Laptop Battery Travel Safety Tips

When you think about laptop batteries, you may not consider the danger that can come along with them. Although you don’t have to worry about them on a day to day basis, they are something that you should be aware of and keep in mind while you are traveling. There is no known danger of these types of batteries exploding, but they can be extremely flammable which can cause major issues when traveling. Here are some tips that should be followed for battery travel in order to keep you and others safe.

* All laptop batteries should be kept with you while on a flight. They should not be in your checked baggage. This allows for you and the staff on the flight to be able to more easily handle a fire if it were to occur.

* Ensure that you only use batteries that are approved to be used within your laptop. You should also only buy your batteries from a reputable seller. Following this will reduce the risk of you purchasing and using a counterfeit battery, which may increase the likelihood to catch fire.

* Do everything you can in order to keep your external laptop battery from being punctured, crushed, or having a large amount of pressure put onto it. Any of those things could cause the battery to catch fire.

* Any battery that you buy for your laptop should have a mark from an organization that performs independent testing or sets standards. Included in this is the International Electro-technical Commission, also known as the IEC, or Underwriters Laboratories, also known as UL.

* Place each battery that you are carrying with you in its own protective case. Having more than one battery in a case could cause the terminals of the different batteries to touch and rub together which could cause the batteries to short circuit and potentially catch fire. If you do not have a protective case, you could also use a plastic bag or even place tape across the terminals.

* Check your battery to ensure that it is not damaged in any way and is not part of a recall. If your battery is part of a recall or is damaged, you should not take it with you while traveling.

* You should only attempt to charge batteries that are rechargeable. Batteries that are not rechargeable were not designed to be charged. If they are put on a charger, they can begin to overheat and can become a problem and cause damage at a later time.

* For batteries that are rechargeable, you should only use the charger that was designed for that particular battery. You should not mix chargers with different rechargeable batteries.

* If the case or package you have for your laptop does not have room or a space for your battery, you will want to ensure that you package it appropriately. Do not allow for the terminals of the battery to rub against any metal. This could cause it to short circuit and potentially cause it to catch on fire in the future.