looking after laptop battery

whatsgoingonhere

I have an Acer 3053 laptop and as batteries are very expensive to replace I wondered if anyone could let me know the best way to look after the batterie. For example, does it harm either the computer or the battery to keep the computer plugged into the mains for several hours at a time, some of the time it will not be in use. I tend to use it just as I did my desktop pc but someone told me I could ruin the battery by 'overcharging' it. Is this true any help would be really appreciated.

whatsgoingonhere

Thanks for your comments Dave I shall do as you suggest, I appreciate all help.

Little_John

With older batteries it was a memory effect and caused by poor chargeing and dischargeing of batteries but newer Li-Ion batteries dont have a memory effect but they do still fail to hold charge after a period of time.

The batteries have a limited charge and discharge cycles, constantly haveing it plugged in uses up the charge cycles faster. The best way to ensure your battery life lasts as long as possible is to remove it as often as possible when you are useing it as a desktop replacement. But that doesnt mean remove the battery and only ever use it connected to the mains.

It is a good idea to put the battery in the laptop once a month allow it to fully discharge and charge it up again before removeing it and storeing again.

To increase the battery life if it is a new laptop you need to fully charge and discharge the battery a few times at first to maximise the battery life.

Rechargeable batteries discharge themselves when not in use, so when you remove the battery always fully charge it before ou remove it.

But your right laptop batteries are expensive.

My laptop battery is goosed, the problem is that it isnt removeable without takeing the back of the laptop off so it stays in and Im tied to the mains for ever.

Essex-girl_2

Little John

Sorry to be dense but just to clarify as Im about to buy a new laptop - basically if Im in my office I should remove the battery and use plugged into the mains then at least once a month put the battery in and fully discharge?

My current laptop is definately on its way out and when i use the battery it is fully charged and only lasts about 15 mins - drives me mad.

So I guess when Im looking at laptops to look to see if the battery is easy to remove.

whatsgoingonhere

Many thanks for that Little John thats superb advice I'm very grateful to you

Little_John

Essex-Girl, yes. Most laptops now have removable batteries it is only odd ones that don't. Now if you buy on line you don't get to see the laptop before buying it so you need to go to PCworld or a store that sells laptops to find out if the model you are getting has a removable battery.

putting the battery in ever so often helps to condition it and improve its life.

Essex-girl_2

Many Thanks

Will check before I buy & have already told DD to start doing this with her laptop.

mikewebs

This is some good advice for techno-idiots like me! I've just found out a lot more about laptop batteries in a few minutes than I have in 6 years of being a laptop user. Thanks Littlejohn!:T