COMPUTER MAINTENANCE TIP:

How to make your laptop battery last longer?

Laptop batteries like any Lithium-ion (Li-Ion) battery degrades gradually over time. Fortunately, there are ways to increase the lifespan of you batteries. Here are a few tips you can follow:

1. Keep the battery charged. Recharging your Li-Ion batteries often and before they completely run out makes sure the charge is maintained throughout all the cells in the battery.

2. Don’t over do the “Deep Cycle”. “Deep Cycle” refers to the process of discharging and recharging your battery and is done in order to re-calibrate your laptop’s battery. For good maintenance practice you should re-calibrate your battery once every 30-40 charges. Without re-calibration, the battery meter could show empty when the battery still has a large amount of charge. This can be particularly annoying in laptops if software is relying on the power meter to run effectively.

3. Give your battery a cool rest. The degradation of batteries is rapidly intensified by heat. If you use your laptop for a long period of time, remove the battery completely and store it in a cold place such as your fridge or freezer*.

4. *Never freeze your battery. The freezing point of most Li-Ion batteries is around the -40 degrees C mark, which is way below most household freezers.

5. Don’t deplete your battery below it’s minimum 2.4V to 3.0V per cell.

Your battery should last longer if you follow these simple maintenance procedures and warnings.