In charging electronic devices like your power bank, smartphones, earbuds, laptop and other gadgets, there are certain dos & don’t that are applicable. However, there are certain dos and don’t when it comes to charging electronic devices that are quite popular but is far from being correct.
Charging a new device fully before using it
I have heard this countless times from people of all age range and works of life, till this day! – in Wilder’s voice. Although, this is not particularly baseless because old rechargeable battery cells were nickel-based and needed to be recharged fully before first use. These old batteries needed a sort of calibration but these days most batteries are Li-Po/Li-Ion battery and they self calibrate. In other words, battery of new devices does not necessarily have to be charged before use. Read More: Anker PowerWave 10W Wireless Charging Pad Review
Third party chargers are bad
This is not true, although you should not buy substandard or knockoff chargers that are harmful to your device, there are good third party chargers you can trust. This is why you should only buy from trusted brands and make sure you are buying the original product. For example, a 10W phone charger will charge your phone, but if it has a 15W fast charge, the charger won’t be able to fast charge it.
Using your device while it is charging
If you are around an older relative long enough or have one as your contact, you have probably been warned about using your device while charging or sent a bc/dm of someone that died or had an accident while charging. While it is very rare to be electrocuted while charging not unless you’re using it in a bathtub or something, although, there are some quirks like your device heating up during use. The only thing it does is make your charging slower because some of the power is going into powering your device while the remaining charge your battery. For a more detailed analysis of this, click here. SEE: Does Fast Wireless Charging Kill Your Phone Battery Faster?
Charging with portable/small generators is bad
I have heard and seen a lot of people say this is bad and their reasons are: it is AC and the voltage generated is small. Firstly, the current from your power grid is AC in fact, the world’s power supply is in AC. That’s why your charger has an AC /DC converter or rectifier and a capacitor to smooth things out. There is nothing like DC in your home, solar panels are the only source of electricity that produces DC and even that has to be converted to AC with an inverter before you can use it in your home. The truth is the portable generator produces more than enough voltage to charge your device and your charger still has to step it down with a transformer. If you have a problem with charging with generators, know this, all source of electricity has a form of generator except a Solar PV.
Conclusion
While some of these myths were once true and are outdated, some of them are just unfounded. Some, like leaving your phone plugged in overnight will overcharge it is not literally possible but it is bad (trickle charging) for your battery life anyway.
