So, you’ve had a brilliant idea, haven’t you? A sleek Android tablet, proudly mounted on your wall, your digital command centre, always ready at a moment’s touch. Weather updates, smart home controls, maybe even a quick game of Candy Crush while you wait for the kettle to boil. It’s a convenient bit of kit!
And naturally, to keep this digital sentry ever-vigilant, you’ve got it permanently plugged into the mains. Makes sense, doesn’t it? Never a low battery warning to spoil things!
Well, hold on a moment there, Captain Always-Charged. While the sheer convenience of it is undeniable, leaving your wall-mounted wonder constantly drawing power might be doing its little battery a disservice in the long run. Think of it like this: even the most enthusiastic partygoer needs a break from the buffet!
Let’s have a chat about why a little bit of charge management might be your tablet’s new best friend:
1. The “Full All The Time” Blues:
Imagine eating a massive celebratory dinner every single day. Sounds exhausting, doesn’t it? Your tablet’s lithium-ion battery feels a similar sort of perpetual “fullness fatigue” when it’s constantly at 100%. While modern batteries have become more sophisticated about overcharging protection, being constantly topped up at the absolute maximum can still put a strain on the internal processes. It’s like they’re constantly flexing their muscles, even when they don’t need to.
2. Heat is a Problem (for Batteries):
Electricity flowing into your tablet generates a little bit of heat. Normally, when the battery charges and discharges, this heat dissipates. But when it’s perpetually plugged in and hovering near full, the battery can experience a more consistent level of warmth. And just like that forgotten coat in the back of your car on a sunny day, too much heat isn’t ideal for a battery. It can contribute to it degrading quicker over time and even cause the battery to swell due to gasses being produced. While this generally only occurs if there is a manufacturing fault in the battery, swelling is potentially dangerous. At the very least, it can damage the tablet and at extremes, could cause a fire.
3. Shortened Lifespan? Nobody Wants That!
Think of your tablet battery as having a limited number of “charge cycles.” While being permanently plugged in doesn’t technically rack up full charge cycles, keeping it constantly at the upper limit can still contribute to a gradual decline in its overall capacity. This means that eventually, even when you do unplug it, it might not hold a charge for as long as it used to and may not be of much use if you wish to move it to ‘off the wall’ tasks.
So, What’s a Tech-Savvy Homeowner to Do?
Don’t worry! You don’t need to unplug your beloved wall-mounted companion every five minutes. Here are a few sensible and practical ways to manage its charging:
- The “Occasional Unplug”: Treat your tablet to a little “off-grid” time every now and then. Let it discharge a bit, perhaps to around 20-40%, before turning the power back on.
- Settings Based Solutions: Some Android devices offer features that limit charging to a certain percentage (e.g., 80%). This can help avoid that constant 100% state. Lenovo tablets in particular have a ‘charge protection mode’ that is specifically designed for tablets that are permanently plugged in. This maintains the charge between 40 and 60%, which is widely regarded as the ‘low stress zone’ for lithium based batteries.
- Smart Plugs/Relay Modules with Schedules or Automations: If you’re looking for a more automated approach, you could use a smart plug or relay module with a simple time schedule to automatically cut off the power for a few hours each day. With home automation systems like Home Assistant, you can use battery level sensors exposed by things like the Companion App or Fully Kiosk browser to trigger automations that kill the power at (say) 60% and turn the power back on at 40% to achieve similar results.
- Use a Low Power Charger:
The charger supplied with most tablets is designed to go from 0 to 100 as quickly as possible. While this is great if you are relying on battery power, charging speed is of no real concern for a permanently powered device. Fast charging also generates more heat which places more stress on the battery. If your tablet is configured to have the screen on for most of the day, consider using a low-powered charger (between 500mA and 1 Amp. A charger with a lower rating probably can’t charge the tablet and power the screen at the same time which will automatically introduce some battery exercise. This method would require some experimentation and some tablets will complain if they are plugged into a low-powered charger via annoying pop-up notifications so this is a ‘suck it and see’ method that may or may not be suitable.
The Key Message (Without Being Too Technical):
While having your wall-mounted tablet permanently powered up is really convenient, a little bit of thought towards charge management can go a long way in keeping its battery happy and healthy for longer. You don’t need to become a battery expert, but just being aware of the potential downsides of constant full charge can help you enjoy your digital wall display safely for years to come.
So, give your tablet battery a little consideration! It’ll thank you in the long run, keeping the battery healthier and drastically reducing the chance of it battery swelling.
