Watch for Failing Batteries

We occasionally run across devices that have batteries which fail quite visibly. Modern lithium ion batteries can swell due to the internal chemistry producing gases. When this happens, the screen or keyboard can bow out and stop functioning. A few weeks ago a client complained that her phone’s buttons were hard to press, and a cursory inspection revealed the screen was literally pulling away from the phone housing due to a swelling battery. These types of incidents should be addressed quickly, but are rarely dangerous. Rarely, but not “never”: last year a friend had a cheap off-brand battery spontaneously catch on fire while they weren’t home and it resulted in a tragic house fire. So if you ever noticing swelling in a laptop or mobile device, definitely contact us or another professional to look at it soon.