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Plugged in while being fully charged.

os1019

New Member
Is it okay to keep the Surface Pro 3 plugged up after it had fully charged or am I over charging it? This was not issue at first for when the SP3 was fully charged I would unplug it and go about my business. However, now I have a docking station with external HD etc plugged into it so I must keep the docking station plugged in which in turn is charging the SP3.
 

grumpy

Active Member
The SP3 automatically terminates charging once the battery is fully charged, so leaving it plugged in will not overcharge it.
 

kundas1

Well-Known Member
keeping the SP3 plugged in will not hurt the battery, but it IS recommended that you let the SP3 drain down to 10% once a month to keep the Battery optimal ;)
 

daniielrp

Active Member
The SP3 automatically terminates charging once the battery is fully charged, so leaving it plugged in will not overcharge it.

Is this right? I can't help but wonder whether if you keep it plugged in all the time it would then get stuck in a loop of:
- Charge to 100%
- Stop charge.
- Battery drops to 99%.
- Charge to 100%.
- Stop charge.
- Battery drops to 99%.
- Start charge.

Etc.

Which doesn't sound like a good idea for a battery. I may be wrong, I don't really know how these work.
 

jnjroach

Administrator
Staff member
Microsoft own guidance is to at least run it down below 10% once a month....

Battery care
  • Operating temperature. Surface is designed to work between 32°F and 95°F (or 0°C to 35°C). Lithium-ion batteries are sensitive to high temperatures, so keep your Surface out of the sun and don’t leave it in a hot car.
  • Recharge anytime. The battery doesn’t need to be empty or low before you recharge. You can recharge the battery whenever you’d like. However, it’s best to let the battery run to below 10 percent at least once per month before you recharge it.
  • Battery warranty. If your Surface battery is found to be defective during the warranty period, it is covered under the standard Surface Warranty. For more details about the Surface Warranty or for extended warranty coverage, see Surface standard warranty and Microsoft Complete for Surface.
http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us/support/hardware-and-drivers/battery-and-power-pro
 

grumpy

Active Member
Is this right? I can't help but wonder whether if you keep it plugged in all the time it would then get stuck in a loop of:
- Charge to 100%
- Stop charge.
- Battery drops to 99%.
- Charge to 100%.
- Stop charge.
- Battery drops to 99%.
- Start charge.

Etc.

Which doesn't sound like a good idea for a battery. I may be wrong, I don't really know how these work.
To help preserve the battery, many devices don't initiate charging until the battery has been discharged at least a few percent. My SP2 won't start charging until below 97% (the SP3 is likely the same) and my Dell has customizable charge profiles.
 
keeping the SP3 plugged in will not hurt the battery, but it IS recommended that you let the SP3 drain down to 10% once a month to keep the Battery optimal ;)
I would use it more than once a month. I would try and use it a few times a week at the minimum on battery.

I ruined every laptop battery I have had in the past from MacBooks and MacBook Pros to HP laptops because I rarelky had a use to use them on battery power. I did try and use the last MacBook Pro on battery power at least once a week and after a year, it would shut off at 50% and running it down till then several times would not fix it or calibrate it.

I bough the SP3 because it's different and very easy to carry around the house. I don't travel and have no excuse to really take it anywhere so it will always stay home.

Microsofts guidelines listed above are assuming that you use the computer on battery power frequently and don't leave it plugged in constantly.
 

RogerB

New Member
I have my SP3 in the docking station most of the time.

A) Is it safe to leave the SP3 in the docking station and switched on overnight or even for several days?
B) Should I disconnect from the docking station periodically to allow the battery to run down?
 
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