Power banks are very essential device to charge your mobile phone or devices on the go. But what when the power bank itself needs charging? If you’re beginner to using them, you may wonder how to charge power bank for the first time.
In this blog post we have covered all the important things to keep in mind, such as how long it takes to charge a power bank, and how to know when it’s fully charged, and mistakes to avoid while charging it to increase it’s lifespan.
7 Mistakes To Avoid When Charging a Power Bank:
By avoiding these seven mistakes you can avoid faster battery degradation that leads to better performance and long power bank life.
1. Avoid Using a Non-compatible Charger:
Avoid using a wrong or a charger that is not designed for the power bank. Using a non-compatible charger can cause your power bank to overheat and may damaged the power bank. So always use a charger that comes with the power bank, or one that is recommended by the manufacturer.
2. Avoid Charging Your Power Bank With Higher Voltages:
Charging your power bank with higher voltage doesn’t mean that the power bank get charged fastly. Instead, you are just hurting it by pushing unnecessary higher voltage in the power bank. A power bank can only take the voltages safely that what it’s circuit board is designed for. So always read the product description or user manual to find the compatible voltages of any power bank.
3. Avoid Overcharging The Power Bank:
Overcharging (charging a power bank even fully charged) can cause the battery to degrade faster the impacts the overall performance of your power bank. So always try to disconnect your power bank from charging as soon when it fully be charged.
4. Avoid Charging Your Power Bank Too Frequently:
Avoid charging your power bank too frequently because charging and discharging the power bank many times a day can cause the battery to degrade faster. So it is better to wait until the power bank is almost empty before charging it again and also wait for fully charged power bank once you putted it in charge. This is how you can avoid charging your bank too frequently to expand it’s lifespan.
5. Avoid Using The Power Bank While Charging:
Try to avoid using your power bank to charge other devices while charging it at the same time. Because this can cause your power bank to overheat and damage the internal battery which reduces charging efficiency and overall lifespan of the power bank. So always wait until your power bank is fully charged before using it.
6. Avoid Using Damaged or Low Quality Charger:
Avoid using low quality or damaged USB cable to charge your power bank because it can damage your power bank by not supplying the respective voltages. Always use a high quality or compatible cable to charge the power bank to enhance your power bank’s lifespan.
7. Avoid Charging Your Power Bank In Hot Temperature:
Do not charge the power bank in direct sunlight or near heat sources, such as a heater or stove. This can cause the battery to overheat and damage faster. So always keep your power bank in charge in cool or moderate temperature.
Charging your power bank with compatible voltages, using a correct charger, not overcharging the power bank, and such more things can lead to longer lifespan. By following these tips when charging the power bank you can slow down it from losing its charging efficiency.
How To Charge a Power Bank Properly?
For charging the Power Bank, simply connect the Power Bank with the help of the connecting cable. One end of the cable is placed in the input port while the other can be placed in the wall electric socket or your PC/Laptop. The internal circuitry of the Power Bank takes care of the AC to DC conversion and DC-DC transfer respectively. Depending upon the storage capacity of the Power Bank and the input charging source used, a typical Power Bank gets fully charged in about 3-4 hours. Most Power Bank’s now-a-days have a LED display showing the current level of charge. Once charged fully, a typical 10000mAh Power Bank can charge a normal Smartphone 2-3 times or a tablet about 1-2 times giving you ample time to search for a proper input supply like a wall socket or a PC to recharge both devices.
For charging any device, connect the USB in the output port and the micro-USB port into your device. The moment this coupling is done, the Power Bank starts the transfer of power from itself to the connected device. Most Power Bank’s show this activity with the help of the LED lights and the device screen also shows ‘charging status.’
Typically, a Power Bank needs to be lugged along with the device intended to be charged. A new form of Power Bank devices is making their presence felt recently – Portable Solar Chargers (PSC). A PCB gets charged with the help of the solar panels connected with it. The PSC may or may not have a built in Power Bank. Assuming that a PSC has a built in Power Bank, the Power Bank gets charged every-time the solar panels get exposed to the sun, ensuring that the Power Bank is always charged and is ready for action instantaneously.
How Do I Charge a Power Bank?
To Charge Your Power Bank You Need The Following Things:
- A power bank: You need a working power bank.
- A compatible charging cable: Generally, power banks comes with USB Type-C and Micro-USB input ports. So to charge your power bank you may need a USB type-c or Micro-USB cables. Usually, cables are provided with power banks.
- A power source: You need a USB port on a computer/wall adapter/car charger or any power source.
Once You Have All These Necessary Items, You Can Follow These Five Steps To Charge Your Power Bank Properly:
- Firtsly, pick and connect one end of the compatible charging cable to your power bank’s input port.
- Secondly, if wall charging, connect the other end of the charging cable with a adapter, then connect the adapter to the wall socket.
- Thirdly, not all but some power banks has on/off button or switch that you may need to turn on to charge them.
- Fourth, switch on the power source and make sure your power bank starts getting charge (look for blinking LED lights of the power bank, usually, it is a sign that your power bank is perfectly connected and charging).
- Lastly, avoid overcharging. Disconnect your power bank when it glows their all LED lights (usually, power bank has four LED lights, 1 light = 25% energy, and all four = 100%).
How To Charge a Power Bank For The First Time?
Do’s:
- Read User Manual that comes with your power bank. This will give you a proper step by step instructions on how to charge your power bank and how to use it.
- Use a high quality cable or use a cable that comes with your power bank.
- Charge your power bank with compatible voltages.
Don’ts
- Do not use a non compatible charger.
- Do not overcharge.
- Do not use a charger with unsupported higher voltages.
Can I Use a Mobile Charger To Charge a Power Bank?
Yes, you can charge your power bank with a mobile charger but you need to ensure that your power bank input’s voltage and amperage match the mobile output’s voltage and amperage. Charging your power bank with an inappropriate mobile charger make your power bank overheat and its battery to degrade faster.
So read the manual comes with a power bank to find out what voltages and amperages do the specific power bank supports and use a mobile charger according to that.
Conclusion
Power banks are made of battries so it becomes very important to keep them healthy. One of the best way you can keep your power bank in good condition is by avoiding few things while charging them which I have explained above. Charging your power bank with right charger, avoiding overcharging, and few more simple things make your power bank last longer.