Electric shavers (razors, trimmers, and clippers) are a part of everyday life for many men, and there is good reason behind this. Most electric shavers are battery-operated, which makes using them extremely quick and efficient. So, you should not only know how to get the most out of your electric razor but also how to take care of its battery so as to avoid the extra cost of battery replacement.
Types of Battery
There are 3 main types of electric shaver batteries – Lithium Ion (Li-Ion), Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-CD) and Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH).
Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) batteries are the most popular among the three choices, mainly because of the large amount of energy stored, the relative compactness of these batteries, and the fact that they have almost no memory effect.
Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-CD) batteries are the weakest in terms of stored energy, which means that they will need to be charged more frequently. On the other hand, Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) batteries last much longer than both above-mentioned types; however, charging them takes significantly longer.
What Makes Batteries Perform Poorly in Electric Shavers (Razors, Trimmers, and Clippers)?
The memory effect is a problem that occurs in Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-CD) and Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH). The result of the problem is that the charge level of the battery is lower than normal when the battery is fully charged as if the battery does not remember how much charge it needs; hence the name, the memory effect.
Another problem is known as voltage depression, which causes batteries to rapidly discharge due to lower voltage within the batteries themselves. This issue is predominantly caused by overcharging.
How to Address These Problems?
Addressing the issues that effect the life of your electric razor battery are simple and relatively easy with just a little understanding. We have provided some tips to help you improve the life of your batteries and save money in the long run. Just simply follow these steps and your electric razor battery will last significantly longer.
- Drain or Discharge
Before charging your batteries to the maximum, it always helps to more or less fully drain or discharge them first.
This is a common advice that you’ve probably heard before because the characteristics of rechargeable batteries in general make this a very important tip to follow. To put it simply, when you drain your batteries a significant amount, the restoration of energy will give them a higher level of charge and the ability to work for a longer period of time.
If your electric shaver does not have a display panel to check the battery status, you can always count the number of shaves it lasts on average to gain an idea of when it is close to be drained. The manual for your electric shaver can also inform you how much usage it generally takes to make the battery fully discharged.
A lot of men will also agree that you can feel when your electric razor battery is low based on its performance, but this is not recommended because it can be harmful to the battery and the razor itself. Not to mention, operation under low battery can cause hair to get pulled or stuck, which can be very painful.
- Charge to Maximum
With the first tip in mind, when the batteries are fully drained, you should always try to charge them to their maximum level.
A large number of electric shavers have a quick charging function, which can be useful in certain situations and certainly adds to the extra value of having a cordless shaver. Nevertheless, using this function only in very exigent circumstances is highly recommended since it can be one of the leading killers of electric razor batteries. A
battery needs to be fully charged after complete discharge in order to restore the battery to its full potential, quick charging only offers you the energy for one or two shaves and can be detrimental over time.
- Avoid Overcharging
A fully charged electric razor battery goes into trickle mode if it is still connected to a power source. In this mode, the battery stops charging when the charge reaches 100% and then restarts as soon as it drops below 100%, proceeding like this in a cycle.
This damages the battery life significantly by not letting the battery drain, the importance of which was described in the first tip.
Therefore, leaving your electric shaver to charge overnight is not recommended. If your electric shaver does not have any indicator to show if the battery is fully charged, you can read the manual to obtain the time it takes to fully charge the battery and once that time is up, simply remove the electric shaver from the power source.
- Fully discharge at least once a month
Unfortunately, draining or discharging the battery completely might not be an option for you, especially if you travel regularly and need to have your electric shaver ready to use at a moment’s notice.
The most important thing in this situation is that the battery stays fully charged most of the time, meaning after two or three uses, the battery should be charged again to keep it ready.
This will certainly not prolong the life of your battery like following the first three tips will, but there is one thing that should be done to help prolong it even a little. When possible, consider draining the battery fully at least once every month. This way, you will keep it in better shape and make the most of your electric razor with these basic tips.
- Fully recharge the electric razor battery before first use
The first charge of any electronic device is the most important charge. This charge will help set the precedent level of charge for your battery over the course of its life.
It is recommended that when you first get your new electric shaver, charge it immediately until the battery is full and then remove it from the power source. Afterwards, let the battery drain significantly and recharge fully for an extended life of your battery.
- Do not leave the electric shaver exposed to direct sunlight
Direct sunlight can be fatal to many types of batteries, including those contained inside electric razors, trimmers and clippers.
When a battery is heated significantly by direct sunlight, the battery can be irreversibly damaged and the restoration level will never be the same. Basically, even when charged fully, the battery will not have as much energy stored. It is highly recommended that you never leave a battery of any kind in direct sunlight, not just your electric razor batteries.
- Do not charge the electric razor battery in very cold or hot environments
The temperature must also be taken into account when charging your electric shaver. Extreme hot or cold temperatures can reduce the amount of charge that the battery will accept, meaning less energy is stored in the battery. The ideal situation would be to charge your battery in a room temperature environment to obtain that full charge.
Also Read: 6 Essential Parts of an Electric Shaver Explained (Updated Nov 2020)
Warnings
If you are going to replace your battery or even take a look at it, make sure you unplug your electric shaver from the power source before you do so. The risk of electric shock is far greater with the shaver plugged in. Also, if you are still under warranty on your electric shaver and the battery is no longer functioning, you may be eligible for a free replacement or repair. In that case, it is important you do not open up your electric shaver for fear of voiding your warranty.
Batteries are the most important part of electric razors, trimmers, and clippers. If batteries go bad, replacements can get very costly. Following the tips above will help you avoid these costs. Remember, a better electric razor battery will mean a better shaving experience, more battery life, and less time spent charging.
