the Lipo battery to not charge at all.
Also, make sure to keep an eye on the cell voltages. Use a Lipo-checker to make sure the voltages are balanced among the individual cells.
Using The ISDT Smart Discharger
Widely used by professionals everywhere, this is the best discharging tool money can buy.
The iSDT FD200 smart discharger operates with precision and with immaculate safety. You can set a specific voltage input to trigger the discharger to stop. It also allows you to control the discharge rate of Lipo batteries.
Simply connect the battery to it and select the battery type. In this case, you’ll have to select the ‘Lipo battery’. After that, you need to choose the cell count of your battery. Lipo battery usually comes in different cell counts, starting from 2 cells up to 12 cells.
Once you choose the cell count, the discharger will ask you to set the amps value. This value will determine the rate at which your battery will be discharged.
A 25 Amp discharge rate can discharge a fully charged 3s Lipo battery within 5 minutes.
You can monitor as well as control the discharger with your smartphone too. All these features might come in exchange for a hefty sum of money. But it’s definitely worth every last penny!
You can easily discharge your Lipo battery for storage with these 3 alternative options.
Once discharged properly, you can now store the battery somewhere safe at room temperature. Stay near the battery while discharging and monitor the process closely.
FAQs
Question: What is the lifetime of a Lipo battery?
Answer: A Lipo battery is labeled to last for 300 charging cycles. The battery’s typical lifetime is somewhere around 150-250 charging cycles. This lifespan depends on a few external factors, like temperature and usage.
Question: What is an LVC?
Answer: Low Voltage Cutoff or LVC is a power cut-off system. This system cuts off the motor in order to alert the user of a depleted battery. This is built in the RC cars by the manufacturers to avoid battery damage from depletion.
Question: Why do Lipo battery packs swell up?
Answer: Overheating builds up excess oxygen inside the battery and this creates swell inside. When that happens, you need to stop using the battery and dispose of it. Make sure to discharge the battery completely before disposing of it.
EndNote
That concludes our article on how to discharge a Lipo battery for storage. Hope this guide was useful to you for discharging your Lipo battery.
Let us know your thoughts on this in the comment section. Have a great day!
