Is it better to drain a rechargeable battery or always keep it charged?
On One Hand: Necessary PeriodicallyNickel-cadmium or nickel metal hydride batteries such as those found in older laptops will lose 15 to 20 percent of their charge capacity within a month if you always keep your laptop plugged in, according to Dailey International Publishers. Even newer lithium-ion batteries need at least one full discharge/charge cycle once a month for optimum battery life.On the Other: Drained Battery Could Do More DamageAccording to the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, some batteries, especially ones that use lithium-ion, will lose capacity if discharged and left for more than a day or two. If you drain a battery and forget about it, you could do enough damage that it won’t recharge at all.Bottom LineAlthough newer battery technology such as lithium-ion has greater resistance to losing battery capacity, it is still a good idea to run a charge/discharge cycle on your battery at least once a month.
