Proper Laptop Battery Care to Extend Battery Life
Jem Pengson from Parañaque City sent us this request via email last night:
"Dear TechPinas, I've just bought a laptop! And as its new doting mom, I'm now worried about its future. I know that the battery is one of the first things to go kaput in a laptop. As such, I'd like to request for tips on proper laptop battery care to extend its life. Thanks!"
Hi Jem!
First off, thanks for the email.
I completely understand your concern; It's true, the battery is one of the first things to give out on a laptop. Hence,
DEBATABLE: 1. Do NOT leave your laptop constantly plugged to an electrical outlet while the battery is still connected. If you are going to use your laptop as a desktop replacement (to be used for extended periods), I suggest that you remove the battery altogether and use DC as power source. Leaving the battery in will just keep it a constant state of charging up and that will reduce its life cycle.
UPDATE: Lithium Ion batteries - used in 'current' laptops - are said to be better at handling constant recharging and are even resistant to Memory Effect* vs. earlier Nickel Cadmium counterpart. Quoting Wikipedia:
*What is Memory Effect?
2. Avoid charging your battery all the way to 100%. Unplug charger once the charge reaches 90-95%. Some laptops (like newer Thinkpads) actually have built in software that stops the battery from charging once the charge reaches a certain percentage.
3. If you won't be using your laptop for a long period of time, remove the battery and keep it in a cool, dry place (but please, not inside the refrigerator).
4. Invest in a UPS. If you can, avoid plugging your charger directly to an electrical outlet.
5. Do NOT expose your laptop battery to high heat or freezing temperatures.
6. Always sse your laptop on a flat surface - this will prevent your laptop battery from receiving unnecessary pressure or bumps while being used.
7. If your laptop has a nickel-metal hydride battery, completely drain it and recharge once a month to maximize battery life.
8. Quite needless to say, avoid dropping your laptop. Drops hurt not only the battery but other laptop parts as well.
There you go, Jem!
I hope you find this helpful. :)
"Dear TechPinas, I've just bought a laptop! And as its new doting mom, I'm now worried about its future. I know that the battery is one of the first things to go kaput in a laptop. As such, I'd like to request for tips on proper laptop battery care to extend its life. Thanks!"
Hi Jem!
First off, thanks for the email.
I completely understand your concern; It's true, the battery is one of the first things to give out on a laptop. Hence,
TechPinas' 8 Proper Laptop Battery Care Tips
DEBATABLE: 1. Do NOT leave your laptop constantly plugged to an electrical outlet while the battery is still connected. If you are going to use your laptop as a desktop replacement (to be used for extended periods), I suggest that you remove the battery altogether and use DC as power source. Leaving the battery in will just keep it a constant state of charging up and that will reduce its life cycle.
UPDATE: Lithium Ion batteries - used in 'current' laptops - are said to be better at handling constant recharging and are even resistant to Memory Effect* vs. earlier Nickel Cadmium counterpart. Quoting Wikipedia:
Lithium ion batteries are common in portable consumer electronics, because of their high energy-to-weight ratios, lack of memory effect, and slow loss of charge when not in use. In addition to uses for consumer electronics, lithium-ion batteries are growing in popularity for defense, automotive, and aerospace applications due to their high energy density.
*What is Memory Effect?
Memory effect, also known as lazy battery effect or battery memory, is an effect observed in nickel cadmium rechargeable batteries that causes them to hold less charge. It describes one very specific situation in which certain NiCd batteries gradually lose their maximum energy capacity if they are repeatedly recharged after being only partially discharged.
2. Avoid charging your battery all the way to 100%. Unplug charger once the charge reaches 90-95%. Some laptops (like newer Thinkpads) actually have built in software that stops the battery from charging once the charge reaches a certain percentage.
3. If you won't be using your laptop for a long period of time, remove the battery and keep it in a cool, dry place (but please, not inside the refrigerator).
4. Invest in a UPS. If you can, avoid plugging your charger directly to an electrical outlet.
5. Do NOT expose your laptop battery to high heat or freezing temperatures.
6. Always sse your laptop on a flat surface - this will prevent your laptop battery from receiving unnecessary pressure or bumps while being used.
7. If your laptop has a nickel-metal hydride battery, completely drain it and recharge once a month to maximize battery life.
8. Quite needless to say, avoid dropping your laptop. Drops hurt not only the battery but other laptop parts as well.
There you go, Jem!
I hope you find this helpful. :)
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I read from a research study before that the memory effect is just a myth. Actually, I'm working on a research related to it that's why I got that information somewhere.
ReplyDeleteTbe #3 item is actually allowed the battery to place in refrigerator as seen on this simple guidelines found on this article: http://bit.ly/12Y7B
ReplyDeleteAnd other useful tips can also be found there too
Hope this helps