Cordless phones have been a popular choice for households over the last few years, thanks to their convenience and contemporary design. Allowing you to walk through the house and not be tied to a phone wired to the wall, making phone calls is so much easier than before.
However, thanks to so many different models now on the market, you may have noticed that some cordless phone batteries look different to your average cells.
The use of landlines may be on the decline, but many households still choose to have one; and if you’re going to keep one in the house, it may as well be a modern piece of technology!
So, if you need a helping hand in making sure you have all the right equipment for your
cordless phones to work properly, here is a battery guide to ensure you’re on the right track.
Most cordless phones will take rechargeable AAA batteries, but it’s important that you buy rechargeable batteries that have been recommended for cordless phones. A genuine AAA cordless phone battery has a slightly longer positive terminal to connect inside the battery compartment. Many people often buy ordinary rechargeable AAA batteries only to find they don’t work.
Some cordless phones may use a battery pack that is built with wires and a connector plug. When the time comes to replace it, make sure you buy a replacement pack with the same connector and voltage.
When the time comes to replace your cordless phone AAA batteries, it is recommended that you replace the batteries with the same voltage and capacity as the original batteries. You will find this information in the handbook that comes with your cordless phone.
It’s crucial that your replacement AAA batteries are rechargeable, and have ‘NiMH’ printed on them. Older types may have ‘NiCd’ printed on them but this has now been replaced by NiMH.
Making sure the voltage of your replacement cordless phone batteries is the same is also important. Most AAA cordless phone batteries are 1.2V; never use non-rechargeable 1.5V batteries as this is dangerous.
Replace your batteries with the same capacity; you’ll find this printed on the battery as a mAh rating such as 550mAh. It is a myth that the higher the capacity of the battery, the longer the phone will last. The charger that comes with the phone will have a set charging current that is designed perfectly for the right capacity of the battery. So, resist the temptation to use higher capacity batteries than recommended! Whilst it’s generally true that the higher the battery capacity the longer they will last, that doesn’t necessarily apply to cordless phone batteries. Extremely high capacity batteries usually need a higher charging current, often higher than the phone charger is set to and therefore they may not charge properly. The same principles apply to cordless phone battery packs too.
When you replace cordless phone batteries, you should make sure they are initially charged correctly. It is quite normal to have to charge new batteries for 16-20 hours. It is also normal for the batteries to get warm during charging. You’ll be able to find the recommended charging time in the phone handbook.
We all use our cordless phone differently; many people simply leave their phone in the charging cradle when it’s not in use. While this isn’t a problem, the batteries can benefit from being run down once in a while. So, every month or two take your phone off the charger and let the batteries drain, before fully charging them again.
Old, worn out batteries now need to be recycled. All major supermarkets and high street shops now have battery recycle bins. Simply drop your old batteries into the bin.
