How to Protect Your Gadgets from the Heat

Too much heat buildup can slow down your phones and laptops, or even damage their internal parts. Sure, heat sinks and internal fans are there to keep the whole thing running smoothly. But if they can’t disperse enough of the heat, your devices won’t function properly at all. As an example, CPU temperatures for computers should ideally be below 40 °C when idle and below 55 °C when working.

The problem is that smartphones and laptops have become necessities—be they for work, gaming, or staying connected with friends. Hence, they will have to keep running despite the summer heat. At a time when school is out and more kids have free time, everyone will be keeping their hands on their devices.

While we may not be able to completely stop using our gadgets, there are ways we can keep them from building up too much heat in this weather. Let’s take a look at three of the most common gadgets and how to keep them cool.

SMARTPHONES

Use an App Killer

Whenever a phone is running, its processor is still active. This is true even for background apps like the weather report widget, the app store updater, or even the clock. Even when you close apps, some of them can still run in the background so you can re-open them faster. And these can take up space on your phone’s RAM.

While speed is a good benefit, allocating RAM to extra apps will still require power from the CPU and battery. This will inevitably cause the device to build up heat. One way to prevent this is to use an app killer like CleanMaster. This lets you shut off any processes or apps that still run in the background, saving you a memory that can be reallocated for your games and social media apps. This app notifies you if there are unused apps running in the background, and can even identify which ones are straining your phone’s processor.

Disable Unwanted Functions

Leaving your connections like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and mobile data turned on can cause your device to heat up. That’s especially if you leave it open when they’re not in use.

Hence, it’s best to turn them off to save power and prevent heat buildup, as leaving them on can cause apps to sync in the background. Keeping Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on will also make your phone search for new networks or other devices to connect with. This works the same way when phones need more power to acquire a stable signal.

Wipe It Down

Dust is a common problem for every device; too much in your device can hamper proper electricity flow. Leaving your phone on your bedside table or keeping it in your pocket lets dust and lint creep in through its many openings. Headphone jacks, button gaps, and charging ports are common points of entry.

Cleaning the battery contacts and wiping off the dust will keep the electricity flow smooth and prevent your phone from overworking itself. Keeping them dust-free minimizes the draw from your battery, making it last longer.

LAPTOPS

Adjust Your Power Settings

Every computer has built-in power settings for high performance, balanced output, and battery-saving modes. Reserve your maximum output for places that are air-conditioned or well-ventilated.

Laptops generate their own heat whenever they run programs and background tasks, and operating them in a hot environment can increase the risk of it running slower.

To prevent heat damage to your laptop, remove the laptop battery when you’re using it plugged in. Not all laptops have detachable batteries, but if yours has one that can work without it, you should take the laptop battery out. Store the battery in a cool, dry place so you can prolong its life.

Use a Laptop Cooling Pad

Using a cooling pad allows you to keep your laptop’s underside from generating too much heat. Given that most laptop vents are located on the bottom, airflow needs to be unrestricted for the heat sinks to work properly.

A cooling pad gives you two benefits: It frees the space underneath the heat sinks so they can disperse more hot air. Second, the fans blow cooler air into your laptop’s underside. Since the motherboard and processor are located there, directing air to cool it down can reduce its operating temperature to make it run more smoothly.

Wipe It Regularly

As with smartphones, dust can also accumulate in the ports, headphone jacks, and the keyboard. Excessive dust buildup acts as an insulator and can even get in the way of your internal fans.

Too much of this can block the power flow and cause more heat buildup. Use a brush to clean tight spaces, and non-conductive cleaning fluid to wipe down surfaces and screens.

CAMERAS

Store Them in Clean, Airtight Containers

With hot weather usually comes humidity. When taking out cameras from colder storage places, the moisture buildup from condensation can fog up your lenses and interfere with other internal systems. This results in clouded images or even forced shutdowns due to short-circuits.

One way to prevent this is to store your cameras in airtight containers. Ideally, a storage space with humidity below 60% can help keep your devices dry until you need to use them. Adding silica gel packets to absorb moisture can also help prevent the growth of fungus and mildew.

Separate Battery Packs from Equipment

In addition to fogging up your lenses and affecting image quality, mildew and fungus can corrode your battery contacts. Store them separately and wipe them down after prolonged use. Keeping them well-maintained can also make them last longer and give them more power during prolonged usage.

With these tips, you can prolong the life of your gadgets even in this summer heat. Do you have any other tips for surviving this weather? Share it with us on our Facebook page.

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Source: https://bit.ly/2J9kXYC