🚀 go-pugleaf

Removing the battery IS a good idea.

Storage in the refrigerator is really questionable, in my view.  First, 
in a ziploc bag, you could have a humidity problem (and, in the case of 
Lithium batteries, that could be catastrophically bad).  Second, if the 
battery happens to freeze, it can also be ruined.  It is THEORETICALLY 
true that life is extended at lower temperatures as long as you don't go 
below freezing.  However, as a practical matter, as long as you are 
dealing with the refrigerator vs. an air conditioned environment that 
never gets above about the high 70's .... I don't think that there is 
much PRACTICAL benefit.

The battery should be given some use 3 to 6 times a year.  What I'd do 
is charge it to 100%, then run it down to a mid-charge value.  40% may 
be a tad on the low side, but 40% to 60% is about right (again, while 
this is accepted best practice in theory, I'm not sure that the 
differnece between storing at full charge vs. mid charge is all that 
great (it's probably more than the difference between room temp. & 
refrigeration, however).

You should not have to worry about either dust or corrosion.

FWIW, I have 14 old year old batteries here, stored at 100% charge and 
room temperature, that still give good service.  But it is absolutely 
true that with MOST laptops, leaving it in a laptop that is plugged in 
all the time will destroy the battery in 6 to 24 months.  The culprits 
can be a combination of both overcharging and overheating (heat 
generated by other parts of the laptop), and both of these are design 
dependent, and, therefore, model dependent.  But best practice is to 
remove the battery.

That said, if you do remove the battery, get a small UPS.  For a laptop, 
even a 300va UPS is adequate, and those can usually be had for $20-$30.



starved@rock.com wrote:
> Brand new Dell Inspiron 1545 laptop purchased last week. At this time
> the system will be used as a desktop, running on AC power continously.
> 
> According to http://www.batteryuniversity.com and other sources,
> leaving the battery in - while always running on AC power and never on
> battery power - will shorten the life of the battery.
> 
> So the battery's been removed, and with a 40% charge on it, it's in a
> ziplock bag and stored in the refrigerator.
> 
> The plan is to remove it from storage after some time, put it back in
> the laptop, recharge it back up to 40%, and then store it in the
> refrigerator again. This cycle will be repeated indefinitely.
> 
> My questions are:
> 
> 1. How long can the battery remain stored in the refrigerator before
> it has to be recharged? One month? Two months?
> 
> 2. Should I be concerned about corrosion of the contacts or dust
> buildup in an empty battery compartment?
> 
> Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
> 
> - Dave