Sealed Batteries: Keeping Out Water and Dust
Power tool battery technology seems to be breaking new boundaries every few months at the moment. With batteries providing ever increasing levels of power and runtime, we’ve now reached the point where just about every type of power tool is available in a cordless option. Battery powered demolition hammers, 1/2″ plunge routers, table saws, paddle mixers and pressure washers have all become a reality in recent years, and as more and more people opt for the convenience of going cordless, this means that batteries are getting used in some less than favourable conditions. Splashes of water and clouds of dust are going to be a fact of life in many applications, neither of which is going to be be good for sensitive electronic components. But in this blog post we’ll examine some of the ways of keeping the water and dust out, including the new Power X-Change Sealed Batteries from Einhell.
It’s no secret that water doesn’t react well with electrical components, but large quantities of dust, debris, or indeed a combination of all three – sludge, if you like, can also have a pretty detrimental effect. And while your old faithful cordless drill is unlikely to suffer any adverse effects in standard working conditions, tools like cordless sanders, mixing drills, water pumps, jet washers and disc cutters are especially prone to potentially harmful dust and liquid ingress.
Machines which are intended to work in wet and dusty environments will hopefully have protective design features which help to shield internal components from the worst of these exterior conditions, but unfortunately that doesn’t guarantee that the batteries themselves will have been built to the same specifications – and when you consider how much of the cost of a cordless tool is tied up in them, you’ll probably be keen to keep them in good condition for as long as possible.
So what should you look out for when using cordless tools in wet and dusty environments? One of the most widely used international standards used to describe resistance to dust and water is the IP rating, which you may find quoted for machines, batteries and various other pieces of equipment.
IP Rating
If a product has been designated with an IP rating, it provides you with information on what kinds of conditions it can withstand. IP stands for Ingress Protection, and the standard is written as the letters IP followed by two numbers, e.g IP56. The first number is the resistance to solid particles, and the second number is the resistance to liquids. In both cases, the scale starts at 0 (no protection) and goes up to 6 or higher.
IP Rating (first number)
- X: No Data
- 0: No protection
- 1: Prevents ingress from objects larger than 50mm
- 2: Prevents ingress from objects larger than 12.5mm
- 3: Prevents ingress from objects larger than 2.5mm
- 4: Prevents ingress from objects larger than 1mm
- 5: Protected against ingress from dust (dust can’t enter in sufficient quantities to cause any interference)
- 6: Dust Tight (vacuum sealed to prevent any ingress of dust whatsoever)
IP Rating (second number)
- X: No data
- 0: No protection
- 1: Protected against dripping water when in an upright position
- 2: Protected against dripping water when upright or tilted to 15°
- 3: Protected against water spray
- 4: Protected against splashes of water
- 5: Protected against water jets (e.g from a nozzle)
- 6: Protected against powerful water jets
- 6K: Protected against powerful high pressure water jets
- 7: Protected against full immersion in depths of up to 1 metre
- 8: Protected against full immersion in depths of over 1 metre
- 9: Protected against powerful high pressure and high temperature water jets
You won’t always find an IP rating quoted, but when it has been provided it helps to give you some indication of what kinds of environments the product is suitable for.
Next up we’ll take a look at some of the solutions for keeping batteries protected.
Sealed Battery Compartments
Some cordless tools keep the batteries protected from dust and liquid ingress by sealing them off inside a protective compartment. This is not always practical on handheld tools but is often employed on larger machines like pressure washers, or on stationary devices like water pumps. These battery compartments are also common on machines like lawnmowers, where they help to keep out grass clippings and other debris while providing some additional impact protection against accidental collisions or dropped objects.
Battery Covers
Protective sleeves like the Einhell Battery Protector are usually made of silicone or a similar waterproof material, and help to protect standard power tool batteries when used on tools that operate in wet and dusty conditions. Designed to fit snugly over a standard battery pack, these covers are designed to provide an additional layer of protection while being thin enough that they don’t get in the way or otherwise impede performance. Just check the compatibility before purchasing one, as they won’t necessarily fit onto every tool or battery in a range – for example the Einhell Battery Protector pictured can only be fitted to machines that have an additional groove in the battery compartment: this groove allows the sleeve to properly seat in position and helps to prevent water from leaking in around the edges.
Sealed Batteries
The alternative solution is to make a purpose built battery which is specifically designed to withstand exposure to liquids and dust, and this is what Einhell have done with their new range of Sealed Batteries (currently available in 3ah or 4ah). The housing is IP57 rated which means it can withstand being fully immersed in water of depths of up to 1 metre, and is intended to prevent ingress of dust in quantities large enough to affect the operation of the battery. An additional inbuilt short circuit protection system means the battery is also designed to survive any contact with water by instantly shutting down the electronics in the event that this happens. Simply leave the battery to fully dry out, after which it should power back on as normal.
Einhell Sealed batteries are part of the Power X-Change platform and can therefore be used with all 18v cordless tools in the standard Einhell and Einhell Professional range (they will also work with Ozito tools which run on the same batteries). They are going to be ideal for tools like the TP-MX 18-2 Li BL Paddle Mixer, TP-DWS 18/225 Li BL Drywall Sander, PICOBELLA Surface Cleaner, HYPRESSO Pressure Washer and the TE-DA 18/760 Li Drain Cleaner but since they’re fully compatible with everything in the Power X-Change system there’s no limitation to where you can use them.
To view the complete Power X-Change range, you can find our dedicated range page here.
Other Tips for Maintaining Battery Health
It’s a good idea to store your batteries in a suitable environment when they’re not being used. Instead of leaving them in the van or the shed overnight, where they can be exposed to extremes of hot and cold as well as humidity and moisture, it’s always advisable to bring them indoors so they’re kept in dry, temperate conditions. If you work in busy workshops or jobsites, having a dedicated storage case for spares will keep them protected from the outside environment during the working day, and if you’re able to wallmount your chargers (they’ll typically have a pair of mounting eyelets on the rear) this will keep them safely elevated out of the way of any accidental spillages that occur onto the floor or work surface.
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