Hey off-grid explorers! Let’s chat about those super handy Jackery power stations we all love. Now, we know they make powering your adventures a breeze with their multiple charge outlets and solar recharging capabilities. But what if you just want to keep your Jackery plugged in at home 24/7? Is that a good idea or will it cause issues?
Great question! Leaving your Jackery continuously plugged in seems convenient, but is it safe for the device? In this post, we’ll dig into whether or not you can (or should) keep your Jackery plugged in all the time. We’ll look at the potential pros and cons, how it affects the battery, and tips to maximize your Jackery’s lifetime.
By the end, you’ll know the best practices for charging and maintaining your Jackery for when you eventually venture off-grid. Let’s dive in and keep these power stations in prime condition for all your upcoming adventures!
The short answer is yes, you can leave your Jackery plugged in all the time, but it is not recommended. Leaving your Jackery plugged in all the time may reduce its battery life and performance over time. It is better to charge your Jackery when it is low on battery and unplug it when it is fully charged.
How Does A Jackery Battery Work?
To understand why you should not leave your Jackery plugged in all the time, we need to understand how a Jackery battery works. A Jackery battery is a lithium-ion battery, which is a type of rechargeable battery that uses lithium ions to store and deliver energy.
A lithium-ion battery has two electrodes: an anode (negative) and a cathode (positive). Between the electrodes, there is an electrolyte that allows the lithium ions to move back and forth. When the battery is charging, the lithium ions move from the cathode to the anode through the electrolyte. When the battery is discharging, the lithium ions move from the anode to the cathode through the electrolyte.
A lithium-ion battery has a limited number of charge and discharge cycles, which means it can only be charged and discharged a certain number of times before it loses its capacity and performance. A charge cycle is when the battery goes from 100% to 0% and back to 100%. A partial cycle is when the battery goes from any percentage to any percentage.
The number of charge cycles that a lithium-ion battery can handle depends on several factors, such as:
- The quality of the battery: The higher the quality of the battery, the more charge cycles it can handle. For example, a premium battery may have 800 charge cycles, while a cheap battery may have only 300 charge cycles.
- The depth of discharge: The deeper the discharge, the fewer charge cycles it can handle. For example, if you discharge your battery from 100% to 0%, you use one full cycle. If you discharge your battery from 100% to 50%, you use half a cycle. If you discharge your battery from 100% to 25%, you use a quarter of a cycle.
- The temperature condition: The higher the temperature, the fewer charge cycles it can handle. For example, if you expose your battery to high temperatures (above 40°C or 104°F), you may reduce its charge cycles by up to 50%.
A Jackery portable power station has a high-quality lithium-ion battery that can handle up to 500 charge cycles before it drops to 80% of its original capacity. This means that after 500 full cycles or equivalent partial cycles, your Jackery portable power station will only be able to hold 80% of its original energy.
Why Should You Not Leave Your Jackery Plugged In All The Time?
Based on the information above, we can see why you should not leave your Jackery plugged in all the time. Leaving your Jackery plugged in all the time may have some negative effects on its battery life and performance, such as:
- Reducing its charge cycles: Leaving your Jackery plugged in all the time may cause it to constantly cycle between small percentages of charge and discharge, which may use up its charge cycles faster than normal. For example, if you leave your Jackery plugged in at 100%, it may drop to 99% and then recharge back to 100%, which may count as a partial cycle. If this happens repeatedly over time, you may reduce your Jackery’s charge cycles significantly.
- Causing overcharging or over-discharging: Leaving your Jackery plugged in all the time may cause it to overcharge or over-discharge, which may damage its battery cells and reduce its capacity and performance. For example, if you leave your Jackery plugged in at 100% for too long, it may overcharge and cause excessive heat and stress on the battery cells. If you leave your Jackery unplugged at 0% for too long, it may over-discharge and cause irreversible chemical reactions on the battery cells.
- Voiding its warranty: Leaving your Jackery plugged in all the time may void its warranty, which may prevent you from getting a replacement or a refund if your Jackery malfunctions or fails. Jackery has a warranty policy that covers its products for 2 years from the date of purchase, but it also has some exclusions and limitations that may affect your warranty claim. One of the exclusions is improper use or maintenance of the product, which may include leaving your Jackery plugged in all the time.
How Should You Charge And Maintain Your Jackery?
To avoid the negative effects of leaving your Jackery plugged in all the time, you should follow these tips to charge and maintain your Jackery properly:
- Charge your Jackery when it is low on battery: You should charge your Jackery when it is low on battery, preferably between 20% to 80%. This way, you can avoid overcharging or over-discharging your Jackery and extend its battery life and performance.
- Unplug your Jackery when it is fully charged: You should unplug your Jackery when it is fully charged, preferably between 90% to 100%. This way, you can avoid constantly cycling your Jackery and reduce its charge cycles.
- Store your Jackery in a cool and dry place: You should store your Jackery in a cool and dry place, preferably between 10°C to 30°C (50°F to 86°F) and 45% to 75% humidity. This way, you can avoid exposing your Jackery to high temperatures or moisture that may damage its battery cells and reduce its capacity and performance.
- Recharge your Jackery every 3 to 6 months: You should recharge your Jackery every 3 to 6 months, even if you are not using it. This way, you can prevent your Jackery from losing its charge completely and keep its battery cells active and healthy.
Conclusion
Jackery portable power stations are awesome devices that can provide you with reliable and green power for your outdoor adventures, home backup, and off-grid living. They have multiple outputs and inputs to charge your devices and appliances, and they can be recharged by wall outlets, car cigarette lighters, or solar panels.
But what if you want to leave your Jackery plugged in all the time? Can you do that? Is there any harm or benefit to doing that? The answer is yes, you can leave your Jackery plugged in all the time, but it is not recommended. Leaving your Jackery plugged in all the time may reduce its battery life and performance over time. It is better to charge your Jackery when it is low on battery and unplug it when it is fully charged.
We hope this post has helped you understand whether you can leave your Jackery plugged in all the time or not. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact us. Thank you for choosing Jackery.
