Power Bank &
Solar Care
A power bank that has sat flat in a drawer for a year may not work on the night the lights go out. A few habits keep it ready, and keep a lithium battery safe.
Swollen, cracked, leaking or very hot? Stop. Don't use it and don't charge it. Move it outside, well away from anything that burns.
Keep It Ready
Batteries lose charge sitting on a shelf. A power bank you have not checked is a power bank you cannot count on.
Every Three Months
- 1 Press the button and read the charge lights
- 2 Top it up
- 3 Charge your phone from it for a few minutes to prove it works
- 4 Check the right cables are still with it
When a Warning Is Issued
- Charge everything to full: power banks, phones, torches and radios
- Do it early. Power often goes before the worst arrives
- Put the power bank and its cables in one place everyone knows
Charge It Safely
Lithium battery fires are rare, and charging is when the risk is highest.
Do
- Charge on a hard surface that will not burn: a bench, tiles or concrete
- Use the cable and charger that came with it, or one that carries the Australian compliance tick mark
- Unplug it when it is full
- Charge it while you are home and awake, in a room with a working smoke alarm
Don't
- Don't charge on a bed, sofa or carpet, or under a pillow
- Don't leave it charging overnight or while you are out
- Don't charge it if it has been wet inside
- Don't use a frayed or damaged cable
Charging From the Sun
Know what to expect. The small panel on a solar power bank is a backup, not a main charger.
Built-In Panels
- A full day of sun adds only a small top-up
- Charge it from the wall before you leave home
- Use the sun to stretch what you have, not to fill it from empty
Folding Solar Panels
- Much more panel, so far more power
- Open it right out. Shade on one part cuts the output of the whole panel
- Charge the power bank from the panel by day, then your phone from the power bank
Get the Most Sun
- 1 Face the panel square to the sun
- 2 Move it every hour or two as the sun moves
- 3 Wipe dust off with a damp cloth
- 4 Keep the battery in the shade behind the panel
Heat Is the Enemy
A parked car in an Australian summer gets far hotter than a lithium battery should ever be.
Never Leave It
- In a parked car, on the dash or in the glovebox
- In direct sun on a hot day
- Beside a stove, heater or campfire
Solar Charging on Hot Days
- Panel in the sun, battery in the shade. Use the cable to separate them
- If the power bank is hot to hold, unplug it and let it cool
- Never charge a hot battery
Water and Knocks
- Rugged is not the same as indestructible
- Keep the port covers shut. If water gets inside, stop using it
- After a hard drop, watch it for swelling or heat
Storing It
Neither full nor flat. Lithium batteries last longest in the middle.
Long-Term
- Store it at about half to three-quarters charge
- Somewhere cool and dry, away from anything that burns
- Top it up every three months. Left flat for months, it may never charge again
In the Emergency Kit
- Check its charge every time you check the kit
- Keep its cables in the same pouch
- Charge it to full as soon as a warning is issued
Warning Signs and Disposal
A damaged lithium battery does not get better. It gets replaced.
Stop Using It If
- It is swollen or bulging
- The case is cracked, dented or punctured
- It is leaking
- It gets very hot, hisses, smokes or smells odd
- It has been under water
What to Do
- Stop charging and unplug it, if that is safe
- If it is safe to carry, put it outside, at least 3 metres from buildings and anything that burns
- Never use it again
- Smoke or flames: get everyone out and call Triple Zero (000)
Disposal
- Never put a lithium battery in a household bin. They start fires in rubbish trucks
- Take it to a battery recycling drop-off point or your council waste centre
- Ask your council how to hand in a damaged one
Power for When the Grid Is Down
Solar power banks, folding panels, hand-crank radios and lights.
More From the Survival Hub
This guide is general information only. Batteries and chargers differ, so always follow the instructions and temperature limits that came with yours. In a fire or other life-threatening emergency, call Triple Zero (000).