Friday 1 March 2013

Looking after your Batteries - Top 10 Tips and FAQ


Read on to find out how to get the best life out of your Battery Operated Boyfriend (BOB)...



Almost all vibrators use batteries. Some vibrators need to use more power than others, so you may notice that the battery life varies from sex toy to sex toy.

For example, Rabbit Vibrators generally need to eat up quite a lot of power. With rotating beads, or shafts that thrust or pulsate, they use more energy than a sex toy that just vibrates. Coupling that with the separate motor for the vibrating ears, a rabbit can be very difficult to keep as economical as we would like.

However, here are my top ten tips to gain the most out of your batteries and battery operated vibrators:

  1. Look for well-known branded batteries. Duracell or Energizer are best. Avoid cheap, lesser known brands or supermarket own brands. Many cheaper batteries are meant for low-powered products like clocks or remote-controls and don't have the power to cope with high-powered products like vibrators for long.
  2. Avoid buying cheap or discounted batteries. Sometimes you may find good branded batteries at low prices at discount shops or market stalls. Please avoid buying cheap batteries. They may look like a good deal, but quite often they are that cheap for a reason. It has been known for some discount shops to sell well-known branded batteries that have reduced charge, are out of date or even failed batteries that should not be sold at all. This has happened to me on more than one occasion.
  3. Don't use batteries that are past their sell by date. Yes, batteries have a sell by date. Also, don't keep your batteries unused for too long (years) as the charge will drop slowly over time.
  4. Don't use rechargeable batteries in vibrators. Many rechargeable batteries are slightly larger than regular batteries, and there have been many reports of rechargeable batteries getting stuck or jammed inside their sex toy battery compartments. Also, most rechargeable batteries are not strong enough to power vibrators.
  5. A Battery Tester can be very useful. They can be bought quite cheaply and are great for quickly and easily testing how much charge is left in your batteries and most testers are compatible with most domestic-use battery sizes. This means you don't need to pay extra money for batteries that have charge checkers, and you need not be caught off guard from your vibrator losing power ever again!
  6. Remove the batteries when your vibrator is not in use. This will help your batteries last longer. Some vibrators will use a fractional amount of power when it is switched off and over time, the battery charge may drop notably. Another, more dangerous, reason to not leave batteries in a vibrator for a long length of time, is that they may corrode and even leak battery acid, ruining your batteries and your sex toy!
  7. Take the batteries out before cleaning your toy. After using your toy, take out the batteries before cleaning and storing. This is especially important if your toy is not waterproof. Be sure that the battery compartment is kept dry at all times and make sure that your hands and your toy are dry before re-inserting the batteries.
  8. Take care of the battery compartment of your vibrator. Be sure not to place any foreign objects in to the battery compartment, force the batteries in the wrong way around, or anything else that may damage the small metal conductors inside the compartment, or the compartment itself. Do not let water get inside the compartment, and be sure your hands and the toy are dry before opening the compartment.
  9. Inspect your toy on a regular basis. Be sure that there are no cracks, breaks or other signs of damage to the seals or the battery compartment. If there is, then please do not use your sex toy as it may be unsafe.
  10. Be sure the batteries are inserted correctly. When inserting batteries in your sex toy, make sure that they are in the right way round. Some vibrators have screw-cap bases for the battery compartment. Make sure that the base is screwed on tightly as it may not switch on otherwise. Many waterproof vibrators have screw-cap bases, so when you screw it back on make sure that it is tight so that no water will get inside.

FAQ

Q - I have inserted brand new batteries in my new vibrator, but it will not switch on. What do I do?

A - Make sure the batteries are in the correct way. Try putting them in the other way around, just to be sure, and make sure the cap is closed correctly. If it is a screw-cap, then make sure it is on tightly. Check that the ends of the batteries are touching the metal conductors inside the battery compartment.
Make sure that the batteries you have are working by testing them in another vibrator or battery-operated product. If nothing else works, then your vibrator may be faulty, so discuss return options from where you bought the vibrator from, or, in some cases, contact the manufacturer.

Q - Is the vibration strength of a sex toy determined by the size/type of batteries it takes?

A - To an extent, yes. Different vibrators have different amounts of vibration power, and the batteries they take tend to match the power they use. For instance, some vibrators with very strong vibrations take C batteries (the large cylindrical ones), while some small vibrators that don't need as much power take small watch batteries. Finding out what sort of batteries a vibrator takes can, to a certain extent, give you an idea of how powerful it will be.

Q - I have never noticed a problem with batteries in my vibrators, why should I bother changing to more expensive ones?

A - If you use batteries that are old, low on charge, or not designed for high powered products, then take them out and try replacing with brand new, strong batteries, and discover the difference! A vibrator may still apparently work fine, but the vibrations will likely not be as strong or run as fast as when better and well looked-after batteries are used.

Q - Are there any vibrators that don't take batteries?

A - Yes. You can get vibrators with a built-in rechargeable battery, vibrators that are mains powered and run by plugging in to an electrical socket, and even vibrators that run on solar power! None of which use disposable batteries, meaning they are better for the environment and better for your pocket in the long run.

Q - Which batteries should I use - Alkaline or Non-Alkaline?

A - Alkaline batteries usually have higher capacity than Non-Alkaline batteries, and Non-Alkaline batteries tend to have quite a few disadvantages, including losing its charge much quicker when not in use, meaning that while they are environmentally better for being made with fewer metals, they are actually worse for the environment because they do not last as long. I definitely recommend using Alkaline batteries for use in sex toys.

Q - Can freezing batteries help them last longer?

A - Well, yes it actually can. When at room temperature, batteries slowly lose their charge over time. Alkaline batteries lose their charge very slowly though and chilling them is hardly worth it. However, Non-Alkaline batteries lose their charge far quicker when not in use. When at higher temperatures, the charge is lost even quicker and temperature does seem to have a direct affect on the amount of charge dissipated. So keeping Non-Alkaline batteries chilled when not in use can make a difference on how long they last.

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