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Is it safe to charge my phone overnight? Your battery charging questions answered

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Is it safe to charge my phone overnight? Your bombardment charging questions answered

Will leaving your cordless vacuum cleaner in its wall-mounted charger touch on the battery's lifespan? What about those personal mobility device (PMD) batteries catching fire? We pose those charging questions and more to a tech practiced.

Is it safe to charge my phone overnight? Your battery charging questions answered

(Photo: iStock)

27 Oct 2022 07:08AM (Updated: 27 October 2022 12:03PM)

A few years agone, I woke up to a peculiar phenomenon. My handphone, which had been plugged in to charge the night before, developed a bent battery comprehend. It was pushed out of shape past the bloated battery underneath it.

Needless to say, that was the concluding fourth dimension I allow my phone accuse overnight. But I'yard sure many of united states of america are guilty of doing the same matter, but to make sure your telephone is at 100 per cent at the start of the day.

Speaking of prolonged charging, you probably dock your expensive vacuum cleaner in its wall-mounted charger because, well, that's what the advertizement says, right? Your tablet or work laptop is also probable to be plugged into the wall socket 24/7 for convenience's sake whether or not the battery is depleted.

We don't recall much of our charging habits until something drastic happens, such as a ballooned handphone battery or worse, a fire caused past leaving our personal mobility device or PMD to charge overnight as seen in news reports.

(Photo: iStock/nito100)

Then, the paranoia kicks in and y'all start to wonder: Is it okay to accuse anything rechargeable overnight? Can you over-charge? Fifty-fifty when you're not sleeping, is information technology okay to get out a device in its charging station all day?

Nosotros reached out to the department of electric and electronic engineering from Nanyang Technological University to find out if we were charging our phones and other gadgets correctly. And every bit it turned out, our regular habits might not actually exist helpful to our devices. Read on to notice out.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I Accuse DEVICES SUCH Equally MY HANDPHONE, LAPTOP, Power Banking concern OR Fifty-fifty Domicile APPLIANCES OVERNIGHT?

Interestingly, the bombardment doesn't stay at 100 per cent throughout the nighttime. Information technology will drop a picayune as the gadget uses a bit of ability to go on it running in the groundwork, according to a Time article. Every time in that location's an free energy dip, the charger kicks in and juices the battery back to 100 per cent. This is known equally trickle charging.

And so, what's the big deal? For ane, the lithium-ion battery that powers your handphone or laptop actually does not like to be fully charged, according to the Battery University website. In fact, the loftier voltage from a full charge stresses out the battery.

(Photo: iStock/chanakon laorob)

Furthermore, the capacity of lithium-ion batteries (meaning, their power to agree the charge) starts to diminish once you offset charging – and keeps going downwardly. Each time you charge your phone, you're killing the battery a trivial. This is also noted on online support pages such as Apple's, which mentioned that the battery'due south capacity lowers after a certain duration of charging.

And this applies to home appliances, likewise, from the expensive vacuum cleaner to the affordable electrical toothbrush, as long every bit they are powered by lithium-ion batteries.

Tin I ACCIDENTALLY OVERCHARGE MY GADGETS?

No, y'all can't overcharge your devices. According to Banana Professor Christopher Lee, the rechargeable lithium-ion battery tin can automatically end charging in one case it'south fully topped up, thanks to its battery management system or BMS.

The BMS doesn't only consist of the actual battery just also the circuitry and other components; together, they ensure the correct range of voltage and electric current reaches the battery for a duration of time. So, in that respect, you can't overcharge your handphone or vacuum cleaner.

What about the rare occasion when lithium-ion batteries nifty up similar mine did? Is that caused past overcharging? No, the miracle occurs when the materials inside a battery accept decayed or are subjected to stress or physical impairment over fourth dimension, co-ordinate to the PC Mag website.

The compromised battery can't handle the uncontrolled energy coursing inside it during charging and, in turn, causes heat and gas to build up.

I'M PARANOID Later on READING ABOUT THE PMD FIRES. SHOULD I SWITCH OFF ALL CHARGERS BEFORE I GO TO BED?

"It is not a straightforward question and information technology is hard to annotate whether to switch off all of your charging stations before sleeping," said Asst Prof Lee. "A merchandise-off should exist fabricated between safe concerns and charging urgency."

