Do Batteries Really Last Longer if They are Stored in the Refrigerator?
The storage instructions on a typical package of household alkaline batteries usually advise consumers to store them in a cool, dry space. This advice is generally meant to discourage the storage of batteries in hot, humid places such as kitchen drawers or glove compartments. One popular rumor about the storage of batteries suggests keeping them in a refrigerator or even a freezer to extend their shelf life. Modern science has weighed in on this rumor, and the final answer depends on what type of batteries are involved and the definition of “extended shelf life”. For the most part, many experts say, the practice of storing batteries in a refrigerator creates more problems than it solves. Household alkaline batteries generate their electrical power through a chemical reaction. Each battery contains alternating layers of two different metals and an alkaline liquid which acts as an electrolyte. When an electrical circuit is complete, free electrons flow out of the positive poles of the ba
