{"id":39608,"date":"2019-01-28T08:22:27","date_gmt":"2019-01-28T14:22:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/?p=39608"},"modified":"2019-01-29T10:04:20","modified_gmt":"2019-01-29T16:04:20","slug":"tech-tip-keep-your-electronics-warm-during-cold-weather","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/39608-tech-tip-keep-your-electronics-warm-during-cold-weather\/","title":{"rendered":"Tech Tip: Keep Your Electronics Warm During Cold Weather"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Cutaway
(Cutaway view of internal HDD showing platter and read\/write mechanism)<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Although the end of January is less than a week away, cold weather can still affect parts of the Northern Hemisphere for another three months or so. As unpleasant as cold temperatures are for humans, they can also wreak havoc on consumer electronics. Here are a few tips to ensure that all of your devices can survive the cold.<\/p>\n

Let Them Warm Up<\/strong>
\nLet\u2019s say you just received a new gadget, and it\u2019s been sitting on your front porch for four hours after delivery in subzero temperatures. Sure, you\u2019d love to unbox it and get to work right away. Our suggestion? Let everything come up to room temperature slowly first.<\/p>\n

Hard drives<\/a> are especially susceptible to issues when they\u2019re cold, as the lubricants that keep the platters spinning freely can thicken when chilled. If those platters are unable to spin at their design speeds, your device may not boot properly or data written to the drive while cold can be totally unreadable later.<\/p>\n

Condensation is another killer for cold electronics in areas with high humidity. Those of you who wear glasses know that going from the cold outside to a warm, cheery house can result in those glasses getting covered with condensation \u2014 you can\u2019t see through the resulting fog on your lenses.<\/p>\n

Related:<\/strong> How to Maximize the Life of Your Device\u2019s Battery<\/a><\/p>\n

The same effect can cause issues with electronics; bring a vented hard drive into a warm, humid location after it has been sitting in cold weather for a while, and the condensation can be bad enough to cause electrical shorts on circuitry.<\/p>\n

The fix? Don\u2019t let the device be exposed to a sudden rise in temperature if it has been chilled for a while. Leave that drive in its shipping box for a while and let it warm up. For laptops, give them some time to warm up from subzero temperatures before turning them on.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, we\u2019re seeing a lot more Solid State Drives<\/a> these days, and they\u2019re not as susceptible to cold weather issues as hard drives are thanks to their lack of moving parts. However, it is still recommended that they are operated only once they\u2019ve been warmed to a temperature of 0\u00b0C (32\u00b0F) or above.<\/p>\n

Batteries and Low Temperatures<\/strong>
\nHere\u2019s another thing to keep in mind if you\u2019re ever out in the cold and want to charge your iPhone, iPad or MacBook. The Lithium-ion batteries<\/a> found in many current consumer mobile electronic devices cannot be charged at temperatures below 0\u00b0C (32\u00b0F) without causing damage.<\/p>\n

Although the cold battery may appear to be charging normally, metallic lithium plating can occur on the battery anode. This is a permanent condition, and batteries that experience plating are more apt to fail if exposed to vibration or other stressful states.<\/p>\n

The solution? Don\u2019t charge your electronic devices at temperatures below freezing and you\u2019ll be OK.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Not Sure If It\u2019s Too Cold? Check the Specs<\/strong>
\nOne final word of caution. If you\u2019re not sure whether your device will work outside in cold weather, check the manufacturer specifications. Most specs include minimum and maximum temperatures both for storage and for use, and as long as you keep those limits in mind while either storing or using your device, you should be able to prevent damage.<\/p>\n

The MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, for example, can be stored in temperatures from -13\u00b0 to 113\u00b0F (-25 to \u00b0C), but only used in temperatures between 50\u00b0 to 95\u00b0F (10\u00b0 to 35\u00b0C). An iPhone can operate in a wider range \u2014 32\u00b0 to 95\u00b0F (0 to 35\u00b0C), and can withstand non-operating temperatures between -4\u00b0 and 113\u00b0F (-20\u00b0 to 45\u00b0C).<\/p>\n

Be sure to check out the Rocket Yard’s Tech Tips section<\/a> for more tricks and guides.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Although the end of January is less than a week away, cold weather can still affect parts of the Northern Hemisphere for another three months or so. As unpleasant as cold temperatures are for humans, they can also wreak havoc on consumer electronics. 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