Wednesday 4 December 2019

Expanding/Swollen Internal Laptop Batteries

First of all, we should ask the 1st question. Why internal battery laptop gets swollen in the 1st place. What causes a swollen battery? ... The most common cause is an overcharge of the battery, which causes a chemical reaction between the electrodes and the electrolyte, resulting in the release of heat and gases that expand inside the battery, causing the casing to swell or even to split open. 


Nowadays, all of the internal battery of a laptop is hidden inside the back covers. Not as the old style where you can detach the battery and use the laptop without the internal battery with just the charger plugged in. 

In any case, when you have a swollen battery, take it out immediately. Even if you do not have the replacement battery. You can still use the laptop without the internal battery. But of course, it won't be a portable unit. You have to have the charged battery plugged in to use it. This is however, only a temporary solution until you get a new replacement battery 

HOW TO AVOID A SWOLLEN BATTERY

There are a number of things you can do to minimize the risk of a battery failure. You can’t completely eliminate the risk, simply because there is always the possibility of a factory defect, but owner mistreatment of the battery is by far the most common cause of a swollen battery. In addition to preventing battery swelling, these suggestions are also good for optimizing your battery life.


Always use the appropriate power charger. Use only quality chargers from reputable manufacturers, not third-party chargers built by a no-name factory. If you don’t have the original charger that came with a battery, then get a charger with the exact same power output as the original charger. Just because the charging plug fits does NOT mean that a charger is appropriate for your specific battery configuration. Always check the laptop label at the back, it will display the voltage or AMP of the battery power it needs to be charged. Match it with the charger that you are getting. And lastly, make sure the plug fits. 


Don’t leave your device plugged in all the time. This is particularly an issue for laptop users who primarily use their laptop at home. The device sits plugged in to the wall all the time, and the battery isn’t given the opportunity to exercise its capacity. You can always turn on the power when your internal battery reaches its lowest alert at 10 to 20% of battery life. 


Keep your battery stored in a cool, dry environment. Occasional use in the sun is fine, but don’t store your laptop in a hot car, or humid environment.


Replace your battery if it becomes exhausted or damaged. Batteries are consumable products; they’re meant to slowly degrade in performance over time. So if your battery is no longer holding a charge, or if it becomes damaged due to a drop or impact, make sure to replace it, before a catastrophic failure can occur.


HOW TO DEAL WITH A SWOLLEN BATTERY

If you suspect that your device has a swollen battery, the first step is to exercise caution. Puncturing a battery in any state is incredibly dangerous, but swollen batteries are especially vulnerable to compromise as their casing is already under stress from the built up gasses within. In short, handle any device with a suspected swollen battery with care. This happened to one of my customer. The battery was so swollen that it cracked the back cover case. So, when I replaced the swollen battery with a new one, the cracked cover could not close because the case was already bend and left the cover with a gap. 


As for disposing swollen batteries, preferably, do not just throw into the trash bin. Unexpected reaction might cause the swollen batteries to explode or leak radiation fluid which can cause sickness or spread hazardous reaction to skin and health. Google search online for companies that accept old computer parts disposal.