What to do if your laptop adapter gets really hot [PRO TIP]

It is not at all unusual for laptop adapters to warm up. However, it is unusual for adapter chargers to become really hot, almost too hot to handle. Now, we might be looking at an obvious hardware problem, but there are ways to, at least temporary, mitigate adapter overheating.

Here are a few tips for cooling down laptop adapters you can try.

How can I stop laptop adapter from overheating?

1. Keep the Adapter Away From Radiators

First, make sure the laptop adapter is in a reasonably cool place. So, do not leave the adapter near warm radiators. Open the windows in the room that includes the laptop during warmer summer days. Users can also enhance the airflow around the charger by sliding some pencils beneath the adapter’s transformer box.

2. Remove the Laptop’s Battery

The laptop’s battery can overheat its adapter charger. If the laptop has a removable battery, remove the battery from it. Then the adapter won’t charge the battery when it’s plugged into a laptop. If that greatly cools down the adapter, consider getting a new battery for the laptop.

3. Reduce PC Performance by Switching to Power Saver

1. Selecting the most energy-efficient power plan might also cool down adapter chargers. To do so, open the search box in Win 10 with the Windows key + S hotkey.
2. Input the keyword ‘Power Plan’ in the search box.
3. Click on the Choose power plan option to open the window shown directly below.
4. Select the Balanced option.
5. Next, double-click the battery icon in the system tray to open the slider below.
6. Drag that slider to the far left to select Power saver mode.

4. Periodically Unplug the Adapter

Most laptop batteries will last at least two to three hours when fully charged. So, users don’t need to have their laptops plugged in all the time. Therefore, users can unplug their adapter chargers every hour or so for about 15 minutes.

That will give the adapter a 15 minute cool off period every hour. However, the adapter will still be plugged in most of the time to keep the battery charged for those periods when the laptop isn’t plugged in.

5. Charge the Battery More Regularly

Some laptops have batteries that last longer than 10 hours, which reduces the necessity for adapter chargers when laptops are fully charged. Thus, users should charge their laptops more regularly when they’re not utilizing them. That will keep the laptop more fully charged when needed, which will minimize the requirement to plug-in the adapter charger with the laptop on.

So, there are a few ways users can cool down adapter chargers. However, consider replacing adapter chargers if they still get too hot. Some users might be able to claim replacements for adapter chargers if they’re still within their laptops’ warranty periods.