How do I know if my laptop battery is likely to explode?

By Michelle Thatcher, CNET.com on 18 August 2006

Rechargeable batteries in today's consumer electronics are made of lithium ion, an extremely energy-dense substance -- it's what gives us a lot of power in a lightweight, compact form factor.

That same energy density, however, makes the batteries more prone to combustion if they've been damaged or if there is a fault in the manufacturing process.

There are some tips you can follow to make sure your battery is in good condition: keep it from getting too hot, inspect it regularly for dents or damage, and handle it carefully. Most importantly, keep an eye out for battery recalls, because those are indicative of possible defects in manufacturing.

Most major hardware vendors have recalled laptop batteries at some point. The manufacturers usually try to contact affected customers directly, and CNET.com.au regularly posts stories about recalls; we also urge you to visit the Product Recalls Australia Web site to check if your battery (or any other electronic device you own) has been recalled.

Topics: laptop, battery, explode, recall, regularly, damage, energy

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Comments (3)

  • beyond commented on 27/05/2008 15:17 Report abuse

    hope this article is useful:
    Organizations servicing portable equipment need simplified battery testing. The difficulty of testing batteries is brought on by the proliferation of batteries, both in volume and diversity of models. With most standalone battery test equipment, servicing batteries with conventional methods is complex and time consuming. This task will only get more difficult as new battery models are added, almost weekly. New chemistries are being introduced which have different service requirements.....
    more info: http://www.cheap-laptop-batteries.com/article/article_detail.php/27

  • hector commented on 06/09/2006 07:08 Report abuse

    I bought a replacement battery for my Toshiba laptop about a month ago from <a href="http://www.laptopsforless.com/laptopbattery/toshiba-battery">www.laptopsforless.com</a> and it works great. Is there any reason to think that a replacement laptop battery would be any worse than the manufacturers?

  • Siggy commented on 27/08/2006 08:52 Report abuse

    You will hear BUMM and will see smoke and fire. That way you will know.

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