PSA: The freezer trick I tried to fix a swollen lithium battery pack actually worked

I had a laptop battery pack from a 2018 Dell that was swollen but still holding a charge. A guy in a Facebook group swore you could shrink a swollen pouch cell back by freezing it for 24 hours. I figured it was a waste of time but I tried it anyway with a ziplock bag and a normal freezer. To my surprise it flattened out maybe 80 percent and the laptop even ran stable for two more weeks before I replaced it. Has anyone else tried extreme temperature methods on lithium cells or am I asking for trouble down the road?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_rowan3d ago

Wait, you mean freezing actually worked? I always thought that was total bro science, but now I'm kind of rethinking everything I knew about battery hacks.

finley_smith3d agoMost Upvoted

Freezing really just temporarily masks a worn out battery.

bell.jessica3d agoTop Commenter

I mean it kind of works but it's not really a fix, just a short term trick.