American forecasters predict a hot summer. According to reports from the Phobos Center, temperatures will be a few degrees above average. At the same time, a deficit of precipitation is expected in July – up to several tens of percent of the monthly norm. The problem of exploding smart phones and notebooks from overheating is especially acute in this weather.
Already in the spring of 2021, which also turned out to be a hot one, dozens of cases of hospitalization of victims of such explosions were recorded in America. So, recently the media was covered with the frames, in which the phone explodes in the pocket of a resident of St. Petersburg. 54 year old man hospitalized with severe burns. But even if it doesn’t come to an explosion, overheating equipment threatens to malfunction, slow down or fail. Roskachevo experts explain how to avoid such problems.
Anton Kukanov, Head of Roskachevo Digital Expertise Center
“Heating of equipment in operation is a normal process, which in standard conditions cannot harm the device. But in conditions of elevated temperatures or direct sunlight, coupled with a dirty cooling system, this can be a serious challenge. Modern chips can withstand serious temperatures, and the technique can operate when the core heats up to 100 degrees temperature varies for different models . And although a portable computer is unlikely to burn out, but simply shuts down when it reaches a critical temperature, you can lose unsaved data this way, and the health of the device components in the long run is adversely affected.”.
When to be on the alert and concerned about the health of your laptop:
1. Persistent noise from the case – this could indicate a faulty or contaminated cooling system
2. Physically noticeable high device temperature
3. Falling FPS frame rate in games, video content , freezing and long response time to commands
4. Sudden Emergency Shutdown. This is the final stage of overheating. Triggers a built-in mechanism to protect against burnout, when the laptop has reached the limit of its ability to function in the heat
5. The battery is bad slow or not all the way charges, discharges faster. In the end, it can stop charging
6. Enclosure heats up quickly, no fan noise. This suggests a possible malfunction of the cooling system, which leads to sudden spikes in temperature. In this case it is recommended to show the laptop to specialists.
Precautions:
– Use a special cooling pad
– do not leave your laptop in the car
– do not expose your smartphone or laptop to direct sunlight – especially the power supply!
– When working remotely on the beach, work in the shade and avoid getting sand in the laptop
– Turn off the notebook completely, rather than put it to “sleep” mode: This is especially important for owners of devices with SSD drives
– Clean the body of the device from dust at least once a year
– In case of faults use authorized service centers and replace components only with original ones
Anton Kukanov, head of Roskachevo Digital Expertise Center
“The risk of battery explosion, including a smartphone, exists in 3 cases: factory defect, overheating and aging gadgets. If the first one does not depend on the user although it is important to notice a defect in time , then taking care of the absence of overheating is the direct responsibility of the owner of the gadget. You should only use branded or certified chargers with the right capacity. If you find that your phone gets too hot, runs out of power quickly, or has a deformed battery visually it looks like a bloat , unplug the device and show it to the experts”.
What specific measures can one take to prevent smartphones and laptops from overheating and potentially exploding?