Is it Bad to Keep Laptop Plugged in All the Time ?

Is it Bad to Keep Laptop Plugged in All the Time

Many people have a laptop that they use for both work and personal use. They often will leave their laptop plugged in to avoid the hassle of moving it from one place to another. A surprising number of people have been asking if this is bad for the battery or not, so we decided to go ahead and answer this question once and for all today!

SHORT ANSWER:

Yes, it is actually very bad. Leaving your laptop plugged in can cause a variety of problems including reducing battery life, damaging hardware like the charger cable or power adapter, and even making you think there’s something wrong with your computer when there isn’t!

Things You Need to Understand About Your Laptop Battery

Old laptops VS new laptops

-The older your laptop, the more important it is to follow battery best practices.

-Older laptops may not have a hardware or software feature that limits how long the battery can be plugged in.

-Laptops made in the past few years will automatically limit how long the battery can be plugged in to prevent damage, but if you have an older laptop it’s important to be mindful of how long you’re leaving it plugged in.

Know your laptop battery type

-Not all laptop batteries are created equal.

-Some laptop batteries can be plugged in while others should not be.

-It’s important to know what type of battery your laptop has and follow the appropriate guidelines.

Heat is worth for your laptop battery health

-When laptop batteries are exposed to high temperatures for extended periods of time they begin to degrade.

-This is true even if the battery doesn’t appear damaged or anything, just being exposed to high heat will damage it over time!

Battery degradation over time

-Like all things, batteries will eventually lose their ability to hold a charge over time.

-This is generally unavoidable and happens with all rechargeable batteries inside computers or smartphones.

-There are no resources out there that show the exact lifespan of laptop batteries for specific models, but it’s safe to assume you can get around 3 years out of your battery if you take good care of it.

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What is the best way to charge a laptop battery?

-For the average user, it is generally safe to leave your laptop battery plugged in for 8 hours each day.

-Never leave your laptop charging unattended or overnight, this will reduce the health of the battery and also increase the risk of fire.

-If you’re someone that uses their laptop daily then following these tips will keep your laptop battery healthy and useful for years to come!

If you take good care of your laptop battery it will remain useful even after 3 years.

Leave your laptop plugged in only when the battery is near depleted (10-30%) or when it reaches 100% charged.

Only use the original power adapter that came with the laptop.

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Should you leave your laptop plugged in all the time?

Laptop batteries are made to be recharged.

What happens when a laptop battery is plugged in but not charging?

-When a laptop battery is plugged in and not charging it will slowly begin to lose its ability to hold a charge over time.

-This process will also make the charger become less effective, causing your computer to be unable to charge unless it’s turned off or restarted.

-This is a normal process but does not mean you should leave your laptop plugged in all the time!

How long can a laptop battery store electricity?

Laptop batteries are generally designed to only hold around 60% of their full power capacity, then they begin losing their ability to hold a charge.

A laptop battery will self-discharge over time which means the longer it is left plugged in but not charging, the more damage will occur over time.

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What are the consequences of leaving your laptop plugged in all day?

Laptop batteries that stay at 100% charged for extended periods of time begin to lose their ability to hold a charge, meaning the battery will become less effective.

This is why it’s important to either use your laptop or plug it in when you’re near a power source!

Signs that your laptop’s battery needs replacing

-If your battery becomes damaged, bulgy, discolored, warped, or feels very hot to the touch it’s time to replace it.

-These kinds of symptoms are commonly seen in batteries that have been plugged in for long periods of time without being charged.

-Leaving a laptop plugged in even if not charging will lead to battery degradation over time.

-For the best performance from your laptop battery, make sure you’re using it as much as possible!

Whether or not a laptop is plugged in, its battery will still degrade over time.

If your laptop’s battery becomes damaged or swollen it is time to replace it with a new one.

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Five Rules on How to Maintain Your Laptops Batteries and Keep Them Operating at Their Best Capacity

-Remove the battery from your laptop if you are using it with the power cord.

-Make sure to remove the battery when plugging in the power cord, even if you’re putting it back in afterward.

-A slow decrease in battery life is normal over time, don’t worry about that!

-Do not keep your laptop plugged into a wall socket or surge protector without actually charging.

-If your computer has low memory make sure to close any programs running on startup to preserve battery usage.

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Battery not charging message

Your battery may not be charging properly due to one of the following reasons:

-The power outlet is defective.

-The AC adapter, the cable between laptop and wall socket, or the backside of your laptop (where you plug in the AC adapter) could be damaged.

To make sure that your battery is not causing any problems to go ahead and reboot your computer while it’s plugged in and turned off to see if anything changes.

It is safe to keep a laptop plugged in all day as long as it isn’t depleting its battery charge when you use it!

Laptops that are taken care of can last anywhere from 3 to 5 years on average before needing a replacement run-down battery.