Mobility is a big issue nowadays, and that is why many people buy laptops for their daily lives and office work. Due to the usage of your laptop’s battery, regardless of the manufacture date, the battery’s capacity will slowly decrease, especially when exposed to high temperatures.
Of course, there will come a time when your laptop’s battery will die. It’s to be expected. After all, everything has an expiration date. The shelf life of a rechargeable battery is generally around 800 charge-discharge cycles, which would mean at least two to three years of battery shelf life of average use.
You will notice the battery is slowly declining in its supply of charged energy, and when the time comes when your battery is dead, most people decide to purchase a new battery instead of trying to revive it, thinking that reviving the battery is too much hassle to deal with. Reviving your laptop’s dead battery is simple. Here are quick tips on how to revive it.
- Disconnect the laptop from its AC adapter and use up all the electricity stored in the battery. Some people use a multi-meter to measure how much voltage is left on the battery, and some use power management tools.
- Wrap the battery in newspapers and place it in a zip-locked plastic bag. This is to prevent moisture from getting in contact with the battery. Make sure the battery is not exposed to moisture because this will short-circuit the battery.
- Store the battery in the freezer and leave it for at least twenty-four hours. Twenty-four hours is enough for some batteries, but other types may take a week or so.
- After freezing at least overnight, take it out of the freezer and leave it at room temperature. Wipe away traces of moisture using a soft cloth. Leaving the battery in the sun for at least an hour would help also to remove condensation of moisture on the battery.
- Hook up the battery to the laptop and AC adapter and charge the battery to a hundred per cent charge. Drain the battery afterwards, and charge it again to a hundred per cent. Repeat the charging and discharging cycle at least four times to check whether the battery is revived, and if not, repeat the same procedure from Step 1. Please also note that sometimes, the AC stops charging the battery before it is fully charged; this is normal. When this occurs, simply disengage the battery from the laptop and AC then connect it again.
These steps are a way of not only saving money on buying new batteries, or worse new laptops but a way to save Mother Nature. Bear in mind that batteries contain toxic wastes and are harmful when not disposed of properly.