Most people know that it’s important to use the correct charger for their mobile phone or laptop. Using a charger that supplies the correct amperage and voltage is essential for the safety of the device and the longevity of the battery.
A lot of people are scared to use a charger that supplies a higher amperage than the original charger. But is it something to be really worried about?
The quick answer is:
As long as the voltage of the charger is correct(same as required), it isn’t high, you can use a charger with higher amperage without any problem. The reason for that is that the circuit inside your mobile phone or laptop controls the amount of amperage entering the battery.
In this article, we will further explore why it is okay to use a higher amp charger and if there are any benefits to using it.
What happens if you use a higher amp charger?
Let’s say your smartphone requires 1 amp or the charger that came with the phone supplies 1 amp, but now you’re using a charger that supplies more amps, maybe even doubles that.
So what will happen? The answer is simple. Your phone will draw 1 amp of power from the charger out of the total and only 1 amp will enter the battery. The rest will not be utilized, but it won’t cause any damage to the battery at all.
If you take an example of a light bulb, if you put a 100-watt bulb in a 60-watt socket, it will still only draw 60 watts of power because it is not designed to draw 100 watts.
The same goes for your phone. It will only try to draw as much power as it needs from the charger.
Can high amperage cause damage?
All modern devices control the amount of power entering the device. If you use a high amperage charger on a device that requires low amps, it will not damage your device.
As long as the correct voltage is used, a device will draw only the amperage it needs.
The only way it can damage the battery is if an incorrect voltage is used, i.e., a higher voltage than the device is rated to accept.
This can result in a high amount of amps drawn into the battery and damage it. This is why it’s critical to use the correct voltage.
Benefit
Now you might wonder if it is fine to use a higher amperage charger. Is there any benefit in doing so? Well, yes, there is. The biggest benefit of using a higher amperage charger is
Fast charging
Everyone wants their device to get charged instantly, and high amperage chargers help in doing so. A higher amperage charger can charge your devices faster compared to a charger with less amperage output.
Now, this doesn’t mean that you should go out and buy a high-amp charger because your phone will charge just as fast as the standard charger that came with it.
It’s also important to know that not all chargers are created equal. Just because a charger has high amps doesn’t mean it’s a good quality charger.
It would help if you always bought your chargers from a reputable source and not some no-name brand off of Amazon.
This also depends on the device too, as mentioned before. Is the phone designed to withdraw that many amps from the charger? Does it support fast charging? If so, then it will charge faster.
Otherwise, as mentioned before, the phone will only let a certain amount of amps enter the battery, and the rest won’t have any effect at all.
Voltage is pushed and current is pulled.
This is what you need to understand: voltage is pushed compared to amperage, which is pulled by the device. You can not push more amps into the device if the voltage is the same. The device will handle that.
The mobile batteries have a controller built-in that ensures the same input to the battery regardless of whether or not the charger’s current rating is greater than needed.
You should choose a charger with a rating of the same voltage, not less nor higher, and a current rating of the same or high to ensure a cooling charging process.
Using a higher amperage charger on a laptop?
Just like with smartphones, you can use a higher amp charger on your laptop without any problem. The same rules apply to laptops as well.
The only thing you need to make sure of is that the voltage of the charger is correct. Most laptop chargers are 19 volts but there are a few that are higher.
If you use a 24-volt charger on a laptop that is rated for 19 volts, it can damage your laptop. So, make sure you use the correct voltage when charging your laptop.
Other than that, you can use a higher amp charger on your laptop without any problem.
The same benefits apply to laptops as well. A higher amp charger might charge your laptop faster and will also keep it refurnished if you are using it while charging which most people do.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is perfectly fine to use a higher amperage charger than what your device originally came with. Just make sure the charger is from a good brand and is in good condition.
Using a charger with a higher amperage will not do as much damage as using a charger with the incorrect voltage, so make sure to check that.