Rockwood Help Desk

We have been receiving an increased number of tickets reporting swollen/bulging laptop batteries

• Most of these batteries reported are less than one year old and should not need to be replaced so soon.  Even in a high usage environment, we normally have an expectation of 3 to 5 years before replacement and at that time, they should not be swollen or bulged.

Please review these suggestions in this email to assist us in preventing further damage to the school's equipment:

• Why do batteries bulge?
  • Bulging batteries mean only one thing - a buildup of gas inside. The gases are produced due to electrochemical oxidation of the electrolyte. Such oxidation occurs due to overcharging of the batteries.
• What can teachers do to prevent this?
  • Do not leave laptop carts plugged in 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
    You don’t need to constantly charge the laptops in your cart. It isn’t good for the batteries, it introduces additional heat, and your batteries are happiest when they aren’t too hot and aren’t too full. 
    Now this doesn’t mean that you can’t plug them in for a charge after or in the midst of marathon work sessions in class, but you don’t need to leave them plugged in all day, every day.  
  • Drain the battery completely at least once a month. 
    Plugging the computer in constantly prevents the electrons from getting proper movement. Thus decreasing the amount of time the laptop stays charged.
  • Keep batteries cool
    Lithium-ion batteries hate heat. While it’s impossible to keep them perfectly cool all the time, you should make it a habit to open the doors to the laptop cart during the day, so that you release the heat stored in the cart and allow fresh cool air to enter.