The expanding laptop batteries issue?

[Russ Smith]

Does anybody have any definitive information on what people are supposed to do with these? They're lithium batteries that get overheated and just bubble up. At work I'm having engineers give them to me fairly regularly now and in fact it's not just laptop batteries but cellphone batteries. From Google it sounds like Ewaste companies won't touch them because they are dangerous goods. We actually had a laptop catch on fire a few years ago, burned a hole in the laptop. I probably have 20 of them now, my IT department seems to be just looking the other way like not our job you guys handle it.

I'm just wondering does anybody know what you're actually supposed to do with them? Hard to see from the picture but all of these are expanded or bubbled up from overheating.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

We usually use Batteries Plus and some other people will stockpile them and wait for a city recycling event.

Recycling Services for Customers

Check out battery recycling & light bulb recycling at a Batteries Plus store near you. Our policy at Batteries Plus is to recycle more than we sell.

www.batteriesplus.com

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Most times I saw bubbling batteries is when people leave their laptops in cars and the heat just wrecks them.

 

[Devilmaycare]

Most times I saw bubbling batteries is when people leave their laptops in cars and the heat just wrecks them.

Keeping cell phones, especially Samsungs, plug into a charger all the time is another common cause. At work we used to keep our test phones plugged in all the time and then they started bubbling. We switched to keeping them unplugged when not in use and the problem went away.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Keeping cell phones, especially Samsungs, plug into a charger all the time is another common cause. At work we used to keep our test phones plugged in all the time and then they started bubbling. We switched to keeping them unplugged when not in use and the problem went away.

That happens more when you don't use the right amperage for your cell phone/laptop. You can overheat the batteries pretty easy doing that.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

HP Elitebook 840 G4's initially had a charging issue that would lead to battery expansion. Since teachers usually dock their laptops and have them constantly charging, the batteries overcharge, bloat, and cause issues with the touchpad, casing, etc. unless replaced. The issue was that HP did not have the battery stop charging once it was full. They later released a BIOS update that did just that so updated laptops no longer have the issue.

 

[Russ Smith]

We do lots of testing in shield boxes because we're a wifi company. Sometimes the fans on the shield boxes don't work right and the batteries get hot and then expand.

I had an e waste company pick them up today with our ewaste. I confirmed they're good with that he said they are, they didn't use to be but he said it's so common now it's easier for them to get rid of them now there's more people set up to take them off their hands.

I had 26 of them. I think I posted this pic before it happened at work a few years ago it not only expanded it caught on fire.

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[Covert Rain]

Most times I saw bubbling batteries is when people leave their laptops in cars and the heat just wrecks them.

When I did desktop support, the number one reason we had expanding batteries is because people were covering the vents on their laptops. People were carrying them around in laptop cases or backpacks while it was on standby. The heat would trap and over the course of multiple instances the battery would start to expand.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

When I did desktop support, the number one reason we had expanding batteries is because people were covering the vents on their laptops. People were carrying them around in laptop cases or backpacks while it was on standby. The heat would trap and over the course of multiple instances the battery would start to expand.

True. I remember that happening all the time to me as well.