What Does Battery Shelf Life Mean?
Battery shelf life can refer to the battery expiration date—which is the latest date that manufacturers can guarantee the best performance from the product. Many types of batteries can continue to function perfectly fine after the expiration date has passed. However, even though batteries have a long shelf life, they won’t maintain the same effectiveness if they’ve been sitting around for too long.
The charging power of a battery will become depleted over time, even if it’s not in use. Additionally, sealed lead acid batteries can also succumb to sulfation—which happens when the electrolyte begins to break down and stick to the lead plates to become sulfuric crystals. Once sulfation occurs, salvaging the battery can be difficult or impossible, so it’s best to use batteries well within their recommended timespan.