How to Recondition Laptop Batteries

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Like other types of batteries, your laptop battery’s effectiveness will diminish over time. However, that doesn’t mean you have to get rid of it. You just need to know how to recondition laptop batteries.

There’s no doubt that laptops can be a godsend. This device is the ultimate work companion for people who are on the go. However, the flexibility your laptop gives you will be adversely affected if its battery starts having problems. After all, there’s nothing more frustrating than having to constantly plug your laptop into an electrical outlet.

Reconditioning your laptop battery can be as simple as following a few simple steps. In this article, we’ve covered a number of effective techniques based on the laptop battery type, have a look and determine which option best matches your needs.

Benefits of Reconditioning a Dead Laptop Battery

How to Recondition Laptop Batteries
Any laptop owner should consider its battery as the machine’s heart. It’s expensive to purchase a new laptop. And with many options on the market, you might even end up with a device that won’t serve all your needs. This is why you need to know how to recondition laptop batteries.
Before letting you in on the benefits of reconditioning your laptop dead battery, we just want to emphasize that it is important to be realistic. Even if you recondition your battery, it won’t be as good as when it was brand new. Despite this, you will still experience a noticeable improvement.

You’ll Save Money

It is cheaper to recondition your laptop battery compared to buying a new battery or getting a new laptop. This makes it the perfect solution if you are working with a tight budget or trying to save money.

It’s Good for the Environment

The environment may be the last thing on your mind if you are facing battery problems, but when you recondition your laptop battery, you are lowering the amount of battery waste produced, which would be very beneficial for the environment.

Enjoy Reliable Power

When you know how to recondition laptop batteries, you can enjoy having reliable battery power once more. And you can use your laptop for hours, even without charging it.

Types of Laptop Battery

There are various kinds of laptop batteries: NiCd, NiMH, and lithium-ion. You first need to know what type of battery your laptop has before finding out ways to recondition it.

Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion battery)

This lightweight battery is a top choice for laptop owners because it offers tons of advantages. It has a bigger power density, as well as no memory effect. This means that they do not lose the capacity of being fully charged when they are not 100% drained. It also has a good storage life. The only drawback of Li-ion batteries is their high replacement cost.

Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cd battery)

This type of laptop battery has a memory effect, which is a chemical reaction that happens when the battery is not fully discharged before you charge it. It also needs to be properly maintained and stored.

Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH battery)

For this type of laptop battery, you need to be careful to only leave it half discharged. It has a large power capacity, but it has a lower lifespan compared to Lithium-Ion batteries. This battery is more common with older laptop models.

How to Recondition a Laptop Battery

Here’s how to recondition laptop batteries.

Lithium-Ion Battery Reconditioning

The steps for reconditioning a Lithium-ion laptop battery are as follows:

  • First, turn off your laptop and locate the battery chamber. Then, use a voltmeter to measure the battery level. If the reading shows 1.5 volts, the battery may be in sleep mode. The good news is many lithium-ion batteries come with a boost, recovery, and wake-up feature to get it back into power from sleep mode.
  • After “waking up” your battery, use your charger to give your battery a full charge.
  • When it finally reaches 100 percent of charge. Then, switch on your laptop and keep it on until it discharges completely.
  • Place the Li-ion battery in an airtight bag to prevent it from getting wet and freeze it for around 24 hours. Take it out of the freezer and let it thaw for up to eight hours to bring it back to room temperature before using it.
  • The next step is to fully recharge your laptop to its maximum 100 percent capacity once more.

NiMH Battery Reconditioning

Discharge and recharge:

To recondition a NiMH Battery, give it a full charge and leave it on for around 3 hours. Then, leave your laptop unplugged until the battery is completely drained and it turns off. Let it sit for around 5 hours, then recharge it until it’s full.

Freezing method:

You can also use the freezing technique. To do this, seal the battery in an airtight bag and put it in the freezer for around 24 hours. Make sure no moisture penetrates the bag. Remove it from the fridge and let it warm to room temperature. Make sure it is completely dry and replace it in your laptop, then charge it again until it reaches 100 percent.

Ni-Cd Battery Reconditioning:

To recondition your Ni-Cd laptop battery, discharge it until it only has enough power to avoid losing data. Charging the battery allows it to recover the memory and management functions. Constantly recharging this laptop battery will interrupt memory function and decrease the time your laptop can hold a charge.

