If your laptop, phone or tablet breaks down, it causes you much inconvenience. Though nowadays a device can be repaired in a service center rather quickly, you’ll still have to distract yourself from the virtual world for a while. Unfortunately, it may be critical not only for an individual but also for a whole company. Here is some advice on how to keep devices up and running, given by experts from ICL Services who deal with various equipment repair for more than 20 years.
How can you prolong battery performance?
To avoid losing of working and personal liaison with the world, it is advisable to be permanently present in the virtual world using gadgets. They may fail but there are ways that can help you keep them in good working order for a long period of time.
Here is some advice given by experts from ICL Services who deal with various equipment repair for more than 20 years. The rules of work are divided into those for lithium-ion batteries and for lithium-polymer ones.
Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in today’s consumer electronics as well as in cell phones, laptops and digital cameras. According to the experts, to prolong performance of such batteries you should follow five simple rules.
Rule 1. Discharge and charge the battery 2–3 times a month. Everybody knows that charging a cell phone always at one and the same time is extremely inconvenient. Depending on workload of the device, users recharge, for example a cell phone, while on the way or at work. After multiple short recharges the state of charge may be displayed incorrectly, that is why we recommend to discharge a phone 2–3 times a month and charge it up to 100%.
Rule 2. Avoid battery depletion. The optimal moment for recharge is when the battery charge is 15%. If you regularly put your device on charge when the battery charge is not less than 15% it will result in increasing the number of charging-discharging cycles more than two times as compared with the number stated by the manufacturer and thus prolong the battery life. This approach helps avoid damage of battery cells if voltage falls under the safe lower limit.
Rule 3. Do not store the device with a completely dead battery. If you do not use your device it is recommended to keep the battery charged up to 30–50%, no more and no less, and store it at a temperature of approximately 15°C. This state is optimal for long-term storage. Otherwise, when you wish to use the device again it is highly likely that it will have a much smaller capacity or, even worse, will not function at all.
Rule 4. Do not overheat. You must not overheat lithium-ion batteries. Do not leave the device in the sun or near other sources of heat. The maximum acceptable heating temperature is +50°C.
Rule 5. It is very important to use the original charger. Though in most cases a network adapter is used for voltage reduction and current rectification, a faulty adapter may negatively affect the charge of your device. A cell phone may charge slowly, stop functioning at all or even break into flame. Cheap network devices have no protection for your mobile device.
If you observe these simple rules, you can expect that your device will operate and serve you for a longer period of time.
How to work with lithium-polymer batteries?
In some mobile devices, lithium-polymer batteries may be used. You should make responsible use of such batteries. Experts say that the best level of charge for them is 40–60%. You should charge lithium-polymer batteries when they are not fully discharged. You also should not charge it up to 100%. 80% charge is enough to disconnect the device from adapter.
A device with a lithium-polymer battery may be charged frequently. Recharges will not be harmful for it. For instance, you may charge your cell phone from a laptop or from a cigarette lighter in your car. Moreover, there is nothing wrong in undercharging. On the contrary, that is the best operation mode for lithium-polymer batteries.
Periodic calibration, i. e. depletion and full charge of the device once in 2 to 3 months, is also good for the device. And if you have to replace the battery, it is desirable to buy a battery of the similar type with the same voltage characteristics, connector features, etc. That will have a positive impact both on the battery and on the device.
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