Why is my battery draining so fast-4 proven reasons for rapid battery drain

Why is my battery draining so fast

Are you owning a lithium-ion battery that drains quickly and have questions circulating in mind, having a tough time finding the right answers? This article will not only enhance knowledge about why is my battery draining so fast but will provide solutions to the unanswered queries.

Fed up with the battery draining rapidly? Wondering why is my battery draining so fast, here are 4 proven facts behind rapid drainage of a lithium ion battery.

● Disruption in the commute of Lithium-ions

Precisely,we need to know how do lithium ion batteries work. Lithium-ion battery functions on the commutation of ions from the cathode to the anode producing energy to fuel the battery. Vice versa, it discharges while being used as ions move back from the anode to the cathode.

With chemical reactions come side reactions. The side reactions in the battery cause disruptions in the flow of ions, reducing the shuttling of ions and thus producing less energy. 

Ultimately, the capacity of the battery decreases over time and provides the answer for why is my battery draining so fast. This happens as a by-product of batteries’ chemical reaction and plays a role in their aging. Thus, this kind of problem can not be improved. 

In fact, qualified lithium ion batteries have a long cycle life of up to 4000times, which means that customers can use a lithium ion battery for up to 10 years if charge and discharge for one cycle a day. 

Therefore, when buying lithium ion batteries, it is necessary to choose a regular manufacturer, which can better avoid the problem of excessive battery power consumption caused by rapid aging.

● Low-level temperatures

A common saying is that low temperature damages the battery. To some extent, it is true because batteries perform defectively under cold weather. However, the weather itself does not harm the battery but only delays its charging/ discharging by reducing the speed of ions flow from the anode to the cathode and vice versa.

For lithium ion batteries, when the temperature is low, the lithium ion activity will be reduced, which caused the battery to drain fast and the standby time to be shortened. It is recommended to use lithium ion battery within the temperature of -20℃ to 60 ℃ to ensure batter performance.

At the same time, there are also special low-temperature lithium battery products on the market. Such lithium batteries themselves work at low temperature, so special heating devices are installed inside them to ensure that the performance of the battery is not affected by low temperature.

Therefore, when buying batteries for low-temperature application scenarios, you can consult professional lithium-ion battery manufacturers to customize the heating functions for the battery for the specific working temperature and application needs.
● Poor quality manufacturing

A simple reason could be the usage of poor quality components in a lithium-ion battery which causes it to discharge quickly. Consider a reputable manufacturer while purchasing is important because a standard lifetime of a lithium-ion battery is about 10 years if customers charge and discharge it once a day.

● Continuously overcharging the battery

Continuously overcharging or charging frequently without a low battery can cause a rise in internal battery level temperatures, lowering the batteries’ capacity. However, lithium ion batteries don’t suffer from such problem.

In today’s modern era of technology, manufacturers of the battery have set up protection measures to stop the battery from overcharging by installing protection chips, BMS. These help in cutting off the current supply once the battery is fully charged.

What is the normal draining speed of a battery

Well, there are no rigid timings. It varies with usage style as well as the conditions the battery is put in. It is usually related to the discharge rate, capacity, and discharge current of the battery. If the battery capacity decays and the DOD decreases, then the battery is consumed faster than normal.

Generally, a battery loses 12-15% per hour of usage and at least 5% when not in use. It also related to the self-discharge rate of the battery. If the battery is not used for a period of time, then the battery with a high self-discharge rate will consume power faster. For lithium ion batteries, the self discharge rate is very low, which is just 3.5% per month.

What are the factors affecting battery draining

Acknowledging the major reasons for battery drainage, a list of all possible factors considering the battery draining fast is mentioned below:
● Shuttling of ions
● Temperatures
● Aging of battery
● Mechanical fault
● Poor manufacturing
● Overcharging/ charging when not required

How do I stop my battery from draining so fast

Understanding the cause of why is my battery draining so fast, we need to find ways stopping the problem. Precisely, there is no single method to prevent this. With the increase of use time, the capacity of batteries decays, and the faster consumption is a normal phenomenon. However, you may take measures accordingly.

The majority of people use lithium-ion batteries for their devices and equipment, especially smartphones. Precautionary measures include avoiding overcharging, reducing the number of full full discharge, turning off other functions of the battery when not needed, turning off the battery display, etc.

Furthermore, considering all types of batteries, avoid charging it before it’s necessary. Moreover, keep it at a moderate temperature as extreme temperature decelerates its capacity.

Do batteries lose charge if not used

The battery itself is self discharging. Therefore, batteries lose charge if not used. Since the raw materials for making batteries cannot be 100% pure, there will always be impurities mixed in the middle, so there will inevitably be lose charge if the batteries are not used.

What is the self discharge rate of a battery and which battery has the lowest self discharge rate

Self discharge rate of the battery refers to the rate at which it discharge itself when not in use. Affected by the ambient temperature, the self discharge rate will also change, and the motherboard of electronic products will also have self power consumption in the sleep state.

In several common battery types, lithium ion battery has the lowest self discharge rate of 3.5% per month. Below are discussed commonly used batteries with their self-discharge rates:

Table Comparison of self discharge rate of different batteries

How long does a battery last

The battery comes in a variation of Voltage (V) and mAh (unit for energy) usually ranging from 750 mAh up to 7000 mAh in standard devices and 100000 mAh up to 200000mAh in heavy machines. MAh (milliampere per hour) is the capacity of the battery. Accurately, it is the amount of current battery supplies to the circuit.

Assume a 1000 mAh battery attached with an appliance consuming 50 mAh. Consequently, the appliance will run up to 20 hours. More mAh means more current storage/ supplying capacity. Timings vary depending upon its capacity, external conditions, and applications. The major batteries used are discussed as follows:

● 3500-4500 mAh battery

It is preferably used in mobile phones lasting from 3 hours up to 12 hours, during constant use.

● 750 mAh battery

It is used in headphones, wireless mouse etc can last about 10-12 hours.

● A 100000 mAh to 200000mAh battery 

It is used in powerwall in the home energy storage system, ensuring the supply of all devices and equipment in house. It has 6000 times cycle life.

Keep in mind, that larger mAh stores more current and is capable of providing long-lasting usage. However, it needs more charging time as well. Likewise, low mAh requires less charging with limited usage.

Acknowledging this, consider the appliance to be identical when comparing battery mAh as a high mAh battery may perform less than a low mAh battery provided being attached to a larger current-consuming appliance. Still wondering why is my battery draining so fast, may consider replacing it with a more powerful and compatible battery.

Click the picture to learn more about powerwall products

How do I know if my device needs a new battery

The battery starts aging with usage. Following are intimations of replacing the battery:

● Battery is draining quickly

● Rapid overheating issues

● Battery isn’t charging to its full capacity

What are the main factors that cause a battery to fail

There occur circumstances that cause the battery to diminish its health and ultimately fail. The main reasons include the following:

● Extreme temperatures whether it is hot or cold

● Consistent overcharging/ undercharging of batteries

● Frequently charging the battery when it’s about to die

● Attaching battery to a non-compatible device

How can energy storage batteries be maintained to avoid rapid draining

As for now, the above article thoroughly explained why is my battery draining so fast, leading way to the ultimate conclusion of this article of maintaining the battery for its long-lasting life.

Here are 5 effective ways of maintaining the energy storage battery:

● Keep battery in moderate weather
● Cut off usage at low battery
● Protect from any mechanical damage
● Follow the guidelines provided by the professional manufacturer

Hopefully, questioning why is my battery draining so fast ends here as the causes, remedies, and precautions are well discussed leaving extensive concepts to seem effortless.