Laptop Battery Myths: Those Factors Affect Overall Notebook Battery Life

There are indeed many factors that affect a laptop battery’s life expectancy, and many things laptop users can do to extend their laptop battery runtime. However, there are also some things that don’t affect the battery. These are either common myths or just outdated information, such as refrigerating batteries, and fixing dying notebook batteries.

Factors That Affect Overall Laptop Battery Life

Like any piece of technology, laptop batteries will eventually stop working. Australia laptop users can extend their laptop batteries’ lives by first finding out which factors affect its life expectancy, such as discharging, extreme temperatures, and storage conditions.

Discharging All the Way

Some people think that discharging a battery all the way will improve its performance and memory (more on that later). However, when it comes to lithium-ion laptop batteries, discharging it until it runs empty can do more harm than good. Discharging batteries to less than 3 percent capacity can seriously damage them, and shorten their existence. So, for those who use the battery all the time, don’t wait until the laptop dies completely before plugging it in.

There is one exception to this rule; laptop batteries have an internal sensor that measures how much battery charge is left. Over time, this sensor can become unreliable, and will need to be recalibrated. To do this, fully discharge a battery and then charge it all the way once every 30 life cycles.

Regular Use

There’s a saying that goes, “Use it or lose it” and the same can be said of laptop batteries. Many people that purchase laptops as desktop replacements keep it plugged it most of the time. They may think that keeping it plugged in to the Dell Latitude D830 Laptop  AC Adapter will reduce the number of battery cycles. However, not using it at all can shorten the battery’s life as well. While plugged into a power source, the batteries remain fully charged and are effectively waiting to be used. All this waiting can harm the battery and shorten its lifespan. Also, the added heat from the power source and overcharging are the two culprits that can cause laptop batteries to age faster. So, even for just a few minutes each day, try to unplug the laptop and use the battery, or risk losing its capacity.

Proper Storage

Removing batteries when not in use is a good way to extend their life, such as when the AC adapter is used most of the time. This is a good way to reduce the heat produced by a laptop, and save some energy as well. The user, however, should use the battery every now and then to ensure it doesn’t remain idle. Another time to remove the battery would be for extended periods of non-use, such as when the owner leaves for vacation and plans to leave the laptop at home. In such cases, don’t leave the battery at full charge in the laptop. This can cause stress on the battery and shorten its life. Don’t run it empty either, because this can cause it to weaken. Storing it in a cool, dry place, at about 40 percent charge should help to not only preserve the battery, but extend its life as well.

Extreme Temperatures

Heat is one of the things that can destroy electronics, and batteries are especially susceptible. The heat can activate chemical reactions that can wear down batteries, causing them to age faster. Most batteries shouldn’t be used or stored above 86 degrees Fahrenheit. The table below shows how much temperature can affect a battery’s charge capacity after three months.

Extreme heat can also cause laptops to stop working. That’s because special circuits inside the laptop batteries can detect heat, and when it reaches a certain temperature, these circuits immediately shut down the Asus a32-x51 battery to prevent fires and explosions. So, it’s good to ensure that the laptop stays properly cooled by using and storing it only in cool areas. Extreme cold also affects the battery. Aside from draining the battery faster, cold weather can cause condensation inside the battery, which can cause permanent damage.