How Many Good Battery Habits Do You Really Have?

How Many Good Battery Habits Do You Really Have?

Batteries are rarely talked about. 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.

Modern lithium-ion batteries in phones and laptops wear out over time, unlike older battery types like NiMh. Fortunately, extending your battery life is easier than you think! Which of the following GOOD battery habits do you have?

Good Battery Habits

Charge whenever you can:

Lithium-ion batteries don’t like being charged all the way then drained down to 0%. No wonder, it even sounds exhausting. Give them a little charge here and there, and they’ll be happy.

Leave your laptop plugged in all the time:

You can’t over-charge the battery. The laptop also helps out by cutting the flow of power when the battery registers as fully charged.

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. You might lose data if there’s a power outage, but overheating is a far more common occurrence. It’s been proven to degrade battery life. Check your vents are clear with good airflow, and if necessary, help it out with a cooling laptop stand.

Leave your phone plugged in all night:

Just like your laptop, your charger knows to stop when the battery is full. Those chargers do generate heat though, so make sure you have enough airflow around both charger and phone, and never sleep with it under your pillow.

Charge batteries before storing:

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.

Keep your cool:

We know to avoid water with our phones, but we’re less careful about exposing it to heat. This includes leaving it in your car all day, placing it on top of your PC, or even in a sunny spot by the window. Wireless and rapid chargers can also be an issue, as the amount of heat they generate will affect your battery.

How did you do? Is keeping your lithium-ion battery happy easier than you thought? Your battery will wear out over time, but you can push that day a few years into the future if you remember to keep it charged and keep it cool.

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