Batteries are rarely talked about – until they’re drained. Then we’ll tell everyone as we beg desperately for a charger, hoping to get enough juice to last the day. The truth is, they’re a miracle of engineering that gets taken for granted when full and cursed when flat. If it feels like your battery is running out faster, you might be right. But it’s not because of ‘battery memory’ and needing to be cycled (that’s an older battery type called NiMh); it’s because the modern lithium-ion batteries in phones and laptops just simply wear out over time.
Fortunately, extending your battery life is easier than you think!
Here’s some good battery practices that you should make a habit of. How many do you already do?
1. Charge whenever you can
Lithium-ion batteries don’t like being charged all the way up and then drained all the way down. No wonder, it even sounds exhausting. Give them a little charge here and there, and they’ll be happy.
2. Leave your laptop plugged in all the time
You can’t over-charge the battery, it will just sit there waiting to be used. The laptop also helps out by cutting the flow of power when the battery registers as fully charged.
3. Watch for overheating
If you can, remove your laptop battery while charging, because while it won’t overcharge, it may overheat. You might also consider removing the battery if you’re using your laptop plugged in all the time. Sure, you might lose data if there’s a power outage, but overheating is a far more common occurrence and it’s been proven to degrade battery life considerably. Check your vents are clear with good airflow, and if necessary, help it out with a cooling laptop stand.
4. Charge batteries before storing
If you’re blessed with backup batteries, make sure to give them a half charge before storing. They’ll naturally discharge and age over time, so this gives them a fighting chance to still be viable when you need them.
How did you do? Is keeping your battery happy easier than you thought? It might wear out over time, but you can push that day a few years into the future if you remember these good habits.
Having battery issues? Contact us today!
Stan’s Tech Garage proudly serves the Los Angeles and West Hollywood area. Call us at 323-761-2634 or schedule an appointment through our online calendar: https://cal.vocus.io/stgbooking.
Click here to find out what to expect when you work with Stan’s Tech Garage.
