6 Ways To Maintain Your Laptop Charger

By Author: Jennifer Truong
Total Articles: 95
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Laptop chargers have two primary parts: a transformer and a power cord. Here, the transformer is the brick that converts the electric current from your power outlet from AC to DC. And the power cord will connect the charger to the outlet.

Over time, transformers may overheat, which can cause internal damage. And due to this, any section of your power cord may wear away and expose the wires inside.

Maintaining your laptop's charger will ensure you can safely charge your laptop for a longer time. Tightly wrapping your laptop's power cord is one of the many reasons it can break down faster. Avoiding contact with table edges, exposure to liquids, etc., can help to prevent wearing down of the rubber protecting wires inside your cord.

A laptop charger is necessary to have on hand, and replacing one can be challenging and expensive. There are a few simple tips you can follow to extend your laptop charger's life. Firstly, make sure you invest in a good quality power cord like nema power cords for doubling the safety and longevity of the cords.

How ...
... to Take Care of Your Laptop's Charger and Power Cord

Laptop charger health will save you money and unexpected stress. And here are the six ways to take care of it:

1. Avoid Tightly Wrapping your Laptop Power Cord
The first and foremost factor that can damage your laptop's charger is wrapping your charger tightly. Because it puts repetitive stress on the thin copper conductors present inside power cords and can eventually cause them to break.
So, while it may be easy to wrap your laptop power cord in a tight pattern for keeping it organized, doing so can also shorten the life of your charger. To avoid this, you can loop your laptop power cord loosely and avoid crimping the wires. Also, you can try wrapping it a different way each time and avoid repetitive stress on the same section.

2. Ensure the Transformer Has Room to Breathe
Your transformer may overheat and damage your charger wires. The transformer may get hot during the charging process. For avoiding overheating when your laptop is charging, ensure that it is placed somewhere with plenty of airflows, especially when you know you will be plugged for an extended period.

3. Use a Power Strip
Consider a power strip for avoiding any electrical damage to your laptop's power cord. And not just any power strip, you should ensure that it has a built-in surge protector. Additionally, for convenience, power strips with surge protectors will protect your laptop, phone with other electronic devices from power surges that may damage your device.

4. Avoid Contact with Sharp Edges
Resting power cords on the desk and table edges may lead to wearing them down. As extended contact with sharp surfaces can wear away the rubber protecting the wires in your laptop power cord. Whether you often move your power cord to different places or have a designated charging hub, make sure that your setup does not expose these delicate wires to sharp edges. Also, if it is not clear till now, then you must know that exposed wires are a big no-no.

5. Keep Your Power Cord Away from Water
You need to try keeping your cord and your computer away from liquids. Water and electronic devices should never come in contact, so it is essential to avoid situations where your laptop power cord might be accidentally exposed to water because this can cause electrocution and damage your laptop.
So, never charge your laptop near the kitchen, basin, or bathroom areas. If your laptop charger ever comes into contact with water, disconnect it immediately from the outlet. Thoroughly dry the charger and ensure it is completely dry before using it again.

6. Avoid Overusing During Storage or Transport
Keeping multiple cords for all your devices will help you to avoid situations where your laptop is about to switch off or if your charger is not working. Of course, this means you will have a backup when one cord breaks down. But when you have two charging power cords, you know you will have to be more proactive when it comes to safety.

Also, you can keep two chargers for different purposes, like one for the workplace and one for the home. This will increase the time span of the charger as it will not be overused.

These tips will help you to increase the longevity of your charger and the power cords of your laptop. Highlights of the article would be: make sure you keep your charging cords safe from water and fold them with caution. Additionally, you should always invest in good quality power cords like nema power cords. It will ensure safety and its wires would provide longevity.

Jennifer Truong is the owner of SF Cable, a California based online retailer of all kind of cables, wires, cords, and other related accessories for computers and other consumer electronics. SF Cable is well known in the market for providing high-quality products at low prices by sourcing them directly from manufacturers. Jennifer has extensive experience in the cable industry and has been instrumental in the growth of SF Cable and in establishing it as one of the leading providers of cables online.