Not just laptops, phones can burn too
The same reason due to which batteries in Dell laptops exploded into flames may cause mobiles to explode.
By Yatish Suvarna, TNN |
If you own a laptop manufactured by Dell, chances are you read news reports yesterday with a sense of dread. For some strange reason, the batteries explode into flames. The problem was so acute that that it compelled Dell to recall 4.1 million machines from the market.
| Most feature-rich phones boast of super-high stand-by time. That needs a lot of power. What makes matters worse is that few cell phones have air vents. As a matter of precaution, it is advisable to keep cell phones away from heat; and replace batteries every two years. |
For netheads though, it wasn’t news. The talk was, Dell already knew about batteries that overheated and exploded. In fact, in October 2004, the company recalled close to 10 lakh AC adapters bundled with the laptops to address overheating issues. Unfortunately for the company, that did not put an end to the problems. To be fair to Dell though, the batteries were supplied by Sony.
Having said that, the question that faces users now is this: how do you know that your machine can potentially explode? Simply visit www.dellbatteryprogram.com. Out here, the serial numbers of all the faulty batteries have been documented. Check the battery in your PC against this list to see if it figures. If it does, simply yank it out of your machine. Use the machine by plugging it into a power outlet. Sure, that beats the purpose of having a laptop. But then, its way better than having to contend with a laptop that goes up in flames.
The problem of batteries heating up to dangerous levels is real on cell phones too. The reason is that a lot of power is now being made available on very tightly designed phones. Most feature-rich phones boast of super-high stand-by time. That needs a lot of power. What makes matters worse is that few cell phones have air vents.
This is not to say that leading cell phone firms are unaware of the issue. In fact, many of them feature safety measures that help disperse heat effectively. The problems start to crop up when people start replacing original batteries in cell phones with those made by third party vendors. Often, they don’t follow safety guidelines Which is why, as a matter of precaution, it is advisable to keep cell phones away from heat; and replace batteries every two years.
Rupesh Panicker, a System Integrator says most customers run laptops even when their battery is fully charged. This could also be one of the reasons for batteries overheating. The other thing to watch out for, he says, is counterfeit batteries. While counterfeiting isn’t a problem on machines shipped by the company, it is when you buy spares from a vendor. This problem isn’t true of just laptops, but cell phones too.
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