A Qi charging pad is a pretty convenient way of charging gadgets, from your iPhone to your Android tablet. Simply plug the charger into a power source, lay your gadgets on the wireless Qi charger,let them charge up, then pick them up when you need ‘em.
Except that it’s not as simple as that – especially when you may be unknowingly putting both your gadgets and your Qi wireless charging pad in danger.
Mistake 1: Putting Liquids Around The Charging Pad
See those cool ads where people casually have coffee while their smart phones lay on a wireless phone charger? That’s actually really bad idea in real life – unless your charging pad is rated waterproof.
Waterproofed charging pads are designed to prevent water or moisture from seeping into its sensitive components. These are meant to be used in high-moisture environments like bathrooms or beside bodies of water. The average wireless charging pad most prominently displayed on retail, however, is most likely not rated as waterproofed. If you want to be sure, check the manual for the charger’s IP (ingress protection) rating. If it’s rated 4 or above for liquid ingress protection (the second number of the IP rating), then it should be able to handle a spill or two as long as you clean it up right away. If the IP rating is 3 or below, then keep it far away from liquids.
Mistake 2: Letting The Charging Pad Heat Up Too Much
Qi wireless charging pads have a tendency to generate heat – and the last thing you want to do is trap that heat to the point where it poses a risk.
Direct sunlight, poor ventilation, radiant heat from other appliances and simply being in a room that’s too hot – these are all very bad cases where wireless charging is concerned. Too much heat, and you risk hastening the life span of your gadget’s battery. Not only that, but building up enough heat could result in a serious fire hazard if left unattended.
Mistake 3: Letting The Charging Pad Accumulate Dust And Dirt
Qi charging can be very convenient. So convenient in fact, that you might actually neglect to clean the pad.
Dirt and dust builds up on the charging pad presents three problems. One, you run the risk of scratching the case of your gadgets. Two, a thick enough layer of dirt could retain heat that could damage your device’s battery through repeated use. Three, dirt that’s been stuck for a long enough time can be a pain to clean up. Granted you’d need to accumulate a lot of dirt for these situations to pose a real threat, with some models being robust enough to withstand a significant amount of dirt and dust. The occasional cleaning, however, comes highly recommended. Just unplug the charger, wipe the surface of the mat with a moist cloth and let dry.
Mistake 4:Using Incompatible Charging Pads On The Wrong Gadgets
Most official Qi wireless charging pads will detect incompatible batteries and will refuse to charge – something you need to be aware of while shopping around for a pad.
For example, there are charging pads that push out 5 watts of energy and pads that are capable of putting out 15 watts. Most official batteries that need 5 watts won’t work with the 15-watt pads. The only time this will work is when you have a phone that can fast-charge using a 15 watt connection. On the other hand, gadgets requiring 15 watts will charge very slowly using a 5 watt charger – if they charge at all. Some devices even lose their stored charge when paired with an under-powered charger. This is why you need to know the required wattage for charging your gadget before you start shopping around for a Qi wireless charging pad.
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