# Laptop Battery Question
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-battery-question/500505
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 21, 2009, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-battery-question/500505 "2009-06-21T21:03:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2009, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-battery-question/500505/1 "2009-06-21T21:03:40Z")
I almost never use my (Dell) laptop on battery power. I’ve taken the battery out and put it on the shelf. Question: should I put the battery in the computer to recharge occasionally? If so, how often? Why?
Batteries are expensive, which is my reason asking this question. I don’t want to ruin it.
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### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2009, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-battery-question/500505/2 "2009-06-21T22:48:15Z")
Here are the [battery storage recommendations from Dell](http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/batteries_sitelet/en/batteries_faq?c=us&l=en&cs=04#faq16):
> [@](#):
>
> When storing for more than 4 days these guidelines can better preserve the life of your battery:
> [ol]
> [li]Do not store batteries for long periods plugged into or attached to any power source. This includes AC adapters and laptop security carts plugged into an outlet. [/li]
> [li]Laptop batteries, including those stored in laptop systems, should maintain an Operational Storage Temperature of 0° to 35°C (32° to 95°F). [/li]
> [li]Batteries may be stored in the laptop or outside of the laptop. [/li]
> [li]Charge batteries before storing. The recommended charging time should not exceed 1 hour. Typically, this should charge the battery to between 80% and 100%. (Some discharge will take place over time. Stored batteries are expected to discharge 10-15% over a four month period, for your information.)[/li][/ol]
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### Author:  [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2009, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-battery-question/500505/3 "2009-06-21T22:56:46Z")
I don’t know about your machine specifically, but many battery + AC powered devices specifically caution not to operate them from AC with the battery removed. Read your owner’s manual.
I do know that I use my Dell laptop on AC 95+% of the time. It’s battery will now only last about 15 minutes from fully charged to dead. So it appears that they weren’t kidding with their item 1 in the excerpt posted above.
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### Author:  [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-battery-question/500505/4 "2009-06-22T00:55:25Z")
In my experience notebook batteries degrade over time whether used or not. It may fail faster being topped off continuously in a plugged in notebook, but don’t expect close to 100% function in a stored 3 to 5 year old notebook battery that has never been used.
As a side note the great thing about having a battery is that you don’t lose power when the AC goes off. That data saving feature is reason enough for me to keep the battery in all the time regardless of potentially shortening it’s life somewhat.
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### Author:  [@Casserole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casserole)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2009, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-battery-question/500505/5 "2009-06-23T03:15:06Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#):
>
> I don’t know about your machine specifically, but many battery + AC powered devices specifically caution not to operate them from AC with the battery removed. Read your owner’s manual.
Hm. I wonder if that is a case of being over-protective with regard to computer safety. In the event of a power surge, the power adapter is more than adequate to absorb the shock and continue functioning.
Hell, even in a power **outage** , you can get about 3-5 seconds of power from the brick alone. I suppose that won’t help you save and shut down, though…