Much like a hermit crab, this iPad battery seems to have outgrown it’s home and is attempting an escape. Unlike hermit crabs, growing batteries are a very serious danger.
The cool thing is that stress pattern in the glass… not so cool: potential for explosion.
Proper Battery Care Is Important
Off the hundreds of iPads we have seen here at The Stem, this is the FIRST swollen battery we’ve seen on such a unit. We’ve had plenty of computer and iPhone batteries do their best puffer fish impression, but never an iPad. What could have turned this one to a dangerous life of crime?
Constant overcharging.
This iPad was used in an home automation system and lived in the wall, constantly plugged in. I’ve seen plenty of iPods and other devices that live their lives tethered to a power source, and unfortunately this tends to affect the battery in dangerous ways.
Don’t do it.
Here is a solution, a remote outlet switch.. charge it when you need to… get it here.
Inspecting The Damage
Lifting off the glass with airbag assistance provided by the battery, we can see just how swollen up these cells are.
These aren’t party balloons… more like Hindenburg Zepplins
After a good 20 minutes of very nervous and very gentle prodding and scraping, the battery array was safely lifted out of the case and recycled. A new array will have this old beast up and running smoothly again!
Don’t let a swollen battery hang out, evict it by bringing it into The Stem!