Question charger getting very hot on Acer Aspire A515-55

[Irle of Biloxi]

I bought an Acer Aspire A515-55, Intel Core i3-1005G1 CPU @ 1.20GHz 1.19 GHz, RAM 8.00 GB (7.78 GB utilizable), Windows 10 Basic, 64 bit. Using Google and Tor webpages. I eliminated Microsoft apps and IE. My battery lasts 3 to 5 hours on a charge but then I plugged in the charger while I continue using it. two minutes after I plug in the charger, it gets really hot. I cannot understand why. I live in Perú, the charging circuit is 220VAC.

 

[AlHuneke]

Does the charger say it is designed for 220VAC? Most are. If you plug in the charger when the machine is turned off, does the charger still get hot? Leave it plugged in overnight on charge and tell me if it is hot in the morning. At the same time, check to see if the laptop is warm.

Maybe you need Tor for political reasons, but it will really slow down browsing. I trust Google even less than MS. FIrefox with DuckDuckGo seems pretty good to me. DDG has a browser addin for Firefox that get rid of almost all trackers and many ads. It breaks a few websites, however.

 

[Irle of Biloxi]

Yes, all chargers for laptops and tablets are universal but the Hertz are different. I can use my laptop anywhere but I know I can't ´protect the equipment from surges without a stabilizer because the surges in electricity, in most third world countries, are not really stable.
When I charge the laptop at night till the next morning there's no overheating of the power adapter/converter nor the laptop. During the charging process and laptop on, the power converter/adaptor overheats but the cables before/after and the laptop are cold to the touch. I feel the 45-watt power adapter is not big enough. The conversion is correct because it charges a 10% battery to 100% in two hours then shut off the charge. But if the laptop is open it takes 4 to five hours. My reason for Tor is not political just don't like persons of non-interest to worry about what's on my laptop nor take things away without my permission. By the way extensions on Firefox doesnt hide your activities, you can still be tracted.

 

[AlHuneke]

I use a VPN to minimize tracking. Tor also does this, but a VPN is much faster (but you have to pay to get a decent one). The extensions for Firefox seem to eliminate most of the trackers. I'm pretty security conscious also and feel pretty good about Firefox+DuckDuckGo addin+VPN but the bad guys are always one step ahead.....

I have seen laptops where the power supply does get pretty hot. You are probably OK if you can pick it up without getting burned. 50vs60 Hz is not an issue. Since things don't get warm when everything is charged and off, I think your HW is probably OK. The charger should contain internal protection such that is can't be damaged by an overload. Keep in mind a surge protector helps against really big spikes (600-800 volts) but won't help if the power rises say 100 volts. In that case the power supply could be damaged.

Does the power supply get too hot to pick up?

 

[Irle of Biloxi]

I use a VPN to minimize tracking. Tor also does this, but a VPN is much faster (but you have to pay to get a decent one). The extensions for Firefox seem to eliminate most of the trackers. I'm pretty security conscious also and feel pretty good about Firefox+DuckDuckGo addin+VPN but the bad guys are always one step ahead.....

I have seen laptops where the power supply does get pretty hot. You are probably OK if you can pick it up without getting burned. 50vs60 Hz is not an issue. Since things don't get warm when everything is charged and off, I think your HW is probably OK. The charger should contain internal protection such that is can't be damaged by an overload. Keep in mind a surge protector helps against really big spikes (600-800 volts) but won't help if the power rises say 100 volts. In that case the power supply could be damaged.

Does the power supply get too hot to pick up?

Sorry to continue on but the charger/ power convertor gets really hot but doesn't burn your hands or the plastic cover would melt. Another Tor is not a VPN service, it's a relay service that works through other independent persons. The Virtual Private Network is a server system that is run by an individual company that, at the request of your local government, will release your visited sites and your privacy is gone. Can we close the thread to just the topic at hand. The hot power convertor on my Acer charging cable? I left it charging while open this morning and after two hours it charged my laptop and turned its convertor off and was cold to touch after about a minute. I think it's just not strong enough to keep up with the amount of power needed to charge while the videos and my virtual classes are running.

 

[AlHuneke]

In the past few years, the charger cases have gotten more compact. A good power supply is perhaps 80-90% efficient. The waste heat is what heats the charger case. A smaller case has to get hotter. A efficient design is more expensive, so that's not a priority. Consequently, the designer expects the supplies to get hot. If it's not too hot to burn you hand, I wouldn't worry about it. You can buy a higher-wattage supply (that meets all the other specs) and it will run cooler.

 

[Irle of Biloxi]

In the past few years, the charger cases have gotten more compact. A good power supply is perhaps 80-90% efficient. The waste heat is what heats the charger case. A smaller case has to get hotter. A efficient design is more expensive, so that's not a priority. Consequently, the designer expects the supplies to get hot. If it's not too hot to burn you hand, I wouldn't worry about it. You can buy a higher-wattage supply (that meets all the other specs) and it will run cooler.

I think you have misunderstood the power supply part. The power converter (the small box between the power cord from the wall and the power cord connected to the laptop is what is getting hot. My power supply is not hot at all.

 

[Irle of Biloxi]

I think you have misunderstood the power supply part. The power converter (the small box between the power cord from the wall and the power cord connected to the laptop is what is getting hot. My power supply is not hot at all.

the cord is connected straight to the wall and since it doesn't lightning nor rain where I live, there's no problem with large power spikes. The spikes are between ten and twenty VAC through the local electrical grid, not enough to put my house on a power supply yet. I use my power supply on my Samsung TV, cable convertor, and printer because of the direct cable connectors. Most tablets, cell phones, and laptops have a surge protection system incorporated.

 

[Irle of Biloxi]

the cord is connected straight to the wall and since it doesn't lightning nor rain where I live, there's no problem with large power spikes. The spikes are between ten and twenty VAC through the local electrical grid, not enough to put my house on a power supply yet. I use my power supply on my Samsung TV, cable convertor, and printer because of the direct cable connectors. Most tablets, cell phones, and laptops have a surge protection system incorporated.

More for billing control than power surges.

 

[AlHuneke]

That little external box is a power supply. It converts the 110/220VAC to +19VDC (or whatever). This is in fact a power supply. Just like the one inside the PC that converts the battery voltage to the various voltages used internally. The design will be rather similar.

 

[AlHuneke]

That little external box is a power supply. It converts the 110/220VAC to +19VDC (or whatever). This is in fact a power supply. Just like the one inside the PC that converts the battery voltage to the various voltages used internally. The design will be rather similar.

Whoops, I didn't read all your posts before I replied. Hang on.

 

[AlHuneke]

So your setup looks like:
Laptop<----Power converter<------AC Wall plug?
If that's the case, what you are calling a power converter is in fact a power supply. Just another name. Sorry for the confusion. I'd like to understand!