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HAS YOUR MOBILE BATTERY SWOLLED?

Close up man hands using smart phone battery low charged battery screen

 DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING, THIS IS WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO…

If you are reading this article it is because you have noticed that something strange is happening with your battery. Sometimes the aesthetic change of our device, a small  bulge or even a slight strange smell , presage that the battery has swollen. Let’s see why this happens and what we can do about it. First of all, and although we are focusing on smartphones because we are in MovilZona, it should be noted that any battery that uses lithium ions is susceptible to swelling when the time comes. The battery of our mobile can become swollen because lithium ions use a chemical reaction to generate energy. As the battery loses its capacity, the chemical reaction begins to become less precise and can lead to the creation of gas, in a  process known as “outgassing”.

What can happen

The gas causes the battery to swell and the particles present in the battery layers become trapped and pierce the membrane that separates them. At this point, the battery will almost completely lose its performance, lasting a few hours or even less. In addition, we seriously endanger our physical integrity, since a swollen battery is a battery that  runs the risk of exploding or emitting  toxic chemical substances to the outside. This means that if we continue to charge a swollen battery, it could explode or catch fire at any time.  Although there are many manuals or videos on the Internet showing how to handle a swollen battery, we will not be the ones to encourage you to play with fire. Therefore, if the battery of your mobile has swollen, the best step is to turn off the mobile and isolate the device, to later go to a specialized technical service where they will know how to dispose of the battery  to avoid further damage.

How to know if it is swollen

Sometimes swollen batteries are detected when their  physical appearance completely deforms the mobile.  However, there are several previous indicators that can put us on track if our battery is beginning to swell:

  • The cover or case does not fit as before:  it may be due to an increase in the volume of the terminal, due to the swelling of the battery.
  • The case is opened : if the back case has started to come off the body of the mobile, it is possible that the battery is beginning to swell.
  • Weird smell:  If when you smell the battery area you start to notice a kind of sweet metal and chemical smell, it could be due to gas leaking from the battery that has started to swell

And if I have already removed the battery and I want to throw it away

If you are reading this and you have already removed the damaged battery, remember that you must dispose of it safely, since it contains toxic elements that can be harmful to health and the environment. Never throw it in the household trash  or recycling bins. Do not throw it into the water either and always keep it away from flammable materials. Ideally, you should take the swollen battery to the electronic waste center in your neighborhood or city, where they can take care of this type of waste.

Good Use

There is no infallible rule to prevent the battery from swelling, but we can take certain care to minimize the risks. It all depends on the good uses that we give to our battery. Let’s remember that it is  one of the most sensitive elements of our mobile , and therefore one of the most likely to be damaged. Precisely because a large part of the health and life of the battery depend on how the user treats it, many manufacturers only offer a six-month guarantee on this element.  In any case, the basic rules of battery use are those that manufacturers usually tell us and that are always in the manual for our device. The most important are  not to expose it to sudden temperature changes and of course always charge it with the original charger provided by the manufacturer. Finally, it is not recommended to leave the battery charging overnight, although today’s smartphones have methods that can stop the flow of energy when it reaches 100%, the ideal is to disconnect it from the charger when the charge has finished. filled. Information taken from ” David Girao ”

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