Basic knowledge to replace laptop battery and extend its life

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Technology

The laptop battery is an important part that is used repeatedly after recharging, but because it is a consumable item, it will be time to replace it someday. I would like to explain the basic knowledge to properly deal with the consumable PC battery, how to deal with it when it is time to replace it, and four methods that you should practice to make the battery last a little longer.

1. Laptop battery replacement 5 basics

1. How the laptop battery works and when it needs to be replaced

The laptop is always equipped with a battery. This allows you to use it for a certain period of time without being connected to a power source, and you can use your PC anytime, anywhere.

Most models are mounted behind the base of the display. It can be easily removed, and it is surprisingly heavy to remove it, so you can feel that most of the weight of the laptop is the battery.

This battery is called a “cell battery”. Inside, batteries called cells are arranged, and the batteries are cylindrical like dry batteries.

If you look at the cell battery from the side, you can imagine that there is also a cylindrical battery inside from its shape.

Currently, most of the built-in batteries use lithium-ion batteries. Therefore, the replacement time is when the built-in lithium-ion battery reaches the end of its life.

The expression “how many years is a guideline” cannot be expressed because it greatly depends on how to use and the environment where the battery is placed. However, if you feel that the battery life is getting worse (only for a short time), the sign that the replacement time is approaching is.

Features of lithium-ion battery

Lithium-ion batteries used in most notebook PC batteries use a substance called lithium as the name implies, and charge and discharge by the movement of electrons of lithium atoms.

Before the spread of lithium-ion batteries, nickel cadmium (NiCad) batteries were the mainstream. This NiCd battery had the property of gradually becoming the upper limit of charging when used in the middle of charging due to the memory effect.However, lithium ion batteries do not have such characteristics and have higher performance. Battery.

 

On the other hand, lithium-ion batteries have the following characteristics: they are prone to deterioration when stored for a long time after being fully charged, and deteriorate quickly with temperature because they are weak to high temperatures. These features are directly linked to the know-how to make the battery last longer, so we will explain in detail in “3.

How to read the battery capacity

The battery capacity of the laptop is indicated on the battery. The larger the capacity, the longer the battery can be used after a full charge, so this figure is also used as a measure of battery operating time.

When you remove the battery, there is a statement somewhere on the battery. In the case of the battery shown below, 5200mAh is the battery capacity.

The amount of driving time that can be obtained from this value greatly depends on the power consumption of the PC, the work performed on the PC, and the processing. Therefore, there is no clear way to convert, but I think that there is no loss in knowing that this value indicates the capacity when replacing the battery.

The Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association has established a guideline called “JEITA Battery Operation Time Measurement Method”. Although it is only a guide, you can calculate the battery operating time using this calculation method. If you are interested, please refer to “JEITA Battery Operation Time Measurement Method (Ver. 2.0)”.

 If the message “Please change the battery” appears

If you’re using a laptop and the “Please change battery” message appears repeatedly, it’s a sign that your battery is nearing its end of life.

This is not an urgent issue if you only use the laptop while it is plugged in, but if you use it while on the go, the battery may degrade and cause a sudden shutdown.

Sudden shutdown can damage the hard disk and you may lose important editing data. Replace the battery as soon as possible.

Even if you stay connected to the power supply, the laptop battery will also maintain power in the event of a sudden power failure. Be sure to follow the “Replace battery” message in case of emergency.

The replacement method of each maker and the place of request will be explained in the next section, “2.

 Two Major Factors Deteriorating Battery

There are two major enemies in lithium-ion batteries built into personal computer batteries.

1  temperature of the battery

The first is temperature. Lithium-ion batteries are susceptible to high temperatures and will deteriorate quickly if used or stored at high temperatures. Lithium-ion batteries are widely used not only for laptop computers but also for smartphones, but if you put your smartphone in your pocket, the temperature rises due to body temperature and the battery deteriorates faster.

2  full charge of battery enemy

The other is a full charge. Full charge is ideal for PC users, but lithium batteries are also overloaded with batteries. When stored for a long time with a full charge, the burden on the battery will accelerate deterioration.

  1. Ways to extend battery life

Do not store for a long time with a full charge

For a lithium-ion battery, full charge is the most stressed state. Many people will store the battery for a long time on a full charge in case they want to use it immediately, but it is ideal to recharge the battery when it is used up to about 50%.

Also, if you do not use the battery for a while, it is better to discharge the battery to about 50% to reduce the load and extend the battery replacement time.

Avoid high temperature conditions as much as possible

Lithium-ion batteries are sensitive to high temperatures, so be careful not to raise the temperature during use or storage.

The midsummer car gets very hot. Avoid leaving your laptop in a car on such a day, as it can be very damaging.

Also, I think many people do this, but it is actually NG to use while charging. In a fully charged state, the temperature rises due to charging, resulting in a double punch, which hastens the time to replace the battery.

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