Let your laptop’s battery charge deplete completely before you charge it. You may need to do this multiple times if your battery is already well-used.
The freezing technique also works for this type of battery.

Warnings When Reconditioning a Laptop Battery

Before you exercise the tips on how to recondition laptop batteries, you first need to know the precautions you need to take when doing this.
  • If you have NiMH or Ni-Cd batteries, calibrate them at least once a month to make sure you don’t cause circuit connection damage in the battery and your laptop. However, calibrating is not recommended when it comes to lithium-ion batteries.
  • Your laptop should also be turned off before you remove its battery to avoid electric shock.
  • Do not perform the freezing technique on a non-removable battery since it can void your laptop’s warranty and freeze the unit. For the freezing technique to work, it is recommended to place your battery in a cloth bag before the ziplock bag, so there is a buffer. Do not use regular plastic bags since it may only cause moisture to accumulate in the bag.
  • When working with batteries, you should always wear safety goggles.

How Long Does Reconditioning Batteries Take?

The time it takes to recondition your laptop battery varies from one person to another. This is because it depends on factors such as:

  • Your skillset.
  • The type of battery that you have.


Tips to Maintain Your Laptop Battery

Tips to Maintain Your Laptop Battery
It can be a hassle to constantly recondition your laptop. Proper battery maintenance is critical to ensuring longer laptop battery life, to help you keep your battery’s life intact, we’ve rounded up some tips below.

Try a Laptop Cooler

For a more long-term solution, set up a laptop cooler. This will help prevent your laptop from heating up to a point where it damages its battery. It can also help you save money since batteries perform better in cooler temperatures.

Do Not Use Knockoff Chargers

You may think you’re saving money with a fake charger, but it might be doing you more harm than good. Fake chargers do not meet safety regulations and may cause electric shocks and fires.

Charge It Before It Is Fully Drained

Never drain your laptop battery below 20% since a low charge will strain your battery and reduce its charging capacity.

Do Not Leave It Uncharged for a Long Period

Draining your laptop battery is inevitable. However, charge it as soon as you can, and do not leave it drained since it is unhealthy for the battery.

Prioritize Your RAM

If you do heavy tasks on your computer, make sure it has enough RAM. This is a more effective way to retrieve data. When RAM is being used instead of your hard drive, your battery won’t be drained as fast.

FAQs About Laptop Battery

Do you still have questions on how to recondition laptop batteries? Check out the FAQs section below.

Can a Laptop Battery Be Revived?

Yes. It is possible to revive your laptop battery by reconditioning it. There’s no need to spend money getting a new one. Just follow the methods listed above to bring your laptop battery back to life.

Why Is My Laptop Battery Draining So Fast?

There are many reasons why this can happen. The most common ones include:

  • Battery failure
  • Old battery
  • The screen is too bright
  • The keyboard backlight is too bright
  • Too many programs running
  • Heavy applications running in the background
  • Change in the system settings
  • Too many network connections
  • Corrupted firmware
  • Faulty driver
  • Too many peripheral devices

How Long Does an Average Laptop Battery Last?

On average, a full laptop battery charge lasts between one to ten hours on a single charge. Generally, 4 hours of battery life is considered good. Laptop batteries usually last 2 to 4 years.

Will Freezing a Laptop Battery Revive It?

Yes. This is a great method for NiMH and Ni-Cd batteries.

Is It Bad to Leave Your Laptop Plugged in All the Time?

Although plugging your laptop overnight once will not have any long-term effects on your battery, doing it all the time will reduce its lifespan. Chargers should be unplugged at 80% to 100%, then drained to about 40%.

Can You Use a Laptop Without a Battery?

Yes. It is possible to use your laptop without its battery. However, it needs to be plugged into an outlet. If you unplug it, it will immediately shut down, just like desktop computers.
DO THIS TO BRING ANY OLD BATTERY BACK TO LIFE

The Takeaway

We hope we have helped you find the best ways to bring your laptop battery to life. Now, you don’t have to spend extra money taking it to a repair shop or purchasing a new battery altogether. All you need to do is use the methods listed above, and enjoy your improved battery life.

James Owen

James is an engineer and a professional blogger. He has gained extensive experience over the years, handling all types of power projects. He loves to share his experiences with all things related to batteries, generators, and other power-related topics.

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