Is taking off the laptop battery a good idea?

[snowolfly]

Hello,

I've been quite confused lately...Ever since I bought a new laptop, people kept telling me to take off the laptop battery once in a while and let it run solely on the charger/cable. They say that this could reduce the chances of overheating and could maintain a longer battery life. However, there have been others who say that it's actually bad to do so

Is it best to keep the laptop running with battery or not?

 

[Minotar]

The only guide lines I know of is to charge the battery up to 100% and then let it run out before charging it again so as to let the cells expand.

Can't see a problem not using the battery either though,its just a different power supply entry.

 

[Bill2]

There are as many opinions on whats best for the battery as there are people. Practically speaking, no matter what you do, the battery will drain, it started draining the day it was manufactured. So just stop worrying about it, use it once in a while like you would any battery.

 

[snowolfly]

The only guide lines I know of is to charge the battery up to 100% and then let it run out before charging it again so as to let the cells expand.

Can't see a problem not using the battery either though,its just a different power supply entry.

Okay, I should try that then
I've also been told that using battery consumes more energy...perhaps that's another advantage for not using the battery, to be eco-friendly.

 

[snowolfly]

There are as many opinions on whats best for the battery as there are people. Practically speaking, no matter what you do, the battery will drain, it started draining the day it was manufactured. So just stop worrying about it, use it once in a while like you would any battery.

Thanks for the advice!
Haha I guess I did worry too much

 

[smarteyeball]

It depends on the battery type.

With newer batteries, it's a good idea to fully discharge, then recharge once a month, or after 20 or so partial charges.

But when using the laptop for an extended period of time, it's a good idea to remove the battery.

 

[snowolfly]

It depends on the battery type.

With newer batteries, it's a good idea to fully discharge, then recharge once a month, or after 20 or so partial charges.

But when using the laptop for an extended period of time, it's a good idea to remove the battery.

I use Li-ion Battery. My previous laptop also used Li-ion and it died after 3 years.

Oh okay, I do tend to use it for a long time. Thanks, I'll take your advice

 

[Zepher]

It depends on the battery type.

With newer batteries, it's a good idea to fully discharge, then recharge once a month, or after 20 or so partial charges.

But when using the laptop for an extended period of time, it's a good idea to remove the battery.

Actually, with newer batteries, you don't want to fully discharge them. it shortens the life of the battery.

It depends on the battery type.

With newer batteries, it's a good idea to fully discharge, then recharge once a month, or after 20 or so partial charges.

But when using the laptop for an extended period of time, it's a good idea to remove the battery.

I use Li-ion Battery. My previous laptop also used Li-ion and it died after 3 years.

Oh okay, I do tend to use it for a long time. Thanks, I'll take your advice

Li-Ion batteries start to degrade as soon as they are made, so they have a limited life. doesn't matter if you use it or store it, it will eventually not hold a charge.
Personally I leave the battery in just in case the power goes out or the power supply gets unplugged.

 

[snowolfly]

It depends on the battery type.

With newer batteries, it's a good idea to fully discharge, then recharge once a month, or after 20 or so partial charges.

But when using the laptop for an extended period of time, it's a good idea to remove the battery.

Actually, with newer batteries, you don't want to fully discharge them. it shortens the life of the battery.

It depends on the battery type.

With newer batteries, it's a good idea to fully discharge, then recharge once a month, or after 20 or so partial charges.

But when using the laptop for an extended period of time, it's a good idea to remove the battery.

I use Li-ion Battery. My previous laptop also used Li-ion and it died after 3 years.

Oh okay, I do tend to use it for a long time. Thanks, I'll take your advice

Li-Ion batteries start to degrade as soon as they are made, so they have a limited life. doesn't matter if you use it or store it, it will eventually not hold a charge.
Personally I leave the battery in just in case the power goes out or the power supply gets unplugged.

Really? That's almost the contrary of what everyone kept telling me...But if it doesn't really matter then I'll stick to the battery. Removing it is quite a hassle.
Yeah, I agree, it's much safer to keep the battery on.

 

[TVeblen]

A lot of that advice about running down batteries and concerns about overcharging them come from the days of NiCad batteries. All of that has changed now with Lithium Ion batteries. These can be charged at any point - it makes no difference.

I use a lot of power tools with Lithium batteries every day. We keep a spare battery always in the charger and switch them out as we need them. Some of these batteries are over 2 years old and still going strong. The chargers for tool batteries automatically shut down when the battery is fully charged, eliminating the overcharging issue.

I don't know if laptops have the same auto-off charging system in them, but I'll bet they do.

 

[datapod]

Some myth dispelling information on the subject @ Battery information from Battery University

 

[smarteyeball]

Well, that's surprising. Even the manual for my new Clevo recommends a full discharge cycle, which is wrong for Li-Ion :huh:

I wont be doing that then.

Although according to the link above and a bit more googling, leaving the battery at 100% while stored and running plugged in (full continuous charge, higher temps due to the current) is also bad for it's capacity life.

I guess I'll avoid fully discharging AND leaving it plugged in for extended periods of time.

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Let’s look at real-life situations and examine what stress a lithium-ion battery encounters. Most packs last three to five years, less if exposed to high heat and if kept at a full charge. Table 3 illustrates capacity loss as a function of temperature and state-of-charge. One can clearly see a performance drop of recoverable capacity caused by environmental conditions and not cycling. The worst condition is keeping a fully charged battery at elevated temperatures, which is the case when running a laptop on the power grid. Under these circumstances the battery will typically last for about two years, whether cycled or not.[/FONT]

 

[TVeblen]

I'm wondering if that manual said "a full discharge cycle" or a "full recharge cycle".

Reason is is that most manufacturers recommend running a new battery on the recharger for the full 180 minute recharge cycle at least 4 times. After that you can remove and use the batteries in just 90 minutes on the recharge cycle without any adverse effects. They will be about 90% charged (the last 90 minutes on the cycle only charges the last 10%!).

Also, I took a look, and it is the Lion batteries that contain the electronics that shut down the charging cycle when time or temperature limits are met.
More here: Charging Lithium Ion Laptop Computer Batteries

 

[smarteyeball]

I'm wondering if that manual said "a full discharge cycle" or a "full recharge cycle".

This is pretty much all my manual had to say about battery care:

New Battery
Always completely discharge, then fully charge, a new battery

Battery Life
Battery life may be shortened through improper maintenance. To optimize the life
and improve its performance, fully discharge and recharge the battery at least
once every 30 days.

How do I maintain the battery?
Completely discharge and charge the battery at least once every 30 days or after
about 20 partial discharges.

Aside from a 'few hours' to fully charge, there's no mention of how many cycles, over charge/volt protection or if it's 'fine' to leave a battery in full time whilst on power :huh:

Anecdotal evidence vs evidence from the links above still seem to be at odds.

'It's recommended to fully discharge vs never fully discharge'
'Safe to leave battery in vs remove battery for extended use'

The only thing I'm now certain of is that the battery will eventually clap out. The one thing I'm not (the important one) is when

It also hard to shake nicad habits

 

[TVeblen]

I couldn't agree more.
It is quite frustrating to find so much conflicting info on the web :shock:.
But anecdotal, contradictory information from the rank and file is not as disturbing as when it comes from manufacturers.