You can use your laptop in two different ways – one having it plugged in and another away from the charging port. Wih time, you would see that your laptop’s battery doesn’t run as great as before. That’s natural – with increasing number of recharge cycles, your battery capacity goes down.
If you are looking to extend the battery life of your laptop, you ay ask yourself as to whether you should remove your laptop battery when it is plugged in?
Removing the battery when you are not using the laptop may help to increase the overall life of the battery. However, is it really possible to remove the battery every time you plug in your laptop?
The debate on this topic is long and never-ending. In short, here is the answer – you shouldn’t aim to take the battery out from your laptop normally.
The Top Things to Note Before Removing Your Laptop Battery
Remember, the following things before attempting to remove the laptop battery.
1. Not all laptop batteries can be removed
You cannot remove a laptop battery from a MacBook or a Surface Pro 4. The first thing you need to take a look at before attempting to remove a laptop battery is whether the battery is removable.
2. The battery capacity tells how much charge it holds
For example, a 9-cell battery has 50% more capacity over a 6-cell, but the more cells you have in a battery, the heavier its weight will be. This means that a 6-cell battery will weigh less than a 9-cell battery.
Although there will be a considerable difference in the weight of the units, selecting an alternative with maximum cells offered will still be more practical when it comes to buying a laptop.
The average battery life today is approximately 4-6 hours. This can vary depending on the laptop and also on the applications that you are running.
So, if you will be using your laptop away from a power source a lot, make sure that your laptop has power saving features and long battery duration. You can also purchase a second battery just in case to ensure that you will not be inconvenienced by the sudden dry out of the unit.
Some of today’s laptops can operate for over 10 hours on a single charge, while the latest netbooks can run for 8-12 hours on one charge.
When Should You Remove the Battery from a Laptop?
The best time to remove your laptop battery depends on your convenience.
1. If You Are Going to Use the Laptop for a While
One of the ways to consider if you should remove the battery while charging is to see how long will you have the laptop plugged in. If you are going to work on your laptop for a stretch, say eight hours and then shut it and not use it until the next day, consider removing the battery.
However, if you plan to keep the laptop plugged in for more than an hour and would be moving around, it is the best to keep your battery on your laptop.
2. If You Aren’t Going to Use the Laptop For a While
You may want to remove the laptop battery even when the laptop is not plugged in. Consider removing the battery is if you are not going to use your laptop for a long time like for the next couple of weeks. If this is the case then it is better to remove the battery.
3. When You Don’t Have to Worry about the Power Supply
The last thing, you need an uninterrupted power supply. If there are frequent power cuts or thunderstorms that could lead to loss of electricity, keep your battery in the laptop. This way you will not be disrupting your work.
Removing the Battery Is a Good Idea
The easiest way to your laptop or its battery to get damaged is by overheating. The battery can wear out quickly if it has been charged full and hot for a long time.
Everyone has surely experienced a hot lap or a burning sensation when touching some areas around the battery during laptop overheating.
While a pillow may protect your skin and lap, it will increase the overheating of the battery. In addition to all this, using your machine for power intensive activities like gaming can increase the amount of heat. Therefore, in such cases, you may want to remove the battery of your laptop while it is plugged in.
How should You Remove the Battery from a Laptop?
When you are removing the battery of your laptop, you should just proceed accordingly.
Step 1- First, you need to shut down your laptop.
Step 2 – Now, plug out the laptop from the wall.
Step 3- Remove the battery from the back of the laptop.
Step 4- Again, plug in the power cable into the socket in the wall.
Step 5- Switch on your laptop and use normally.
Storing the Laptop Battery
Once you have removed the battery of your laptop, the most important thing is to store the battery well to keep it long lasting and to avoid it from getting spoilt.
Step 1- Store batteries after charging them to around 30% and 50%.
Step 2- Store the batteries in a dry place where it isn’t too cold or too hot. Manufacturers recommend the storage temperature to be between 68 degrees Fahrenheit and 77 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 3 – Don’t just store your batteries anywhere. Some people even keep their battery in refrigerators- that’s not a good idea.
You don’t want the laptop battery to get humidity exposure for a long time. If you keep it in the fridge, warm it up to normal temperature without heating it up. Doing all this is a big hassle in itself.
Conclusion
The debate is endless on if is it is a good idea to remove the battery while it is plugged in. You should see the circumstances and situations before deciding on removing the battery. If you do remove the battery, then remember to store it properly.