Tips how to increase your laptop’s/notebook battery life
If before the crisis laptops and other high-tech devices were replaced at the first signs of weariness, the crisis has caused a radical change of how we relate to our assets. In other words, now instead of buying a new one we prefer to repair the old one and here are some tips on improving your laptop’s battery life. Each year use of a laptop battery is reduced by 20%, but there are some things you can do to increase its life.
1.Do not let your laptop to overheat. The easiest way this can happen is when working in bed or putting it in a backpack or briefcase while it is still on .
2. If you begin to notice that your battery is not lasting as long as it used to, then you may be able to improve its performance by re-calibrating it. Most computer companies like Apple and Dell recommend that laptop users calibrate their batteries every couple of months in order to keep them functioning properly. Laptop batteries will run out quicker as they get older, but re-calibrating can improve battery health. In order to do that:
First connect your laptop's power adapter to the computer. Plug the other end into a standard electrical outlet. Charge your notebook battery until the screen indicator says that it is fully charged. Allow it to run all the way down until the computer shuts off automatically. Do not plug your laptop into the power adapter even if you receive a low battery warning. Once the laptop battery has fully drained, plug your laptop back into the power adapter and leave it connected until the battery is fully charged again.
Re-calibrate your battery every month or so by fully charging, fully discharging, and then fully charging again. Basically to have a chance to re-calibrate your laptop battery is to turn off all power-saving features completely and then fully recharge them. If it doesn't work for the first time then try two more full discharges and recharges.
The above way of re-calibrating the Dell laptop batteries works well with laptops using Ni-MH cells. But not with laptops using Li-Ion batteries because deep discharges will actually decrease the charge capacity and lifespan of Li-Ion cells. Moreover Li-ion batteries irreversibly lose approximately 20% capacity per year from the time of manufacture at a typical 100% charge level at 25deg.C, even when unused. That is every deep discharge cycle decreases the capacity of the Li-ion batteries. As the Li-Ion batteries are chemical in nature, charging and recharging is not going to fix the problem once the chemical reactions stop happening. Therefore the best advice for re-calibrating the Li-Ion batteries is to store the battery at 40% charge if it kept unused for any unlimited period of time.
3. When you need a laptop all day and you can put in the socket, remove the battery. If your laptop is connected to a power source you do not need the battery. Therefore, remove it. If you don’t, the battery does not have time to charge and discharge, two necessary operations for a bigger and longer autonomy.
4. The next time you need to buy a laptop, get a battery with extended life. This is perfect for those who must work beyond their office. It costs a little more, but worth the investment because they last longer.
