Kobalt Battery Blinking Green Or Red? Here's What It Means

It's no secret that power tools, from drills to sanders, can get quite expensive. Thankfully, if you don't have the money to build an arsenal comprised of those from the biggest brands, you have alternatives. There are a few excellent cheap power tool brands out there, including the budget-friendly Kobalt. This Lowe's exclusive line — featuring some must-have tools for home garages — has just about any essential tool you could need, some more specialized pieces, and a strong lithium-ion battery system to keep it all running. Not to mention, the battery chargers themselves are equipped with lights, which can reveal a bit about their current state while on their charger.

First and foremost are blinking green lights, which are an indicator that the battery is working as intended. More specifically, they signal that the battery is charging as normal. Meanwhile, blinking red lights mean the opposite: the battery isn't charging as it should. This calls for the battery to be removed from the charger and for the charger to be unplugged. After a minute, you can try reattaching the battery to the charger, which should then be plugged back in. Ideally, you'll be welcomed by a blinking green light, but if the blinking red endures, odds are it needs to be replaced due to a defect of some kind.

When charging your Kobalt battery, you're likely to encounter other light behavior aside from red and green blinking. A solid green light means that your battery is fully charged and ready for use, while a solid red light is more concerning. If you attach the battery to the charger and get this light, that means the battery is too hot to charge immediately. Fortunately, the battery can cool while on the charger, and once it reaches a safe temperature, should begin to charge automatically –with the blinking green light replacing the solid red one.

If there are no lights of any kind while charging, things get a bit more complicated. For one, there could be an issue with the battery itself, specifically the contacts. If the charger doesn't register that the battery is connected, nothing will happen, so it's important to keep them clean and in good condition. The same goes for the contacts on the charger itself, but that's not all. If a charger is damaged, the charging cord is damaged, or the charger isn't plugged in all the way, there won't be any power. No power means no charging and, therefore, no lights to display.

To avoid Kobalt battery issues and prevent the presence of red lights, proper care is necessary. Avoiding these warning lights is easier than you might think.

When using your Kobalt batteries on their designated tools, you don't want to push them past their limits. If they're showing signs of waning power, don't keep trying to use them. Not only will this cause overheating, but extreme usage is likely to cause battery leakage as well. Once the battery is ready to charge, only do so at room temperature, or you risk damage to both the battery and charger.

Neither the battery nor the charger should be submerged in water. This can damage both to the point that neither will work or charge as intended. You should routinely clean them, too — wiping away any dirt and debris from the contacts in particular. For the longevity and long-term chargeability of the battery, it's important to charge it for two hours every two months if it's not being used on a near-daily basis. This, coupled with correct storage, will keep it in good shape for the long haul. 

There are a lot of mistakes commonly made with lithium-ion batteries, be those from Kobalt or another brand, so it's smart to take good care of them and pay close attention to what your batteries and chargers are trying to tell you through their red and green lights.