Black & Decker Storm Station
A number of years ago, I received a Black & Decker Storm Station Model SS925 as a gift. This device is a combination rechargeable storm light, flashlight, radio and AC & DC power source. Before using the Storm Station, I read the manual and noted that after charging, the device is supposed to be unplugged for storage. After the last brief power outage, I tested the device to see how long the light would stay on when unplugged. I was dismayed to find it was less than an hour. It turns out that Black & Decker recommends keeping the unit charging at all times in the product’s FAQ and other users reported that if you left the unit unplugged, you would damage the battery.
The rechargeable battery is not supposed to be user replaceable, so I feared I would have to recycle the unit. Fortunately, I found brief instructions by greenpower101 on Epinions.com that inspired me to try replacing it myself.
The procedure below will take you 15 to 30 minutes, not counting the time to pick up or order the replacement battery. All you need is a Phillips screwdriver. Please note that this procedure will void your warranty, but if it is already expired and you have a battery that won’t hold a charge, you have nothing to lose.
- Disconnect the AC adapter and turn off the Storm Station
- Open up the Storm Station. There are eight Phillips screws located on the back of the device. None are hidden or tricky to remove. Some are different lengths, so keep track of which screw goes where.
- Carefully pull the back off of the device. There are several wires connecting the back to the front. Take care not to pull them off of their solder joints.
- Disconnect the black and red battery wires.
- Remove the six screws holding the white battery compartment cover.
- Purchase a replacement battery. The battery in my unit was a B.B. Battery model HR5.5-12. I easily found a replacement on Amazon. Make sure that you order a battery with the correct type of connector. The connectors on my battery were type F2.
- Prepare the battery to be reinstalled by adding some foam strips to the sides to keep it snug in its compartment. I just reused the ones that were on my original battery.
- Place the new battery back in the white compartment with the positive (red) terminal on the right.
- Attach the battery compartment to the back of the Storm Station using the six screws. Attach the black battery wire to the black terminal and the red battery wire to the red terminal.
- Attach the back of the Storm Station to the front with the eight screws and you are good to go! My replacement battery had some charge in it, so I was able to test the Storm Station right away.
- Recycle your old battery!
Now that I have the new battery, the storm light will stay on for more than 14 hours. A big improvement from before!
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We received our storm station for a gift also. It has never worked, we will try to replace the battery, We lost the manual, so hopefully this will solve the problem or maybe it will become a door stop!!
Thanks for visiting, Mary, and good luck with the replacement!