Ok to leave chargers plugged in all the time?

Maintenance/Repairs
21

I know the thread is old but I am with @the_same_mountainbik on this. I know someone who designs these batteries and says they are dangerous things and should not be taken lightly. Recently there was also an advisory that should not leave laptops plugs & unattended or at least leave it on a hard surface to reduce the risk of fire.

22

I saw that NOVA episode. EXCELLENT show. Also waiting for that new lithium battery design to start being manufactured.

23

Were you as stunned by the amount of energy in lithium ion cells as I was?

24

Yea. I take them for granted. That was an eye opener. I also like the guy who stared in the episode. He’s done a few NOVA episodes.

25

The OP was asking about leaving the charger plugged in all the time, not the batteries. Just the charger.

1 Like
26

Excellent point, Bill. The charger alone would be harmless.
I did, however, notice the quoted comment which led me to believe she walks away with the charger charging the battery.

I hope the OP posts back and clarifies.
Whoops! Never mind. I just realized this is an ancient thread.

27

Lithium cells absolutely must never be overcharged, nor must they be allowed to go completely dead. That’s why your phone automatically powers off if the battery gets too low. Also, the phones that use these batteries have charging circuits that detect full charge and shut off the charging completely even though the charger is plugged in.

A lot of lithium battery fires come from do-it-yourselfers who try to use conventional chargers to recharge lithium batteries. These batteries will not tolerate an overcharge, not even a low amp trickle charge.

28

B.L.E., I recommend that you seek out and watch the NOVA special. It’s a real eye-opener.

29

It depends on the charger. I plugged my iPhone charger into a Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor. I discovered that when I unplug my phone from the charger, it doesn’t draw any current.

If you think this issue is worth the aggravation of debating, buy one of these to settle the debate by plugging in your charger indoors: https://www.amazon.com/P3-P4400-Electricity-Usage-Monitor/dp/B00009MDBU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489078087&sr=8-1&keywords=kill-a-watt

30

Yes, my ibook charger is the same, no current when not connected to the computer. Apple makes good stuff