Why is my NEC PA-1650-37N PA-1650-3JN ADP001 PC-VP-BP87 OP-520-76428 LaVie Z LZ550 power adapter getting super hot?

When a NEC  PA-1650-37N  laptop power AC adapter is plugged in to a laptop and the laptop is turned on, you will notice the adapter may be warm to the touch. The more the laptop gets used, the warmer the AC adapter may become. A relatively warm power adapter is normal, especially when the laptop is being used and the battery is being charged.

However, if the NEC  PA-1650-37N  Adapter Charger is quite hot, that it could hurt your hand after touching it for just a few seconds, this is a potential problem. Sometimes the heat coming out is so powerful that it even melts the casing itself in case of chargers or melts the things we keep closer to it. We less often care about heat comes from charging adapters than from the machine itself. While the laptop temperature depends on the workload, battery type, and the cooling measures of the design, overheating of laptop chargers are also related to these factors. An adapter that hot is a warning sign that something could be wrong with the adapter or the laptop.

Before we try to fix the overheating of chargers, we need to know why it is getting overly heated. We’ll discuss some of the aspects where chargers can be overheated.
Laptop chargers consist of an electronic circuit that converts analog current into direct current of suitable power and voltage. It involves rectification, switching and filtering which are done by diodes and semiconductor IC’s. The switching IC’s or transistors are the most heating parts as they handle most power. The whole circuit board is usually enclosed in a plastic casing generally with no ventilation or cooling fans. This is why chargers tend to heat even at low workloads. There are many reasons why a charging SMPS adapter overheats:
Some laptop comes with batteries that draw too much current to charge. If the charging current is greater than the rated current of the charger, there is a risk that you will burn the charger and battery. It’s better to replace your battery if this is the case. In order to verify that the battery is causing the problem, remove the battery from the Notebook and power on the notebook with charger plugged in. If it behaves normally, problem is with the battery.

CHECK ADAPTER

The first thing to check is whether the laptop battery is gaining any charge with the adapter plugged into an outlet. If it is, then the issue is most likely with the AC adapter itself. If the battery is not charging, there could be an issue with the power connection in the laptop, as well as the NEC PA-1650-37N adapter.

Also, check the end of the adapter cord that connects to the laptop, as well as the power connection on the NEC laptop, for any possible damage. This damage may include a bent pin inside the connector or bend/break marks in the metal jacket of the connector. If you notice any damage, replace the NEC PA-1650-37N adapter or have the laptop repaired.

If you notice the NEC  PA-1650-37N  Adapter is very hot, turn off your computer and unplug the power adapter from the wall outlet. Let it cool down completely, then plug it back in to the wall outlet and turn on the laptop. Monitor the temperature of the adapter for a while and if it becomes hot again, take the laptop and power adapter to a computer repair shop and have them check it. An issue like this is not something you want to ignore, as it could cause serious damage to a laptop or even potentially start a fire.

What to Do

 

Replacing the Charger

If your NEC PA-1650-37N charger ever becomes so hot that it can melt other items, is too hot to hold or becomes a fire risk, it's time to replace your charger. With regular use, chargers -- like other electronic devices -- wear away certain components, which results in malfunction. If the charger or transformer becomes too hot and malfunctions, it could result in excess voltage ruining your laptop. Since you don't want a chargermalfunction to affect your laptop, it's best to disconnect an excessively heated charger and bring it to a computer repair store for evaluation and possible replacement.

REPLACED BATTERY

If your laptop charger is heating up during charging after replacing the battery, the battery must be of a different rating. It happens sometimes that batteries of same serial number is manufactured with different rating. For Eg, the NEC  PA-1650-37N battery is available asNEC  PA-1650-37N  Long Life Notebook Battery with extended backup. This might draw excess current than rated current of NEC PA-1650-37N charger which would cause overheating.
Additionally, if you have melting the charger tip specifically, it should be a problem of  high resistance caused by poor connection between the charging socket/port and the charger pin. If you have any dirt or corrosion on the pin of the charger, try to clean it up. If it doesn’t work, you can get your NEC PA-1650-37N charger pin or tip replaced without costing too much.

If you have checked all the above things, and your laptop charger keeps overheating, it is time for you to consult a technician.