PC Battery Recall

Sony recently recalled more than a 100,000 PC batteries.  These are not just for the Sony Vaio but also for HP, Dell and Toshiba laptops.  And of the 100,000 batteries, about 35,000 of them were installed in laptops sold in the United States.

This is not the first time there was a battery recall.  Sony’s reason for the recall was that this was part of the batch of batteries which were recalled between 2004 and 2006.  There were 4.1 million Dell batteries recalled during that period.

The breakdown of the 35,000 batteries for recall in the United States has HP with about 32,000; Toshiba with about 3,000 and Dell with about 150.  The number of batteries on Dell for recall is significantly lower than HP or Toshiba because there was already a large number of batteries recalled several years ago.

The cause of the recall was the incidence of overheating which in some instances has already caused damage to property as well as injuries. The reports have been from around the world, including from the United States.

Sony manufactures batteries as an OEM for HP, Dell, Toshiba as well as for Apple and Lenovo.  According to Sony, the batteries had some impurities which led to the overheating.

On any computer heat has always been a problem.  In most instances this is caused by the processor, other microchips including the graphics card, and the hard disk.  To combat heat, there are several design strategies which manufacturers use.  First off are heat sinks to dissipate the heat.  There are fans to circulate the air, and to cool down the hot elements.  And there are vents for the hot air to pass through.

For a notebook, another source of heat is the battery.  Though this problem is less common in a cell phone, it’s important to note that rechargeable batteries generate heat while being charged.

As a safety precaution, even though your notebook battery is not part of the recall, it’s a good idea to make it a habit to keep the notebook cool.  Some tips to do that include:

• checking the vents are clear.  Most notebooks have vents at the bottom, while others have the vents at the sides.  If the notebook doesn’t have any vents, it was designed that way, and most probably has other ways of dissipating heat.  Going by the design, most notebooks which have vents, also were designed with some sort of raised bottom to allow the air to circulate from the vent, and out the bottom.  Another good idea is to clean the vents to make sure their dust free.
• use a notebook cooler.  This is like a docking station or tray where the notebook sits.  The cooler has a fan or two blowing air up the bottom of the notebook.  These are usually powered via the USB, which makes them portable as well.  A notebook stand might not give the same level of cooling but it does keep the bottom vents free.
• Check the battery pack on a regular basis.  If it’s warped, cracked, swelling or bulging, have it replaced.