Laptop with non-removable battery

[Geoffsilverfox]

I purchased an Asus X555L laptop, exactly two years ago.

Recently I noticed that the deck of the computer was rising up, so that the screen would not close down completely.

Everything about the computer was working OK, but today I took the said computer to a shop to investigate.  The pictures are of the lithium-ion battery, that had swelled to twice the normal thickness, thus pushing the deck of the computer into a bow. The shop has ordered another battery for which they want 1,800 baht, plus 200 baht to fit.

The man in the shop did say that the battery could have exploded at any time.

 

[Halfaboy]

Good tip. Thanks....

[KhunBENQ]

Lucky!

I hate the idea of non removable batteries.

A new and unstoppable trend.

I use my laptop at home without battery attached at all.

 

 

[Halfaboy]

What would be an indication to change the battery in time ?

 

The OP (in all respect) was almost too late. How could he have prevented this potentially dangerous situation ?

[Jdietz]

Easily prevented by not using a swollen up laptop..

[wpcoe]

I had a similar situation with a Sony mobile phone.  The phone was in a case and I started having problems using the buttons on the case.  Then I realized it was because the back of the phone was bulging and the buttons on the case no longer lined up with the buttons on the phone.  Sony replaced not only the battery but all the internal components of the phone under warranty.

[Pib]

I had a similar situation with a Onda (Chinese name brand) 10 inch tablet.  See below snapshot of the pregnant battery on the right and the new one on the left.  I noticed the the tablet was swelling and it had been turned off several days...this swelling did not occur while charging or with the tablet turned on.   I got the battery removed before it damaged the tablet (actually it helped to partially push off the tablet back cover) and over the next 3 weeks the old battery continued to swell until it almost looked like a balloon.  

 

Important to note that lithium batteries do not have to be in use to fail...they can fail/begin swelling/catch on fire even when not installed. 

 

Full story at the Jan 15 ThaiVisa link below.

 

  

Edited April 30, 2017 by Pib

[wpcoe]

Correction to my post above:  It was not the buttons on the case that was the giveaway, it was that the magnetic charger would no longer connect to the port on the side of the phone through the cutout on the case.  That detail struck me as I was falling asleep last night.  FWIW, it was a Sony Z3 Compact mobile phone.

 

@Pib: That photo is scary.  

[Pib]

I also "punctured" the pregnant battery and it immediately deflated just like a  punctured balloon or beach ball does...no explosion...just quickly deflated.   I did the puncture with a nail on a long stick....didn't want to be close when the battery was punctured.  The swelling was all gas trapped within the air tight battery casing.

 

And with it being gas within the battery case I expect the gas is more flammable than solid material within the battery....the gas catches on fire and then spreads to the material....or the material catches on fire first and then the gas possibly causes a little explosion or flame thrower type activity.  Either way possible fire.

[WorriedNoodle]

I had a similar experience with a removable battery someone had left in a disused mobile phone that hadn't been turned on for years and left in an office draw. The expanding battery pack was able to force the back of the phone off. 

[Pib]

I like phones where the back cover can be removed easily & quickly by the owner....this also mean if the battery starts swelling it can push the cover off and probably not damage the phone.   But in a growing number of phones the case can not be easily & quickly removed by the owner...held on with adhesive...which means a swelling battery will have a hard time pushing the cover off...push in the other direction also towards the screen possibly damaging the phone even if the battery does not catch on fire/leak.