Is my laptop battery dead?

I have a Dell Inspiron 1526 that's 11 months old. I keep it plugged into AC and seldom unplug it to use elsewhere. For two days now, the battery indicater says 4 percent available, not charging, plugged in. It was hot, so I turned it off and it cooled down, but still same reading. My questions: 1. Is the battery dead? 2. How long should a battery last (I'm using Dell-recommended power settings)? 3. Can I use the computer indefinitely without a battery, just plugged into AC? Thanks, as always.

 

It sounds like the charger is not working.

A laptop battery usually lasts between 2 and 3 years. 11 months does seem like something else might be wrong. Check to see how long your battery is covered. It might be for a year, in which case you could get a new battery to rule out a problem with the battery.