Increasing emergency light battery life is just like saving some money on battery replacement. There are few general tips for maintenance of household rechargeable emergency lights for an extended battery life which come to help during electrical power cuts.
Thought these are for emergency lights, they may also be applied on other similar electronic devices whenever applicable - but this is not for laptops/notebooks, mobile phones, iPod etc.
1. Keep emergency light in clean, dry place. If you fix them in places where there is more variations of temperature and humidity, it may affect the battery life in an adverse way. Fixture of emergency lights in bathrooms, kitchens are not recommended, but you may use them at such places in case of need and keep aside when its not in use.
2.
Clean battery case and terminal connections: Few emergency lighting systems have opening to inspect the battery - if yours is of that kind, try to keep the case and electrical connections clean and make sure there are no loose contact chances.
3.
Corrosion: If you find any corrosion in battery leads, clean it with a brush or sand(salt) paper. Don't bother if your light has no easy opening doors - no need to unscrew your battery as most modern ones are maintenance free.
4.
Fluid level: Most emergency lamps come with
maintenance free batteries, but if yours require maintenance of distilled water level, take care of it in regular way.
5.
Usage and charging: Its advisable to charge and discharge battery often. Don't simply keep charged light without using for months, use it regularly even if it is not necessary all times. At least a half hour usage is recommended per week. A
complete discharge of battery once in 3 months is recommended for an extended battery life.
