Charge your phone's battery to 80%!

Hundreds of thousands of mobile phones break down in Turkey every year, and some can cause fires. Experts, drawing attention to the overheating and fire risks of lithium-ion battery mobile phones, state that knowing what to do in case of a fire is of vital importance.
Occupational Health and Safety Expert Dr. Rüştü Uçan, pointing out that lithium-ion battery mobile phones generate heat while operating, said, “The normal operating temperature of such devices is between 5-40 degrees Celsius, but when the temperature exceeds 50-60 degrees Celsius, it enters the danger zone. Even though phones' own safety systems activate when this limit is reached, in some cases, especially in hot regions, there can be a risk of fire and explosion in mobile phones...”
Dr. Uçan recommended, in case of overheating, “Charge your phone's battery to 80%. Close applications running in the background. Delete unused applications. Use airplane mode. Turn off power saving mode.”
 

Head of Occupational Health and Safety Department at Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Health Sciences, Assist. Prof. Dr. Rüştü Uçan, warned about safe phone use, overheating, and fire risks, explaining what needs to be done.

Lithium-ion battery mobile phones generate heat when operating

Assist. Prof. Dr. Rüştü Uçan pointed out that hundreds of thousands of mobile phones break down in Turkey annually, stating, “We also encounter some fire incidents related to these. Lithium-ion battery mobile phones, their chips, graphic cards, and batteries generate heat while operating. The normal operating temperature of such devices is between 5-40 degrees Celsius, but when the temperature exceeds 50-60 degrees Celsius, it enters the danger zone. Even though phones' own safety systems activate when this limit is reached, in some cases, especially in hot regions, there can be a risk of fire and explosion in mobile phones...”

Should an overheating phone be cooled in the refrigerator?

Stating that if the temperature drops below zero, these batteries slow down, leading to capacity losses, Assist. Prof. Dr. Rüştü Uçan said, “One should not adopt a wrong approach such as cooling a mobile phone in the refrigerator.”

Pay attention to the 80% rule!

Assist. Prof. Dr. Rüştü Uçan offered recommendations for safe charging, stating, “Use original chargers. Do not use damaged chargers; dispose of them. Do not charge your phone in direct sunlight. If you notice your phone is overheating, unplug it immediately. Charge your phone's battery to 80%.” 

What to do in case of fire?

Explaining what to do when a fire starts in lithium-ion battery mobile phones, Assist. Prof. Dr. Rüştü Uçan said, “It is not possible to extinguish it with water. Type D fire extinguishers should be used, but these are generally not found at home. In this situation, when you encounter a fire, you should safely remove the phone from its charging location and let it burn itself out. It is necessary to remove the burning mobile phone from its charging spot with tongs or any holder and move it away from the environment.”

Mobile phones should not be kept under the sun!

Emphasizing what needs to be done to prevent mobile phones from overheating, Assist. Prof. Dr. Rüştü Uçan provided the following information:

“If rules such as not using non-original or damaged chargers, and not using screen and mobile phone protectors are not followed, and if the weather is hot and the mobile phone is under the sun, serious risks of burning and damage occur. Rising humidity with the heated air also adds to the problem. Even if there is a protector and the battery doesn't burn, a phone screen left under the sun for a long time may experience fading and deterioration in its colors over time. Such damages that reduce screen display quality usually result in repairs requiring the replacement of the entire screen. Prolonged heating can damage the device's internal components and lead to performance degradation. This can cause the user to use the phone more and increase the amount of heating exposed. Furthermore, battery heating can affect the phone's charging time and shorten battery life.” 

Assist. Prof. Dr. Rüştü Uçan also stated that there could be several reasons why a phone might shut down while the battery is full, saying, “If your phone overheats, it might shut down to prevent damage to the battery.”

What to do in case of overheating? 

Assist. Prof. Dr. Rüştü Uçan also listed what needs to be done in case of overheating as follows:

“Charge your phone's battery to 80%.

Close applications running in the background.

Delete unused applications.

Use airplane mode.

Download a reliable antivirus program.

Turn off power saving mode.”