Why Do Laptop Charger Gets Hot|8 Possible Reasons

Do you feel like your laptop charger gets too hot? If so, then you’re not alone. While it’s possible to happen as an indirect result of something else that’s going wrong with the laptop, there are a handful of other reasons for why this might occur. Also, if it does happen to get too hot and you notice that it smells funny, then there might be a more dire problem involved.

In a lot of cases, overheating is to be expected when using laptop chargers. After all, the plug is designed to channel electricity through its circuitry and into the computer so that it can charge the battery. This can make the power adapter get hot, especially if you just unplugged your laptop and plugged it back in for another cycle before it had a chance to fully cool down.

Likewise, if you’re charging a computer that has been left on for an extended period or if you’re charging a very old laptop that takes a long time to charge, then the charger will also get hot. So in today’s article, we will discuss how you can diagnose and fix an overheated laptop charger.

Your charger gets hot because it needs to deliver electricity to your laptop in a fast and efficient manner. However, the way it delivers that electricity can also get hot. Below we will discuss some of the common causes of the laptop charger getting hot while gaming and heat generation in the charger.

Why Do Laptop Charger Gets Hot – 8 Possible Reasons

Let us discuss these reasons why your laptop charger gets hot and how you can prevent it from happening.

1. Bad electrical cord of your laptop charger/AC adapter:

When the electricity gets transmitted, it heats up and boils as it will then spread over a wider area rather than circulating inside your computer.

In case you use a power cord that comes with a battery backup device like a Powerpack, this problem can’t be detected by its internal monitoring system because no batteries are installed in the clock.

2. Not fully charging your laptop battery:

Your backup device might not be connecting as power is pulled only to the electronics/charger circuit board.

But it can’t transmit electricity all around because of low capacity so if components are far away from this circuit. Board over a wider area tendering heat than you see in case when the charger and wall outlet or UPS gets hot while plugging in or shutting down something on your desktop.

3 . Charging the wrong battery:

The output from your UPS might be missing or have a low voltage but due to lack of knowledge and possibly by mistake, you may even charge it with 60W instead of 200-300W for a laptop battery application.

So in this case too you will see that as a result, the wall socket or backup device gets hot when connected/turned on before anything else also an incorrect procedure can lead to these heat issues.

4. Hot Power Chord:

Since average wall outlets can supply electricity of only 15-25W and laptop chargers have only 5 or 7A output through their cord, so overcharging can also lead to this overheating from time to time problem.

Also, you may find that if your battery is taken off its charger too fast there are chances like say night, that such an event when the computer is left close to a power source can cause software like antivirus software and others not working properly.

5 . Plugging into a Power Source of Too High Voltage:

To keep your laptop charged, you should stick to 120V only and take note that although it says 100 – 240 volt products are acceptable here there is no assurance they will be OK always. However, a lot of electronic circuits need a 120V power source, especially those which have sensitive moving components and can never be replaced in the 12 V system.

6. Power chord not properly connected to laptop:

You may think that it is really easy to connect but you will find out at some stage soon blanking monitor screen. Or your computer starts getting a sizzling smell coming from its battery bay when plugging in the free-hanging power chord.

7 . Power cord shake while turning on and off:

Here, after the power supply gets either hot or cold it will lead to its component of the cable getting rearranged a little which may cause these problems: overcharge, short circuit, and fans stop working.

8 . A loose fit port cover:

The problem here is what happened when covering with some grease. First tightly screwing up in a place that even computers at least one thing stuck out or sat farther than intended. It also looks like your fan can make a noise every time you plug in the power supply at the right end as it is loose-fitted.

How To Fix A Laptop Charger Overheating

If you think your laptop charger may explode due to overheating then follow steps to fix the overheating problems in your laptop charger and maintain your laptop running smoothly at all times.

1. There could be a problem with the power adapter

There might be some internal blockage affecting or preventing you from charging your laptop and turning it on. So here’s what to do: if this happens, simply disconnect the end of its cable then reattach it back. If so no change will happen just hope it may drain out with time.

2. Power Adapter may not be charging

Cold environment: If you find the laptop to only turn on and not fully charging then do check with your charger voltage output has gone down, it gets low in cold weather. Try using a heat insulator mat like this Silicone Cover as well before winter comes. Keep your laptop away from direct sunlight too because they attract moisture more than others.

3. Replacing the Laptop Charger with a Better One

Some people solely use the laptop adapter for charging and warn not to work in extreme temperatures because of its internal components getting mechanical damage.

So if you see your cable has become loose or hard as a rock then change it yourself because some other problems may hamper working properly. Change the only power output on this one is pin 6 to 5 to allow easier installation after disassembly.

4. Ensuring the 24v in your laptop charger is always on

When working with an adapter cable, you will require getting its voltage to remain unchanged at all times as a new form of power supply can add or decrease its amperage.

If you discover that this has happened then fix it by using one external 12voltDC plug and replacing the original digital output to pins 6, 7, and 8 in your adapter cable.

5. Using the Right Adapter Cable for Your Laptop

Accidental use of an incorrect connector will permanently damage a laptop’s charging port, which is why you should not only check voltage output while using it.

Also, work with other things like prong configurations to ensure good results when on charge. The best way is to check whether all compatible power sources are made by Dell laptops, therefore, can be used with this Dell adapter cable.

6. Don’t Overcharge or Overload your Laptop batteries to Prevent Heat Damage

The lithium-polymer battery (LiPo) is weak in power output and reacts very badly when charged too much, so you should avoid the practice of overcharging for a longer period. Because it can lead to damage caused by heat produced by an exuberant amount of current.

This extreme, high temperature will easily melt the protective coating inside of a LiPo battery, which is detrimental to early replacement. So if you have been running your laptop on a pile of energy from overcharging, replace it with just an adapter cable for charging in place.

Final Words

Overheating issues can generally be fixed by stopping the flow of electricity through your cord, which will stop it from overheating. You should use a quality adapter cable to charge your laptop’s battery. It is advisable not to overcharge or overload the batteries of your laptop because this can lead to heart damage and cause early replacement.

Using the right adapter cable is crucial to charge your laptop’s battery safely. You should not overcharge a lithium-polymer battery or overload it by connecting it to too many sources of power at once.

In Addition, regular checks on this aspect will prevent early battery replacement, which is costly and often time-consuming. Dealing with these issues as soon as possible before they get worse and can lead to your laptop becoming completely nonoperational could save you a lot of trouble in the long run if it still works at all.

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