What Say You

[Mike S]

Been around computers for years and have always kept my laptops plugged in all the time except when making them mobile ..... well when I bought my new laptop the Acer people in the store told me to be sure and disconnect my charging cable as soon as the battery is full and plug it back in when it reaches 15-20% discharged .....

 

I did some checking on Duck-Duck-Go and YouTube and found a ton of info both for and against leaving your laptop plugged in all the time ..... those against claim it will wear your battery down ..... but then I have read that you can remove your battery (mine is external so no problem) but if you get a spike or loose power you can have a problem .... I have my desktop on a UPC and I'm sure I can plug the laptop on it also .....

 

Depending on what I'm doing I can get 6hrs. on normal use and 3-4 on heavy use .... but the constant connecting and disconnecting my charger seems to me it is going to wear out the plug in the laptop or the cable on the charger

 

So my question is ..... what are your thoughts and experiences ????????????????

 

Thanks

:cheersty:

[Dave Hounddriver]

what are your thoughts and experiences

 

the laptop I have now is usually plugged in but it switches the charging on and off internally.  I am not sure of the details but there are time when the battery icon will read "plugged in, not charging 95%" and there are times when it is charging.  Seems to me the laptop gets the charge to 100% then runs itself down to 95% then starts to charge again.  Perhaps this is a fault but I think it is part of the design.

[Jake]

So my question is ..... what are your thoughts and experiences ????????????????

 

Thanks

:cheersty:

Wazz Up Marine!  Personally, I keep mine plugged in while here in the States.  However, may I suggest you physically pull the AC power strip/surge protector that is connected to critical electronics, while there in PI.  During severe power fluctuations, that little power adapter (AC to DC) is being forced to overwork itself in trying to maintain a stable DC output for your laptop.  It may overheat and burn out later.

 

Having a heavy duty AC power converter (220 to 120) with a built-in regulator to stabilize the AC outputs would be nice too.  But I would yank that from the wall, especially during severe thunder and lightning storms.  Many homes have ungrounded circuits (no 3 prong plug system) and that power spike from a nearby lightning bolt may cook your new power adapter or laptop, if you leave it plugged in.  

 

Just sayin'.......

[DavidK]

Reputedly rechargeable batteries last longest when occasionally run down to empty before being charged again. 

[Guy F.]

Reputedly rechargeable batteries last longest when occasionally run down to empty before being charged again. 

 

That's my understanding as well.

 

It's a fact that the charger itself consumes electricity as long as it it is plugged into an outlet, even if it's not plugged into the computer (or phone or whatever else has the battery).

[earthdome]

Battery technology continues to evolve. What were best practices to maintain battery life years ago may differ greatly from what you should do today.

 

Years ago with NiCad batteries you had to fully discharge them periodically then do a full charge. This was to ensure the battery could retain a full deep charge.

 

But with todays Li Ion batteries like for my Samsung phone they say that fully discharging the battery can harm the battery and you should recharge when it gets down to 25-40% charge. Best is to check the manufacturers battery charging info.

[Mike S]

Well here is what I decided to do .... I plugged my laptop charger into my APC UPS and removed my battery .... now my laptop is protected from high and low voltages and power outages ..... once a week I can put the battery back in and drain it to 15-20% and then recharge it again ..... might even extend it to 2 weeks on the draining and recharging ..... JMHO

:cheersty: