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Why Discharge? — When should I discharge?


All of the Why Discharge? topics can be found together in our Why Discharge? white paper. (PDF, 35KB)


You should not discharge your packs after every use. They only have a limited life (especially some NiMH packs) and you don't need to condition the packs every time you use them.

We recommend the following:
  • Discharge to 0.8V/cell to 1.0V/cell (choose the lower cutoff for higher discharge rates to compensate for voltage drops cause by internal cell resistance) every 3-4 weeks.
  • Discharge before storing the packs for more than 2 weeks.
  • If the packs are not being used, cycle (charge/discharge) them 1-2 times every 3-4 weeks.
Additional tips:
  • Don't leave the packs on a trickle charge for a long time. This will cause large crystal growth that leads to voltage depression.
  • Don't overcharge the cells. Use a peak-detection charger at a moderate to high rate, but avoid overheating the pack.
  • Don't store, charge, or discharge them at over 85ºF. (30ºC.).
  • Don't discharge below 0.8V/cell. The cell is essentially completely discharged at approximately 0.9V/cell to 1.0V/cell. If you do go below 0.8V/cell, immediately start a trickle charge, at a 0.1C rate or lower, until the pack has charged up a bit (at least 0.2AH). Then complete the charge normally and do a standard discharge to 0.8V/cell or higher.

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