How to Take Care of Your Computer Battery

There are all sorts of tricks to get your laptop computer to run longer on battery power before needing a recharge--from dimming the screen to turning off the wireless antenna to refraining from using the CD/DVD drive. But how do you extend the life of the battery itself? Over time, a rechargeable battery loses its ability to hold a charge. You can slow down that degradation by following a few steps to take care of your laptop computer battery, starting with the first time you put it to use.

Instructions

1. Let the battery discharge completely the first time you use it. When you get a new laptop, or just a new battery, plug the computer in and charge the battery fully. Unplug the laptop and run it on battery power until the computer warns you that it's about to run out. This calibrates the battery--essentially "teaching" it how much charge it can hold.

2. Avoid frequent charging and discharging. A typical lithium-ion laptop battery has a life of about 300 to 500 charge "cycles," according to researcher Isidor Buchmann of BatteryUniversity.com. Unplugging the computer, running it on battery power for a time and then plugging it back in constitutes one cycle. This does not mean running the battery all the way down each time--Buchmann advises that partial discharges are preferable to full ones in everyday use--but it does mean that it's better to run the laptop unplugged for an hour than to do so for 10 minutes, then plug it in for 5 minutes, then unplug it for 15 minutes, plug it back in for 10, and so on.

3. Allow the battery to fully discharge about once every 30 cycles. This will help recalibrate the battery.

4. Leave about a 50 percent charge on the battery if you plan to store the laptop for more than six months. Apple Inc. says that long-term storage of a fully discharged battery may render it unable to recharge at all, whereas storing a fully charged battery for an extended period can reduce its capacity.

5. Avoid overheating. There is a direct correlation between the temperature at which a battery operates and the degradation of its charging capacity. PC Magazine advises laptop users to avoid operating the computer on soft surfaces that trap heat, such as blankets, upholstery or--somewhat ironically--your lap. Use a lap desk or cooling pad when you have the computer on your lap. If you usually use the computer on a desk, make sure the surface of the desk is free of dust.

References

• BatteryUniversity.com: How to Prolong Lithium-Based Batteries
• PC Magazine: Top Tips to Extend Your Laptop Battery Life
• Apple Inc: Notebook Battery Care