Swollen Battery <1yr in, How to address?

Framework Laptop 13 Linux
1

I have my Framework Laptop 13. For a few months now, I’ve been noticing the touchpad getting increasingly difficult to use - slowly, over time. I eventually happened to contact support about a different issue on 9/2 and mentioned it to them. They sent a guide to adjust the touchpad. I didn’t bother with it for a couple of weeks because I was quite busy, and mostly have the laptop docked anyhow.

Then I noticed the front halves were separating and figured, time to figure out what’s going on.

Turns out the battery is swollen. Yikes. Wish they would have mentioned that possibility to me initially, but so it goes.

I started noticing the touchpad issue when the laptop was about 10-11 months old. (The real issue being a battery issue). However, I didn’t contact them about it until 3 days after the expiration of my warranty. They have denied my warranty claim.

So I have some questions…

  1. What can I do to prevent this from happening again?

I’ve seen this happen to laptops occasionally, but generally when they are 4+ years old. I’ve never seen it happen at <1yr.

I do tend to leave my laptop plugged in (to a USB-C charging dock) a lot. But then that has been the case with every laptop I’ve had for years and years. I don’t want to have to replace the battery every 9 months.

I do sometimes need all-day battery life from it so I’ve been hesitant to drop down the max charge level, on the grouns that I’ve never had to do it on any other laptop and a 4-yr battery life is acceptable to me. Is there something different/worse about the Framework battery or charge controller that is impacthing things here, or am I just unlucky?

  1. The problem began within the warranty period, and even documented as such before it was known to be a battery issue, but they still denied it.

This is a Framework 13, 13th gen Intel, with 61Wh battery.

I’ve been very pleased with the laptop, and with Framework’s approach in general, and have complimented Framework quite a bit to friends and on social media.

However, this situation leaves me rather concerned; that it’s a safety issue, that no mention was made that a sticky touchpad could be indicative of a battery failure, and that even though it failed within the warranty period, the claim is denied for having been submitted 3 days after the warranty period.

2

I think you just got unlucky with your particular battery. In my time here, I don’t recall many reports of similar happening.

If you leave your laptop plugged in “a lot” I would suggest lowering the charge level, at least a little.

It’s certainly not ideal. Either having to remember to disable the limit before you need every drop of battery, or not and just having a little less. But being held at 100% charge is hard on li-ion batteries.

You do take a trade off whatever you do. Either ignore the issue and have accelerated wear (which reduces capacity) and increase risk of early failure if unlucky, or reduce charge limit, if your use sees it held at 100% for hours on end, day after day.

I don’t think that’s something that customer service from any company normally does. Listing every possible reason for an issue. Better to troubleshoot with the customer and find the actual issue.

3

You cannot prevent it but take action to reduce the likyhood.

Never charge the battery to 100% especially as it cools it has to dissipate energy

I have mine set to 78% via the BIOS. The laptop is plugged in whilst in use at home, some 90% of the year

Yes that was a missed opportunity for Framework ~ and three days ~ come on especially as they were dealing with the problem of an input panel.

4

Thanks. I will definitely set the max charge down in the BIOS. I’m not sure if I was just unlucky or if there is a more systemic reason I had the issue, but it can’t hurt (except when I’m traveling).

Framework support later responded with a satisfactory resolution, which I appreciate! So I consider that part of it resolved.

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I usually carry a USB C to USB C cable with an adapter for USB A when I’m travelling. Cars, buses and trains most often have some sort or charge option.

I mean I keep the 78% but charge when the opportunity arises when travelling.

and

6

I have to ask, is there a particular reason you use 78%? Rather than 75 or 80, I mean.

Of course 75 or 80 would just be due a desire for easy fractions. But I must admit I do fall into that. I use 75% charge start threshold & 80 end threshold.

7

Yes
a) don’t like easy fracs ~ the Beatles 50p ~ half of something
b) It sets the max voltage at 16.4 or 4.1 per cell, just below the 4.2 design

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I do 72%…just because I like multiples of 12 (…and 1,2,3,4,6).

