Monthly
Tips - April 2010. Care of laptop batteries
Laptop batteries are designed to be used.
By this we mean that a laptop battery should be allowed to discharge,
and then recharge.
Unfortunately, many people purchase a laptop and
then essentially use it as if it were a desktop - plugged in to AC power
continuously, under the mistaken impression that this will keep the
battery fully charged.
If you use your laptop this way, please allow the
battery to discharge fully at least once a week by unplugging the
external power and running the laptop until it gives a "battery low"
warning, then plug power back in and let it recharge. This will help
keep the battery in good shape.
An even better idea is to remove the battery once
it is fully charged, and put it away. Then, if you need it to be mobile
you reinstall the battery. But you should reinstall the battery every 6
months, and put it through a couple of charge/discharge cycles in any
event.
A couple of things happen when a battery is left
on continuous charge. The electrolyte in the battery dries out making it
less effective, and it consumes unnecessary power which puts an extra
load on the power components of the laptop and causes it to run hotter,
which can reduce the life of the laptop. In extreme cases batteries have
been known to short out, and get so hot they explode!
Properly cared for, a laptop battery can last up
to 5 years. However, if it is abused by leaving it continuously charging
it may last less than 1 year. Some manufacturers limit the battery
warranty to 3 months, whereas the rest of the machine will have a 1 year
warranty.
Gordon
Doherty
Monthly Tips - March 2010
Several years ago we sent out our monthly tips on a regular basis, but as a
result of staffing changes we allowed this to lapse. We hope you don't mind
us resuming this practice, and if you object please let us know and we will
remove you from our list. Our tip for March 2010 :-
