Recently here in the UK, we saw the switch to British Summer Time, a sure sign that better weather is on the way (even in London). But there is still a chance of a cold snap and our valuable studio gear does not like changes in temperature. Steve Sande writing for the OWC blog takes up the story.
Cold weather can affect parts of the Northern Hemisphere as late into the year as April or even May and 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.
Let Them Warm Up
Let’s say you just received a new gadget, and it’s been sitting on your front porch for four hours after delivery in subzero temperatures. Sure, you’d love to unbox it and get to work right away. Our suggestion? Let everything come up to room temperature slowly first.
Hard drives are especially susceptible to issues when they’re 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.
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 — you can’t see through the resulting fog on your lenses.
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.
The fix? Don’t 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.
Fortunately, we’re seeing a lot more Solid State Drives these days, and they’re 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’ve been warmed to a temperature of 0°C (32°F) or above.
Batteries And Low Temperatures
Here’s another thing to keep in mind if you’re ever out in the cold and want to charge your iPhone, iPad or MacBook. The Lithium-ion batteries found in many current consumer mobile electronic devices cannot be charged at temperatures below 0°C (32°F) without causing damage.
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.
The solution? Don’t charge your electronic devices at temperatures below freezing and you’ll be OK.
Not Sure If It’s Too Cold? Check Your Specs
One final word of caution. If you’re 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.
The MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, for example, can be stored in temperatures from -13° to 113°F (-25 to 45°C), but only used in temperatures between 50° to 95°F (10° to 35°C). An iPhone can operate in a wider range — 32° to 95°F (0 to 35°C), and can withstand non-operating temperatures between -4° and 113°F (-20° to 45°C).