How to take care of your laptop battery to make it last longer

Overtime, the efficiency of a rechargeable laptop battery fades to the point at which it becomes unusable; however, with proper care you can extend the shelf life of the battery. Most laptops these days make use of Lithium Ion batteries which are much better than Nickel Cadmium, and Nickel Hydride batteries. One advantage that Lithium Ion batteries have is that they do not suffer "memory effect"- a problem associated with other types of batteries.



If you are using a laptop running on Lithium ion battery, you should allow the battery to fully discharge itself on the first 2-3 charging cycles, and the battery should be plugged whenever they are not in use. Though there is no danger in overcharging a lithium Ion battery but it can be damaged if left if unplugged for over 1 month especially with varying surges in electric power, thus a battery plug should not be left in the power socket form more than 1 day {always unplug the battery before you go to bed in the night, and if you use your laptop over-night then unplug it later in the morning}.



A lithium ion battery should be allowed to run itself down by half of its original power level and they must be stored in a dry cool place under normal room temperature, extremely low or high temperatures can decrease the powers of a battery and make it wear down fast.



Do not place laptops on plush surfaces, carpets or flat rigid surfaces where it is almost impossible for air flow to get to their body parts{ including the battery}, your laptop battery will last longer if air is allowed to cool it down- the more heat accumulated on the battery, the faster it gets worn-out.



Many individuals allow their battery power to get used up before shutting down their laptops, this is unhealthy for the optimal functioning of the battery, the maximum capacity of a Lithium ion battery can wear down permanently if the power used up without recharging it while the laptop is in use.



If your laptop will remain connected to an electric source for several days, then you should remove and store your battery, if your laptop is plugged to an AC power supply, it will be easier to top up your battery power and keep it at the right temperature. Avoid keeping your battery for a long time without recharging it, and it should not have less than 40% of power at a time.