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How likely are laptop batteries to go on fire or explode

  • 04-03-2008 12:24AM
    #1
    swingking
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,260 ✭✭✭


    I read an article in a pc magazine how there's a danger of charging a laptop for two long. Apparently if a battery heats up a lot, it could go on fire or explode :eek:

    Anyone ever had this happen to them before?

    Do you leave your laptops plugged in for long periods of time? and do you let the battery constanty discharge?


Comments

  • #2
    mp3guy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,948 ✭✭✭mp3guy


    My laptop is always plugged in when I'm at home, I replaced my desktop with it. It gets warm, but that's the hard drive, not the battery.


  • #3
    AlmightyCushion
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 35,330 Mod ✭✭✭✭AlmightyCushion


    That was only with a certain type of battery. All the manufacturers who have supplied these batteries have done a re-call. If you're worried that your battery may be one of the ones that have been re-called then get in contact with their customer services, they'll be able to let you know if it is or not.

    If you use your laptop a lot while on mains power, then remove the battery. The heat will kill battery life.


  • #4
    sTuMbLeD
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 48 ✭sTuMbLeD


    I often have my laptop plugged in for couple days at a time and have had no issue with heat, but if it's not being used i do unplug, why waste all that electricity?
    AlmightyCushion wrote: »
    If you use your laptop a lot while on mains power, then remove the battery. The heat will kill battery life.

    I know you can run it with the battery removed, but I've still never tried it for fear of my power lead getting yanked. I also like the fact that if there is a power cut I'll have time save my work.

    Any idea how big an effect heat has on battery life?


  • #5
    Alanstrainor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,146 ✭✭✭✭Alanstrainor


    your battery will just get to the stage where it can't hold any charge quicker if left plugged in for long periods of time. My Dell 6400's battery lasts about 30 minutes now after almost two years plugged in with the battery. If only i had known, but the again, as sTuMbLeD said, many a time, i've knocked out the power cord and was glad the battery was in it.


  • #6
    majiktripp
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,471 ✭✭✭majiktripp


    I think most of the manufacturers have ironed out the problems they were having with their battery suppliers but for the most part batteries are back to the safe standards they were. That is unless you own one of the potentially explosive ones which were recalled but haven't checked or found out if your effected.Then theres always the chance...


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  • #7
    zilog_jones
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,723 ✭✭✭zilog_jones


    Alanstrainor wrote: »
    My Dell 6400's battery lasts about 30 minutes now after almost two years plugged in with the battery...

    Lithium-ion batteries constantly lose their capacity over time, regardless of useage. Even if you left it in the box for 2 years it would lose capacity significantly, though the heat probably made things worse.

    I worked in Dell for 7 months (quit in february), and there was a battery fire once. I'm not sure if it was two batteries that caught fire or two laptops that caught fire from one battery (they were in racks so were quite close together). They were Inspiron 1720 systems. It was an isolated case as I don't think they found anything wrong with any other batteries.

    With such volatile substances there's always a chance, but there's a lot of protective measurements put into Li-ion batteries that in the majority of cases stop them getting into any dangerous state. I don't think there's been a recall in laptop batteries since that big Sony fiasco a couple of years ago.


  • #8
    Overheal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 86,683 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    To be fair a replacement battery is relatively cheap, so I am prepared for my fancy 12-cell to die over time.

    As for how likely they are to explode? Not a notion. Either way TSA has banned them as they are potentially just another explosive device someone can use to take control of an airplane.


  • #9
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 98,142 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    Overheal wrote:
    Either way TSA has banned them as they are potentially just another explosive device someone can use to take control of an airplane.
    To be fair if you were to stick a steak knife* through a battery cell you'd release all the energy at once which is not a good thing. And the industry is doing all it can to reduce flamables on planes.**

    *first class customers typically get steak knives
    **the average 747 has something like half a ton of duty free and passengers aren't allowed to carry more than 4 cigarette lighters even though smoking is banned.


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