But generally, information technology's okay to charge your devices overnight, added Asst Prof Lee, provided the BMS of the battery is not inferior, faulty or tempered with, every bit can exist the instance of batteries from dubious origins. Other things that can likewise short-circuit these rechargeables, said Asst Prof Lee, include the battery over-heating during charging or using an incompatible charger.

Your best bet: If you're not sure, don't do it.

(Photograph: iStock/Kuzmik A)

What about if yous do charge overnight once in a while or you occasionally forget it's plugged in? After all, there'southward a BMS to supposedly safeguard your devices, right?

"It is non easy to suggest a quantitative frequency of overnight charging," said Asst Prof Lee, explaining that it is, again, nearly the "merchandise-off between the condom risks and charging requirements". So, if yous're non certain about the reliability of your gadget (such equally certain online purchases), try not to accuse overnight if y'all tin can.

WHAT Most THE HANDHELD VACUUM CLEANER OR ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH THAT I LEAVE CHARGING ALL THE Fourth dimension?

The BMS of the bombardment in these dwelling house appliances can manage the abiding charging, said Asst Prof Lee, and in fact, the effect of charging not-end on the bombardment life is insignificant.

However, over-discharging or over-draining the battery is another issue and it may bear upon battery life much more than, he said. (See optimal battery pct below)

(Photograph: iStock/surachetkhamsuk)

WHAT IS THE OPTIMAL Bombardment PERCENTAGE TO Continue MY HANDHELD DEVICES SUCH Every bit THE HANDPHONE, TABLET OR EVEN VACUUM CLEANER AT?

Don't plug it in to charge when information technology'due south still 80 per cent juiced. Remember, lithium-ion batteries hate to behave full charges. But don't allow it drib below xx per cent either; the battery will demand a high voltage to get back its charge – which besides diminishes its capacity.

A sweet spot that optimises charging time without affecting the battery'southward capacity too much is to keep the battery percentage between that range, said Asst Prof Lee.

WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR ELECTRICITY Nib, DOES OVERNIGHT CHARGING Eat More Energy?

Typically, no, said Asst Prof Lee. The ability consumed in trickle charging (which is explained before) is "very low and insignificant", he said. " The electricity bill added is less than a few per cent of the electricity neb."

CAN YOU Continue USING YOUR GADGET WHILE IT IS CHARGING?

You can but it is non recommended equally doing so may atomic number 82 to a rising temperature inside the bombardment. "A thermal management organisation in the BMS can manage the temperature in lithium-ion batteries, typically from 20 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius," said Asst Prof Lee.

However, using your phone while it's charging tin can result in "complex electrochemical reactions" that can heighten your gadget's temperature beyond that range.

We'VE HEARD A FEW THINGS ABOUT HANDPHONE CHARGING SUCH AS WIRELESS CHARGING CAUSING Radiation, AND SWITCHING TO Plane Manner LETS US CHARGE FASTER. ANY TRUTH TO THAT?

Yeah, wireless charging does create radiation and the further the charging range, the higher the radiation, said Asst Prof Lee. Gadgets placed on charging pads typically have less than 1cm to 2cm of space in between, and so the radiation is very acceptable, according to IEEE (Institute of Electric and Electronics Engineers) standards.

Even so, the radiation tin can be of business concern if the wireless charging covers a range of 10cm to 15cm or more than, said Asst Prof Lee.

It is also authentic that turning on the airplane mode tin help yous charge your handphone faster as it stops all the applications, specially the network service, said Asst Prof Lee.

But there'due south a catch: Doing so may not save you that much time anyway, around a few to 10 minutes, he added.

(Photo: iStock/boophuket)

Volition USING 3rd-Party EQUIPMENT SUCH Every bit USB Cablevision AFFECT THE CHARGING?

Structurally, all cables are more or less the same because they are copper transmission lines, said Asst Prof Lee. Withal, in add-on to the BMS, original cables take a protection chip that safeguards the phone from existence exposed to more charge than it needs.

Without it, the power may not exist optimum and can affect the BMS over fourth dimension. And that's where 3rd-political party cables can be less effective.

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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/living/charging-phone-overnight-gadgets-battery-285921

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