What to do if the iPhone charger is too hot?

A netizen asked: The charging head of the Apple iPhone 6 Plus gets super hot when charging. Is there a problem? There are so many problems with charging explosions. How can I check if my charging head has a problem?

Why does the charger get hot? Is there a problem?

It is normal for the charger to heat up when charging a mobile phone. This is related to the current intensity of the charger output and the ambient temperature. With the popularity of smart phones, the requirements for chargers are getting higher and higher. The 500mA charger in the era of feature phones can no longer meet the user's demand for charging speed. Therefore, we see that the current of common chargers is above 1A, and many chargers have reached 2A.

In addition to the increase in current, the size of the charger is also a problem. For ease of carrying, people tend to prefer smaller chargers. However, as the size gets smaller, the heat dissipation performance will deteriorate, and the requirements for electronic components will also become higher. Take capacitors for example. While keeping the capacity unchanged, high-voltage capacitors are getting smaller and smaller in size, and they need to be better in terms of voltage and temperature resistance. Insufficient voltage resistance will cause the capacitor to break down, and insufficient temperature resistance will cause the capacitor to explode.

In addition, the high temperature of the charger is also closely related to the switching tube of the charger. If the specifications of the switching tube are not high, then when the current passes through, more heat will be generated.

The components that generate a lot of heat in the charger are: high-voltage capacitors, switch tubes, and high-frequency transformers. The temperatures of these three components are quite high. It is not difficult to reduce the temperature of these three components. Generally speaking, when the output current remains unchanged, the power of the high-frequency transformer is relatively large, and the temperature is much lower when a high-power high-frequency transformer is used. Simply put, it is to give it extra power, just like a big car pulling a small object without effort. Of course, it is easier to dissipate heat from the switch tube, as long as it is equipped with enough heat sinks. However, due to volume limitations, it is impossible to reduce the heat generation. Therefore, the heating of the charger is inevitable.

Of course, the above only refers to the situation where the genuine charger generates heat. If it is a copycat charger, then it is a different matter. The stability of the output voltage of the copycat charger itself is not as good as the original charger, which will cause problems such as slow charging and severe heating of the charger.

Why can't you use a knockoff charger?

As we mentioned earlier, there are many electronic components inside the charger, and its principle is to convert 220V AC into about 5V DC through a rectifier bridge, and then charge the mobile phone through the data cable. In this process, if the input 220V AC breaks down the rectifier bridge and the switch tube, and the short-circuit protection and insulation of the charger itself happen to fail, then the charger may directly output 220V AC to the data cable and the mobile phone, causing an accident.

From the appearance, there is no difference between the original and the knockoff chargers, but after disassembling, the difference is obvious, and the original charger is much safer. From the design point of view, the original charger has circuit protection and is filled with glue inside, which can improve the heat dissipation and insulation of the charger. These are important ways to improve the safety of the charger, but the knockoff charger basically does not have them.

At the same time, in addition to the charger itself, the data cables provided by the original and the knockoffs are also very different. The original data cable uses about 20 copper core wires, and even if a current of 1-2 amperes passes through it, it will not get too hot, which is relatively safe. The knockoff data cable basically has only 7 copper core wires, and its ability to pass current is only one-third of the original data cable.

In addition, some data cables are inherently fragile. After being used for a long time, the connector that connects to the mobile phone may become exposed. If the exposed wire happens to be the live wire that needs to pass a 220-volt voltage, then the user may accidentally get an electric shock when using the mobile phone to make a call in this case.

So when you find that your charger is overheating, the editor suggests that you confirm whether you are using the original charger. If it is an original charger, then you don’t need to worry too much. If it is a copycat charger, then the editor suggests that you slowly unplug it, then open the window, aim outside the window, charge, and go~~ Congratulations, your safety alarm is lifted.

How to avoid overheating of the charger

After eliminating the problem of fake chargers, the rest is relatively simple. We know that even if the original charger is used, there will still be severe heating. So how can we avoid this situation as much as possible? In fact, it is also very simple. The heating of the charger is actually related to the output current intensity and the ambient temperature. So we can start from these two points to find a way to solve the problem.

First, we can charge it in a cool environment

If your phone charger is overheating, it is best to charge it in a cool environment in the summer, such as an air-conditioned room. This way the phone charger will not get too hot.

Secondly, don’t play with your phone while it’s charging.

If you play with your phone while it is charging, it will inevitably cause the charger to overheat, because the charger will have to work for a longer period of time than normal, which is not good for the charger and will also reduce the life of the charger.

Also, don't overcharge.

Generally, the original mobile phone charger can be fully charged in about 3 hours. Do not continue charging after it is fully charged, otherwise it will cause the charger to overload and overheat. Remember to unplug the charger in time.

Also be careful of surrounding heat sources.

When charging a mobile phone, the charger should be placed away from heat sources, such as gas stoves, steamers, etc., to prevent the ambient temperature from being too high and causing the charger to overheat.

Finally, reduce the number of charging times

If you charge the charger multiple times a day, it will cause the charger to overheat, so we should control the number of times we charge it. Generally, charging it once every one or two days will help extend the life of the charger.

Finally, I would like to introduce a little trick to make the iPhone charger not heat up. I found it on the Internet and have not tested it. The method is very simple. If you feel that the charger is hot when charging, you can reverse the interface of the data cable. Then the charger will not be so hot, or even not hot at all. Isn't it quite simple? Friends who are good at it can test it. If it works well, remember to reply in the follow-up post.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.