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Interesting… Do you find the Framework can actually charge beneficially from a USB-A port? I don’t think I’ve seen it do so myself. Those are pretty current-limited, aren’t they?

10

I would have thought a swollen battery 1 year and 3 days after receiving a new computer would be a a significant issue.

Agree that you should not have to adjust charge thresholds to ensure a battery doesn’t swell up or remains safe.

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There’s no ‘should’ about it. However as mentioned a battery fully charged, especially in a ‘warm’ environment will hold more charge. If then it is left of placed in ‘the cold’ the battery will have to loose wattage as cold batteries cannot hold as much charge. This will create heat etc. which is detrimental to the battery.

A study by Scientific Reports found that an increase in temperature from 77 degrees Fahrenheit to 113 degrees Fahrenheit led to a 20% increase in maximum storage capacity.

So it is sensible to limit the charge generally for longevity and secondly in cases where the temp can change. In my case it can drop from 100°F to 32°F overnight.

Loosing, in my case over 20% of the wattage would be a problem. It is easier for me to control the charge than the temp.

So you are right, there is no should, no order to do this or that, but common sense or intelligence prevails.

12

As if on cue! I got my 61Wh battery a little over a year ago and it swelled yesterday. Is yours 61 or 55?

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13

damn this went from 1 reported case to 3 reported cases of swolen 61wh batteries within a couple days

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14

This comment thread is almost, but perhaps not quite to the level of victim blaming.

I thought somewhat about battery management after I had my laptop for a little while and I came to the conclusion that being able to limit charge is a nice feature and many people will appreciate it, but ultimately I would prefer my laptop to be at 100% charge on the chance that at some point I will need it and I won’t have prior warning of when that might be.

Indeed, this has happened at work when I’ve taken my laptop to a meeting room and that meeting has overrun long enough that I’m into the second meeting with no break.

Keeping your battery at 100% and your laptop powered / charging for 99.9% of its time is not something that should be a concern when we are discussing battery failure. It’s absolutely good advice to not do this if you want to “take it easy” on your battery because you want the battery to have a longer overall useful working life.

The reason I decided 100% / charging 99.9% of the time is fine for me is because it’s a Framework laptop. The battery is easily and cheaply replaceable. There are obvious environmental concerns, but I’m comfortable with my choice.

EDIT: What I’m inexpertly trying to say here is “let’s not scare OP by suggesting that 100% charging is going to expose them to the risk of catastrophic battery failure”, because these batteries are designed to cope with this.

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It’s not meant as blaming.
He asked what he could do to prevent it in the future.

While nothing can guarantee it won’t happen, a certain number of batteries are always going to have an issue, not holding the battery at 100% day after day can reduce the risk. It’s a fact of life of current li-ion technology that you must choose, increased stress / wear (leading to reduction of capacity) or limit stress by limiting time held at 100%.

Luckily, Framework makes batteries as easy as possible to replace & without price gouging. So whatever one chooses, it’s fine.

And while puffed up cells are a problem, and brings concern, it’s not a catastrophic battery failure. Packs can be surprisingly resilient. I’ve had cell phones that break themselves open from puffed up cells. Severely bending the circuit board and breaking the case in multiple places. Yet the cells resisted puncture.

16

Well ‘puffing’ may not in itself be catastrophic I would say it is a worry. Luckily it seems the input panel will distort and give notification, maybe an internal sensor would be usefull or more like - important.

The issue is that is some situations 100% charging may be unwise. In your case where the 100% is going to be used it is as designed. In my use case it would not be wise.

So it’s not just about warring and definitely not blaming anyone for cause and effect but notifying anyone who may read this that 100% charging is fine but what you do with the laptop and battery after that may result in damage and how worrying that is, is for the individual.

I have no intention of implying blame but clarifying the user’s responsibility. Once in the hands of the user it’s not equally ‘right’ to blame the manufacturer but similarly they have a responsibilty via contract . . . business wise . . . warranty … use case.

17

What’s the third case?

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That’s me, this post is two, what’s 3

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Then I guess I counted you twice XD

Two in two days is not quite as bad, still not great.

Battery may still work fine but if it doesn’t fit in the laptop anymore that isn’t worth much.

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