1 Introduction2 How to Keep Your Laptop Cool in a Hot Car2.1 Keep Your Laptop in an Insulated Bag Pack2.2 Switch Your Laptop Off2.3 Allow Your Device to Ventilate2.4 Don’t Force the Cooling Down Process2.5 Back Up Your Data3 Other Considerations4 Final Words
For these reasons, it is important to know how you can keep your laptop cool inside a hot car. If you must leave your computer in the car, it is best to put it in the trunk since the temperature there is the lowest. Under no circumstances should you leave your laptop on the front seat, this where the chances of it getting overheated are the highest .
How to Keep Your Laptop Cool in a Hot Car
Keep Your Laptop in an Insulated Bag Pack
First of all, getting a nice laptop bag is a worthwhile investment. It makes mobility a breeze and if you get one with an insulated pocket, it will really help keep your laptop cool in the summer, especially if you have to leave it in your car. These pockets also provide protection against road bumps and water. However, you need to be careful when choosing the color. Dark colors do not provide protection against heat. The same goes for cell phones and tablets, if you have several devices on you then it is a good idea to use a cooler bag without cooling cartridges.
Switch Your Laptop Off
You should turn your computer off completely if you plan on leaving it in the car. Electronic devices continue to generate heat in standby mode and the risk of overheating multiplies. If for some reason you need to leave your computer on, at least put it in airplane mode since the device functionality then goes down resulting in less heat production overall.
Allow Your Device to Ventilate
The ventilation system of laptops is usually present on the side or on the underside. Regardless of whether you are in a car or indoors, you should always be careful not to cover up the ventilation. If your machine is off inside a car, then it won’t generate any heat so at that point you can leave it in your bag pack. However, if it is turned on, you need to make sure there is ample room for ventilation.
Don’t Force the Cooling Down Process
If your laptop has been in the heat for the entire day, you should allow it to naturally cool down to room temperature. If you take your device inside an air-conditioned room too quickly, condensation can form on the inside. Under no circumstances should you put a device that has become very hot or has already switched itself off in the refrigerator: electronic devices such as laptops cannot tolerate large temperature differences.
Back Up Your Data
If your laptop is often exposed to higher temperatures, you should regularly back up your photos and other data. An external hard drive that remains in an air-conditioned room can be useful for this. Most manufacturer warranties do not cover damage caused by heat.
Other Considerations
If you are planning a beach holiday, you should know that in addition to the heat, you will also encounter sand which is damaging for laptops. So, while you’re out on the beach, it is best to leave your device indoors. If you do plan on taking it with you, make sure that you only use it while you’re away from the water and always have it covered when you’re done using it. If for some reason you use your computer for navigation purposes inside a car, keep in mind that it can get really hot directly behind the windshield. Additionally, the corresponding programs put a lot of stress on the devices. Therefore, switch on the air conditioning and if possible, use it in the back seat, away from the windshield.
Final Words
Have you ever seen people frying eggs on the hood of their car in the summer? Solar panels for hot water production work in a similar fashion. Water is heated in a pipe under a pane of glass (similar to a greenhouse). So, if the computer has a matt black housing and if the closed car does not have the AC on, your laptop will get hot pretty quick. Higher temperatures can lead to an increased self-discharge of the battery and the device will also age faster. A heated device should not be switched on because it does not have a cooling mechanism. In the worst case, a black computer in a locked car can get so hot in the blazing sun that the housing warps. Since the materials used have different coefficients of expansion, even cracks may occur. It’s a good idea to leave your computer at home instead of leaving it in your car. However, when you run into that situation, just follow the steps mentioned in this article and your laptop will be fine!
