Believe it or not, laptop batteries will die no matter how you take care of it – they don’t last forever. Yes, they can live for a few years, but they will certainly lose their life at some point.
And the question here is: What are you going to do with them after they die? What to do with old laptop batteries? Obviously, the first thing you would do is to throw them away, right? (You may want to read about why you don’t want to throw away batteries).
But to tell you, that’s a bad idea – that’s for certain! Well, here’s the problem: Laptop batteries contain harmful materials such as lead, calcium, and mercury.
And you should understand that these substances are quite toxic – they can badly harm not only our health, but also the environment itself. Sounds scary, right?
It certainly is! This is the reason why you should keep an old laptop battery instead of throwing them away right away.
Fortunately, there is a way you can do that will allow you to make an old laptop battery usable again – there’ll be no waste. Also, you can help protect the environment, too!
And today, we’re going to show you what you can do with them – old laptop batteries.
Let’s talk about that below!
Transform a Laptop Battery into a Power Bank
Yes, that’s right. We can say that this is undoubtedly one of the best reasons not to dispose of it.
So, here we will show you how you can possibly make a power bank using nothing but old batteries.
Step 1: The first step is to gather the necessary parts and tools. For this, you will need to prepare and have a: screwdriver, nose pliers, Dremel, wire cutter, power bank case, and an old laptop battery – obviously.
Step 2: The next step is to open the battery. Using the screwdriver, try to identify the weak spot first.
Once done, insert the blade of the screwdriver and give it a good twist – this will separate or open the battery. This can be a bit tricky, but if you’re lucky, you’ll be able to pop it right away easily.
Note: If you’re having a hard time locating the weak spot, feel free to use either a cutting desk or Dremel saw and cut through an angle. Make sure you don’t cut along the seams as this can damage the cells. And be very careful during the process!
Step 3: Now, it’s time for you to remove the cell assembly. They are often connected by a double-sided tape or metal tabs.
Note: As much as you can, don’t ever try to bend the tabs as they could short and meet, which could end in an explosion or fire.
Step 4: Then isolate the charging circuit. You will need a wire cutter for this one. Using the wire cutter, very carefully cut the wires and tabs that are linked to the cells and the charging circuit.
Step 5: Laptop batteries often have three (3) parallel packs. Now, you’ll need to separate them individually. You can do this by simply twisting each group and separating them by using a cutter.
Step 6: Using your nose pliers, use it to twist or turn the solder tabs off. Once successfully done, go ahead and Dremel the weld points – do it carefully until the entire surface is flat.
Note: The welded tabs, especially when torn or cut, can be very sharp. To avoid any injuries, be extra careful when isolating the batteries individually.
Step 7: The next step is to identify the bad cells from the good ones. To help you properly figure out which cells are good, we have provided some steps below:
• If the cell voltage is lower than 2.5v, it’s best if you can throw that away.
• Try to charge the cell. If for some reason it gets hot during the process, that’s a sign you should throw it away.
• Identify if the cell voltage is between 4.1 and 4.2v and wait for at least 30 minutes.
• Now, go ahead and measure the cell voltage again. You can throw it away if it decreased lower than 4v. If not, record it – the voltage.
• Store the cell for three (3) or more than days in a cool, dry place.
• Finally, try to check the voltage again. If you notice that the cell voltage has decreased for more than 0.1v (based on the recorded cell voltage), then that cell is bad.
Well, there you have it. With these steps, you can now easily and quickly identify which cells are good and which are not.
You can now continue for the actual step below:
Step 8: Using the charging board and power bank case that you bought, insert the laptop battery inside the provided slot in the power bank case. Note: Ensure that the positive terminal is directed towards the board.
Step 9: You can now test it. If you do it right, it should work just fine. If not, then try again – it’s free! Moreover, you may want to be careful during the whole process. Try not to rush things. You might want to do this slowly, but surely.
So, if you’re wondering what to do with old laptop batteries, then above is definitely the answer you’re looking for! Who would have thought that laptop batteries, particularly old ones, can still be usable?
And if you have some laptop batteries in your home, don’t just immediately throw them away – you can do a lot more with them!
What’s amazing is: You can even make a power bank out of them! If you think that old laptop batteries are a waste, then you might want to think again.
With this guide, you’ll be able to transform it back to its life – and even better!
Furthermore, this guide works best for those who can’t afford power banks. In fact, it’s a good way to recycle!
Not only that you’ll help save the environment, you’ll also be able to get the most out of your laptop battery, too!
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