safe to leave a netbook on charge all night? what do you do?

[bodyharvester]

okay, i want to leave my netbook on most nights to download stuff while i sleep.

ive googled loads and used www.ask.co.uk but what do you people think? the battery lasts for only 2 1/2 hours max so should i leave it plugged in to keep the battery up or unplug it and let the bettery run down and let the computer shut itself down when the battery is critically low while i sleep? the answers so far have told me its fine to leave the battery in :confused:, but not too much on whether i should leave it charging throughout the night.

after seeing a video on youtube of a laptop's battery cells blowing up it scared the crap out of me.

what do you guys 'n' gals do?

[chriskin]

is it supposed to create problem on netbooks only or notebooks as well?

[bodyharvester]

im afraid i dont know the difference, i thought netbooks were the same as notebooks

[pwnst*r]

my team keeps almost 50 Lenovo X200's and almost double that Dell D630C's charged constantly when they're not in use (they need to stay on the network) with absolutely no issues.

[chriskin]

notebooks are (almost) full blown pcs that are portable
netbooks are small notebooks with Very limited cpu power, almost non-existent graphics card etc etc that are made just for browsing the net and doing easy tasks. most netbooks have small screens as well as better battery life (and are way cheaper than the real deal)

[fela]

It's perfectly safe. The exploding vids are caused by dud batteries.

[bodyharvester]

notebooks are (almost) full blown pcs that are portable
netbooks are small notebooks with Very limited cpu power, almost non-existent graphics card etc etc that are made just for browsing the net and doing easy tasks. most netbooks have small screens as well as better battery life (and are way cheaper than the real deal)

oh, right, thanks! i had no idea there was a real difference, but i got C&C generals: Zero Hour working on my dell mini 9.

right now i just learn programming and stuff, i prefer the learning :D

EDIT: i did not mean to sound like such a geek! Haha, i love C&C: Zero Hour, it was by far the best, i still have it even though i cant play it:p

[pwnst*r]

get your butt on QL, man!

[Daveski]

If your electricity supply is stable, then I'd remove the battery and run the machine on mains only. With Li-ion batteries, their life is reduced by not only the number of charge discharge cycles, but especially temperature. Once it is charged, the circuits will stop charging, but the battery will probably be quite warm due to the temperature of the netbook. Storing it for a few days at a time at a cooler temperature will extend its life.

[aysiu]

It's still a lithium-ion battery, so you should never let the battery run all the way down until it's critically low.

The netbook knows to use the AC adapter for power once the battery is charged to 100%. It's fine to leave plugged in overnight.

P.S. Daveski's advice is good, too, especially if you are planning to leave it plugged in not only overnight but for several days or weeks straight, and if your plug is not easily dislodged.

[chriskin]

i have my notebook on ac power and on for almost all the time since 2007 (it is turned off once every 2 or 3 nights, stay off for more than that only when i'm on vacation)
i never had an explosion though :)

[bodyharvester]

If your electricity supply is stable, then I'd remove the battery and run the machine on mains only. With Li-ion batteries, their life is reduced by not only the number of charge discharge cycles, but especially temperature. Once it is charged, the circuits will stop charging, but the battery will probably be quite warm due to the temperature of the netbook. Storing it for a few days at a time at a cooler temperature will extend its life.

wait, i dont think ive taken the battery out since i put it in when i got the netbook :confused:

i might just do that, store the battery somwhere, i mean.

oh, and before i go to sleep now, ill be on QL tomorrow when i get back from the gym :D

[aysiu]

If you do remove the battery, discharge it to about 50% and then store it in a cool, dry place.

[bodyharvester]

If you do remove the battery, discharge it to about 50% and then store it in a cool, dry place.

cool, thanks...any reason why 50%? the cool and dry bit i understand

[pwnst*r]

cool, i'm working from home tomorrow so hit me up on the buddy list!

[bodyharvester]

cool, i'm working from home tomorrow so hit me up on the buddy list!

will do :)

EDIT: done

[aysiu]

cool, thanks...any reason why 50%? the cool and dry bit i understand
I don't know why. That's just what I've read.

How to extend a lithium ion laptop battery life? (http://www.tech-no-media.com/2009/07/how-to-extend-lithium-ion-laptop.html):
If you will use the laptop on mains power for an extended period of time (several days or weeks) use the battery until it is about 60% charged, remove the it from the laptop and store it in a cool, dry place such as a basement. If you can store the battery in a sealed package you can keep it in the fridge. Is lithium-ion the ideal battery? (http://www.batteryuniversity.com/partone-5.htm):
Storage in a cool place slows the aging process of lithium-ion (and other chemistries). Manufacturers recommend storage temperatures of 15°C (59°F). In addition, the battery should be partially charged during storage. The manufacturer recommends a 40% charge. How to Store Lithium Ion Batteries (http://www.ehow.com/how_4797594_store-lithium-ion-batteries.html):
If you battery is completely without a charge, you will need to charge it for about half an hour to get to 40 percent.

[aysiu]

cool, thanks...any reason why 50%? the cool and dry bit i understand
I don't know why. That's just what I've read.

How to extend a lithium ion laptop battery life? (http://www.tech-no-media.com/2009/07/how-to-extend-lithium-ion-laptop.html):
If you will use the laptop on mains power for an extended period of time (several days or weeks) use the battery until it is about 60% charged, remove the it from the laptop and store it in a cool, dry place such as a basement. If you can store the battery in a sealed package you can keep it in the fridge. Is lithium-ion the ideal battery? (http://www.batteryuniversity.com/partone-5.htm):
Storage in a cool place slows the aging process of lithium-ion (and other chemistries). Manufacturers recommend storage temperatures of 15°C (59°F). In addition, the battery should be partially charged during storage. The manufacturer recommends a 40% charge. How to Store Lithium Ion Batteries (http://www.ehow.com/how_4797594_store-lithium-ion-batteries.html):
If you battery is completely without a charge, you will need to charge it for about half an hour to get to 40 percent.

[pwnst*r]

you and your silly dialup

[chriskin]

you and your silly dialup

if i didn't understand something else, aysiu uses dial up ?!?

please aysiu accept this pop corn then, in order for you to pass the time until the page loads :) :popcorn:
(that's a hero people , seriously !!)

[pwnst*r]

he/she double-posted, so was a joke

[dragos240]

Well I can safely say, it's safe. Remember that server? It's my netbook :). The battery still works fine :)

[RabbitWho]

If you do remove the battery, discharge it to about 50% and then store it in a cool, dry place.


*note to self: invent a container called "cool dry place" as millions of dollars worth of advertising already exists*

Thanks for all the advice everyone on how to store a L-ion

I'm going to be using mine approximately twice a year so it's good to know how to store it in the meantime.

Glad to see it's safe to leave the laptop on all night, that sorts my alarm clock problems!

[ssam]

you can also get problems if it overheats (the laptop should automatically poweroff if it goes above some critical temp, but just in case).

make sure there is space around all the air vents. make sure it is not on a soft surface.

i usually prop up the back with a book, so that air can flow underneath.