Lifespan

• For ordinary domestic batteries under normal conditions, Woodbank Communications' Electropaedia suggests you will get between 500 and 1,200 charge-discharge cycles. After this, you may see a decline in the charge the battery can hold.
  
  

Breakdown

• Rechargeable batteries don't suddenly stop working. They gradually lose their ability to hold a charge until they're no longer useful and need replacing. This is due to various factors, principally chemical changes inside the battery, corrosion or coating of the metal electrodes or a breakdown of the seal holding the electrolytes inside.
  
  

Considerations

• You can improve the lifespan of your batteries through proper care and storage. If your charger keeps sending current to a battery that is already full, its lifespan may be shortened. Heat can shorten a rechargeable battery's lifespan, as can damp conditions, meaning it must be replaced sooner.