How Do You Celebrate National Battery Day?

Power - by Bryan Veldboom - updated on 2/18/2024

Sunday, February 18th is National Battery Day. As you can imagine, it's a pretty big day for us. Did you know that Batteries Plus has access to over 25,000 different batteries for cars, trucks, boats, cell phones, laptops, industrial applications and so much more? Plus, last year we released our very own brand of premium Batteries Plus alkaline batteries!

Here's a quick look at National Battery Day and a few things you can do to keep common batteries running smoothly.

What is National Battery Day?

While not an official holiday, National Battery Day celebrates battery technology and how it has helped shape the world as we know it. Feb. 18th was selected as the date since it is the birthday of Alessandro Volta, an Italian scientist who invented the first true battery in 1800. This early battery was created by alternating stacked copper and zinc discs separated by pieces of cloth soaked in salt water. It was referred to as a "voltaic pile." In fact, without Alessandro Volta, battery technology would not be where it is today.

What Should You Do On National Battery Day?

National Battery Day isn't just a time to celebrate battery technology and its history. It is also the perfect time to check the batteries in your home, your car and other applications, to be sure that they're still in good working order. Here's a quick list to get you started:

Check the Batteries in Your Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

• Be sure to test your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector batteries every 6 months.
• Most smoke & carbon monoxide detectors take 9-volt batteries, although some take AA or AAA batteries.
• Smoke and carbon monoxide detector units also have an expiration date, which is usually found on the back of the unit; typically 10 years for smoke detectors & 7 years for carbon monoxide detectors.
• Some smoke & carbon monoxide detectors come with batteries sealed inside them. When these units hit their expiration date, the entire unit must be replaced.
• Batteries Plus offers replacement smoke detectors & carbon monoxide detectors.

Maintain the Battery in Your Car or Truck

• If you frequently drive short distances and your battery discharges too low, it can shorten the battery's life.
• Drive your car for at least 30 minutes a week at highway speeds to keep your battery charged.
• If you won't be driving your vehicle for several weeks, attach it to a battery maintainer to keep your charge from dropping too low.
• Learn about other things that can drain your car battery.
• Drive over to your closest Batteries Plus to have your battery tested twice a year for free or test it yourself at home.

Check the Batteries in Your Home and Car Emergency Kit

• Experts recommend keeping a stockpile of crucial items on hand in case of an emergency. Don't have one? Learn what you need in your home emergency kit   or vehicle emergency kit.
• Check the batteries in flashlights and other applications to make sure that they're working properly.
• Keep a store of spare alkaline batteries in your home kit.
• Power banks are a great way to recharge phones when there's no power. Just be sure to keep them charged up.
• Generators are an important piece of equipment for emergency power outages. Make sure to check and replace your generator batteries if needed.
• If you have a UPS unit for your home office, be sure to regularly check that the UPS battery is still good.

Learn How to Prolong Your Cell Phone's Battery Life

• A cell phone battery typically lasts 2-3 years.
• Many phones enable you to check your battery's health and enable a low-power mode.
• The way you charge your phone can impact how long your battery lasts.
• A dying cell phone battery has a hard time holding a charge and can cause your phone to crash, even sometimes overheat.
• If your phone is performing sluggishly or the battery is not lasting like it used to, have your battery replaced at Batteries Plus.

Replace the Battery in Your Watch or Key Fob

• Watch batteries usually last around 2 years; key fob batteries typically last 3-4 years.
  • Proximity remotes (vehicles with push-button start) tend to go through batteries quicker than other remote types.
• Batteries Plus offers one-time and unlimited watch battery replacement and key fob battery replacement services.

How Do I Dispose of Batteries?

Batteries contain chemicals and heavy metals that can be harmful to us and the environment if not disposed of properly. That's why it's important to recycle batteries. Otherwise, the substances inside them can contaminate soil, groundwater, and even lakes and streams.

Batteries Plus recycles several common batteries, including lead acid, alkaline and so much more. Bring your old batteries to Batteries Plus, so that they can be disposed of properly. Due to differences in state and local regulations, there is some variation in the type of batteries each store accepts. There may also be a cost for recycling, but this will also vary by location and the type of item being recycled. For full details, reach out to your nearest location.