Laptop Battery

I have an Acer Aspire 4740 (laptop) and does the battery get damage if I leave it plugged in while am using it?

thanks

Hi,

Maybe it's better to remove it when it's fully charged but your laptop has a lithium ion battery wich can be charged even if it's not empty.

MK2

I recommend never leaving a laptop plugged in for long periods of time, LiOn or not. If you need to leave it plugged in, remove the battery.

There's no reason to remove the battery, as it won't charge anymore, or be used as it reaches 100%. Laptops, cell phones, etc are all smart enough to not over-charge the battery. I am absolutely convinced people overthink their battery usage. At most, I'd say to drain the battery down every so often, and then charge it back up fully, but even that is becoming less and less important, as the batteries don't usually exhibit memory functions anymore. I'm not sure why you'd think the battery would become damanged when it was plugged in. If so, most business users would damage their batteries all the time.

I agree with DeaconFrost, but opinions are divided on this.
When I had a laptop I always left the battery inside and never had a problem with it,
but if you want to be on the safe side just follow the advice on the thread pebbly gave a link to.

MK2

I dont know whether forum members have seen the "Battery guide"? Heres an excerpt.

How long will my battery last?
Your notebook battery will deteriorate over time whether you use it or not. Although the Li-Ion industry does not publicize this fact, your battery’s clock began ticking the moment it was assembled. The elements inside your battery slowly react with each other, eventually rendering the battery unable to supply the required power to your notebook. In addition, your battery is rated to last between 300 and 800 charge/recharge cycles. It will gradually lose charge capacity rather than abruptly fail to power your notebook.
The general consensus is that notebook batteries last one to three years. While you can slow the battery’s aging and loss of capacity, you cannot stop either decline. The temperature of the battery, combined with the amount and nature of its usage contribute significantly to your battery’s lifespan. You can ease the aging process with some care and maintenance.

Temperature
Lower temperatures slow down the self-discharge (loss of charge while disconnected) and aging process of the elements within your battery. Therefore it follows that higher temperatures shorten the life of your battery. Leaving your battery connected while on AC power causes the internal temperature of the battery to rise. Removing your battery and storing it in a cool, dry place will help to slow the aging process. Keeping your notebook in a hot environment is also detrimental to your battery.

Amount of Usage
The Lithium-Ion batteries used in notebooks are rated to handle between 300 and 800 charge/discharge cycles. Some of these cycles are used when you leave your battery connected to your notebook while on AC power. On AC power, the notebook will routinely “top-off” the battery when its charge reaches predetermined levels (i.e. 95%). Removing your battery and storing it in a cool, dry place will help to preserve some of these cycles.

Nature of Usage
Li-Ion batteries do not suffer from the memory-effect (requiring complete discharge before recharging to avoid loss of capacity) like older rechargeable batteries. Regular full discharge/recharge cycles result in an increased loss of capacity per cycle. A series of partial discharge cycles are better for Li-Ion batteries than a single full discharge. You should, however, calibrate your battery routinely.

Read more...
Notebook Battery Guide

Another interesting discussion.

Will keeping my laptop plugged in hurt battery?

These are among the best battery info resources IMO.

Thanks for the information Bill2, learned a couple of things!

So it's up to each user to weigh the pro's and con's for their own situation.

Connected or Disconnected when on AC Power?

Things to consider if:

You are removing the battery while on AC power:
Pros:
• Preserves charge cycles
• Keeps the battery temperature lower thus slowing the aging process
Cons:
• Lose the battery as backup power during power outages and voltage drops
• Unsaved work will be lost and data may be corrupted without backup power
• UPS (uninterruptible power supply) needed to serve as backup power source

You are leaving the battery connected while on AC power:
Pros:
• Battery serves as backup power during power outages and voltage drops
• More convenient for “grab-and-go” use
• Battery doesn’t require sufficient warming time (as it would after being stored in the refrigerator)
Cons:
• Loss of charge cycles
• Battery’s temperature is higher on AC power resulting in accelerated aging

Quote also from: Notebook Battery Guide

MK2