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Lithium ion battery care


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I fear that I may have damaged the battery in one of our tablets by being a bit too casual with the charging.

So I went to Mr.Google for information on the correct charging regime for these batteries. It didn't really help.

From a number of different websites:

Never allow the battery to discharge below 10%/below 30%.

Always disconnect from the power when the battery reaches 100%/it is not important to disconnect the battery when it reaches 100%.

Charge the battery to its maximum capacity/only charge the battery to 90 - 95% of its capacity.

And the one I really liked..

'Battery maintenance is not important as you will want to upgrade your device every 12 18 months to keep up with the latest advances'.

Nice to be rich!

As we are about to head back to Europe and a pair of tablets are our sole combined navigation,communication and internet tools we would like to look after them correctly.

So what I would like to learn is

(1)To what extent can the batteries be discharged,

(2) Is it harmful to charge overnight considering that the battery will probably reach 100% in the early hours of the morning but not be disconnected until we roll out of our bunk some hours later, and

(3)Is it detrimental to the battery to use the device at the same time that it us charging.

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The only answer is that there are many different battery setups. Read the manufacturers manual for your specific product...

Agree.

The manuals were my first port of call before trying Mr.Google.

Apart from admonitions to use the correct charger for the devices (both Samsung) and to ensure the charging cables were correctly plugged in, the only instructions relating to charging can be summarised as 'recharge when the battery is low.'

I think there is a bit more to correctly recharging li-on batteries than that.

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Ok. Generalizations.

Lithium batts MUST have the correct charging voltage and control. It is best to use the chargers supplied by the manufacturer. However another charger with exactly the same specs is ok (same voltage, same amperage) The devices battery management is in the device, not the charger.

Lithium batts dont have a memory, like the old nicads could develop. So partial discharge is ok. The voltage from the batts remains near spec until almost flat, then drops drastically, when the device will cease functioning. Discharge to there wont hurt the batt.

They are designed to be a consumer proof as possible!

However, if you read the warranty, often the batts are excluded. Can't do that under nz consumer law.

Dont over think it!

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Thanks IT. Do you consider it necessary to disconnect the battery from the charger more or less immediately when the power level Indicator reaches 100%?

 

Reason for all this:

Two identical tablets, his and hers. One three years old and still going strong. The other two years old and failing. For safety's sake (mine) I won't say whose tablet is on the way out.

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Agree.

The manuals were my first port of call before trying Mr.Google.

Apart from admonitions to use the correct charger for the devices (both Samsung) and to ensure the charging cables were correctly plugged in, the only instructions relating to charging can be summarised as 'recharge when the battery is low.'

I think there is a bit more to correctly recharging li-on batteries than that.

 

Calling Mr. Google .... There are a couple of good articles here if you want the detail.  It was an interesting exercise to learn some of the detail.

 

https://batteryuniversity.com/index.php/learn/article/charging_lithium_ion_batteries

 

https://www.androidauthority.com/maximize-battery-life-882395/

 

The summary being

 

1. It depends on your manufacturer and specific model (helpful huh?)

2. There are multiple blend types of Lithium Ion batteries that have slightly different characteristics. see https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/types_of_lithium_ion

3. Keeping the battery charge between 30% and 80% increases its lifespan.  50% is the optimum.  Rule of thumb charge little, charge often

4. Some mobile devices lie ... 100% indicator on your phone may not equal 100% battery charge voltage.  Some manufacturers fudge this to improve battery life

5. Charging Lithium Ion battery at temperature extremes is detrimental to their life span (keep within 0-45 degrees C). Don't cover your device while charging

6. Fast chargers decrease battery life

7. Don't use the device while charging it.  There is conflicting information whether it is OK to charge while the device is turned on.  It is clear that running applications while charging is detrimental to battery longevity.

 

HTH

 

EDIT:  Added item 7

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From a non-technical point of view, often it is apps running in the background that drain the battery. So it may not be the battery, but spiders / spy-ware, Mr Google looking over your shoulder.

The easiest thing to do is daily, or every time you finish with something, shut all the apps down - at the risk of embarrasing myself, I didn't know how to do this when my Samsung device was new, and on bitching about the terrible battery life, was shown how to shut down apps properly - battery life is fine now.

 

And for a cliche, turn it off and turn it on again...

 

Its a little beyond my understanding, but dissabling or deleting apps you don't need / don't use may also help - others might be able to advise on that. Turn bluetooth off if you aren't using it kind of thing, etc. it helps if you understand how to find what apps are running in the background (which is beyond me). You can look at data usage, and there are things I've never heard of gobbling up my data...

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IT is correct in that there are many types of Lithium batteries, each requiring a different charge/storage ragime.
However, for most general run of the mill laptop stuff, it is simple.

NEVER leave the battery in charging continuously.
If storing, charge to 75~80% and then remove. Never store 100% charged.
When I discovered this, I thought, why on earth don't the makers set the charge program to never fully charge and discharge the thing. OK, so can set the minimum, but I have not seen a max yet.

(1)To what extent can the batteries be discharged,
It is difficult to discharge a Laptop battery. the laptop will shut off before the battery is flat.

(2) Is it harmful to charge overnight considering that the battery will probably reach 100% in the early hours of the morning but not be disconnected until we roll out of our bunk some hours later, and
Not once in a while, but certainly not a good idea to do it all the time.

(3)Is it detrimental to the battery to use the device at the same time that it us charging.
Not at all, but once again, if it is fully charged, then best to remove the battery.

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