Q: My MacBook charger heats up, is that ok ?
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Jul 1, 2016 2:49 AMby K Shaffer,HelpfulShould there be contributing factors that add a load on the computer,
such as the display brightness set on high, media playing or CPU
usage that would pull more power from the MagSafe adapter, wi-fi
use, & other items running, the power adapter can get rather warm.
The Activity Monitor (utility) and the System Information/System report
could be helpful to see what is using system resources; be they powered
by the Battery or the AC Adapter. By paying attention to these loads &
your choice of settings, you can monitor the system status, & battery life.
Software may be running in the background, too; which could add a load.
And if you had been using the MacBook/Air without a cord for awhile, on
return to the MagSafe adapter, without letting the Mac sit and charge,
the charger would get hotter if also powering the computer & trying to
re-charge the batteries. Almost any combination of user settings & choices
can add up to power demands placed on the MagSafe power adapter.
For example, if you have an antivirus scanning software running, that is
a matter of unnecessary load on the system, and the power adapter will
react to any demands of items in use inside the computer. And get warm.
So anything that can be useful in saving energy when running on battery
can be helpful in maintaining the battery when recharging it. And to over-
charge the battery (multiple cycles of charge/recharge) or let it run flat,
can be detrimental to the battery life and perhaps the charger as well.
A few article links that have detailed & applicable information:
• About Mac notebook batteries - Apple Support
• How to store Apple notebook computers and their batteries - Apple Support
• Apple Portables: Troubleshooting MagSafe adapters - Apple Support
• For additional information, see Apple's batteries website
If there is a technical problem you could contact an Apple Store - Genius or
an Apple authorized service provider to have them inspect or test the unit.
So hopefully the issue is a matter of choosing how to use the MacBook Air
and learning how to ration its limited resources off and on grid. - Also try
to not let the unit sit on surfaces that could retain heat, it is a portable but is
not necessarily a laptop. Avoid sitting unit on surfaces that may insulate it
from shedding excess heat, for example. The /Air needs air to breathe.
Good luck & happy computing!
