This weekend we had to mourn the death of a man of just 25 years of age in the Navarrese town of Bera. It was because of a fire in his home that, from what we know so far, It can be caused by an electronic device poorly connected and after expanding, it reached the bed where the young man was resting.
The authorities rule out that it was a mobile phone that caused it, without specifying at the moment whether it was a tablet, a computer or any other electronic device. However, the risks regarding battery recharging referred to can resemble those of a smartphone, so it does not hurt to remember a series of basic recommendations.
You don’t have to pay a lot, although you do have to pay just enough for a quality certificate.
As a general rule, use both the cable and the original mobile power adapter that comes in the box It is a good recommendation. They may not be the best quality in terms of materials or transfer and charging speeds, but they do meet the minimum quality requirements according to the regulations and standards of the manufacturer itself.
Now, there are times when we want to use another cable that is longer, or when it or the adapter has been lost or damaged (or does not come in the box). Well, when choosing a mobile charger there are a series of Things to look at:
- EU certification: marked with a ‘CE’, the charger must be approved for sale in the European Union. This assures us that it has passed the necessary certifications for it to be put on the market.
- Power Adapter Compatibility: According to the guides and manuals of your smartphone, check that the charger you are going to buy meets the voltage and amperage required by the device to ensure that there is no incompatibility that endangers the battery and the terminal itself.
- Cable quality: Both the construction materials and their internal fibers, the cable must also be suitable to withstand the current that is produced during charging, thus avoiding breaks that could pose a danger.
- Avoid buying fakes: Verify that the charger you are going to buy is really an official accessory from the manufacturer it claims to be, since sometimes fake products appear that are sold as original and far from being original, they usually have poorer quality and even lack quality certifications.
- Use trusted brands: In line with the above, if you are not sure what you are buying, resort to buying from a manufacturer with guarantees. It doesn’t have to be the same as your phone, but check that it is at least a manufacturer that has prestige for the quality of its accessories.
With all this we mean that It is not necessary to buy one from the mobile manufacturer or pay a lot of money. Be careful, you can do it and obviously you will be complying with the safety advice. However, you can find dozens of options in online and physical stores with chargers at reasonable prices and without sacrificing quality.
The way you charge your phone is also key
Apart from having suitable charging accessories, There are also risks from carrying out a bad load. Hence, we must always follow these tips to minimize them as much as possible and even avoid them completely:
- If the plug gives problems, abort mission: There would be little point in trying to protect a smartphone with quality accessories if the outlet into which it is plugged is defective. Therefore, if you have a damaged socket, avoid connecting a mobile phone or any other device to it. In fact, it is advisable that you consult an electrician as soon as possible to avoid major problems.
- Do not use it while charging if it is hot: It’s okay to use your phone while it’s recharging. Although it is a habit that damages the battery, it does not usually entail a real risk of it catching fire. However, if the temperature of the device is high (something you will notice just by holding it) it is best to avoid using it. It might even be beneficial to disconnect it from the charger and turn it off until the heat subsides.
- Do not use a damaged cable: Unfortunately, the solution of putting insulating tape or any other type of splice to fix a cable is not valid. Not because it cannot be effective, which it may be, but because this ultimately increases the risk of a spark occurring and thus increases the risk of the cable and the device itself catching fire.
- First to the plug, then to the mobile: It seems silly but it is not. The order in which you connect the charger is important because it could damage the cable connector and the port of the mobile phone itself. And this can ultimately cause sparks, so the recommended order is as follows: connect the cable to the power adapter, the power adapter to the plug and finally the mobile phone to the cable.
- Keep the charging port clean: In the best of cases (and most commonly) poor cleaning of the mobile charging connector prevents correct charging. However, in the worst case scenario it could cause bigger problems.
A fire is the last, battery deterioration is the most common
Beyond the unpleasant event experienced in Navarra and which, as we say, can be caused by a mobile phone that is charged incorrectly, The truth is that it is difficult for a cell phone to catch fire.. On a physical level, it is perfectly possible, but luckily most have systems that anticipate extreme situations and before an event like this occurs, they turn off and cut off the battery input.
That is why in the end the main risk falls on the health of the battery. Knowing also that this is one of the components that inevitably degrades the most, it is not advisable to accelerate this process if we want to extend the useful life of the mobile. Hence, all the advice given is applicable to both avoiding extreme situations such as a fire, as well as maximizing the health of the battery.
In Xataka Mobile | What to do if your phone’s battery doesn’t last long: this way you can extend the battery life on iPhone and Android