How do you keep your laptop battery going for as long as possible? If you've had replaced your laptop battery, then you know that it is not cheap.
Here are some basics you should learn about laptop batteries. Most of them are manufactured from lithium ion. The average life of a Li-Ion battery is 300 to 500 discharge-recharge cycles, or 2 to 3 years, whichever comes first. Power level, environmental conditions and charging habits will affect the longevity of the battery. As the battery gets closer to its end of life, the amount of time it will hold a charge will become less and less. Whatever precautions you will take, battery life will eventually wear with time.
You should know that you can do something to lessen the impact of the battery degradation and make the life span of your laptop battery a little bit longer. Although your battery will eventually die, proper care can put off the inevitable. Here's how to keep your laptop battery working for as long as possible.
• Keep your batteries away from too hot or too cold environments
Undue heat kills off a battery slowly but surely. Avoid leaving the laptop under direct sunlight or inside a closed car. Maintain your battery out of utmost heat. Similarly, extreme cold conditions (like a refrigerator) can also kill a battery. Hence, never leave your laptops in places where temperatures are extreme. Of course, the whole health of your laptop can benefit from this, not just your batteries. If you don't plan to use the laptop on batteries for quite some time, ensure that the charge is about 40% then remove the battery and store it in a cool place (room temperature).
• Practice proper charging-discharging habits
Most people are familiar with Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cad) batteries, and know that it is best to discharge them all the way down before charging them up again because they have charge memory. This is not true for Lithium Ion batteries. Li-Ion batteries do not have that type of memory, so it is not important to let them discharge all the way down before recharging. In fact, most of the time, it is best NOT to let it discharge all the way. Partial discharge reduces stress and prolongs battery life. If possible, avoid frequent full discharges and charge more often between uses.
• Exercise the battery
Do not leave a charged battery dormant for long periods of time. Too usually, folks would use their laptops while plugged in a power source. While this is fairly safe, batteries that don't get used shall be simply as sickly as batteries which are used incorrectly. Like our bodies, batteries need to be exercised to remain robust and healthy. Moreover, keeping a fully charged battery at elevated temperatures (which is the case when running a laptop on the power grid for extended period) affects the performance of the battery.
• Use the right charger
The volume of energy that is introduced and expended over each charging cycle will make a difference in the life of a Li-Ion cell. It is best to use the original equipment to charge the battery. Higher output charging units (what we typically call fast chargers) will reduce the life of the battery.
• Use Power Management Applications
Most laptops come with power management applications with battery maintenance functions. When running on extended AC mode, you can select "long life" option for your battery and it will charge to about 80% capacity only. Before travelling, apply the "full charge" option to bring your battery to 100% capacity.
A typical lithium ion battery has an overall average life of 2-3 years. With some care and caution, its mortality can be delayed. These simple ways on laptop battery care could help you in increasing or lengthening the lifespan of your laptop battery.
