ddlstang

My Feedback: (2)

LiPo is a very unstable chemistry, there are several variables that can damage the cells and turn them into a torch.

gloom22

Didn't your smoke detector go off in the shop? It should have woke you up. Lucky you are. Glad your ok.

sailing1

My Feedback: (134)

I share your pain and know what you mean about the mess when you damn near burn your house down. In my case it was two serperate Turnegy chargers into two two small 2200 turnegy batteries, charging rate only 1 amp, but that was enough. One of the batteries tourched and no I did not have a balance tap on the batterythat probably would have prevented it. I was in the house and smelled the acid. Opened the garage door and the whole 3 car garage was so thick with smoke I could barely see. Knew immediatly what it was though and in that life passing before your eyes moment, how stupid I was. But I also was lucky as I had taken one and only one positive safety measure I was charging in a charge safe bag and the fire was contained in the bag. Yanked the power cord, grabbed the bag with a piar of channel locks and threw the mess on the front drive and used the trusty CO2 bottle plus a powder bottle as well. And Andy is right about the mess.

So I pitched anything that even looks like a cheap charger and got rid of any battery that didn't have a balance lead. Then I purchased two new high dollar chargers that have programed time settings, ballance taps to fit everything and temp probes. Then I bought two new charge safe bags and thanked the man upstairs for giving me another chance.

rhklenke

My Feedback: (24)

Even with all that, you better not charge them unattended!

Bob

flyallday

Thank God it burned itself out. I too was guilty of charging right on my workbench with flammables all over the place and then occasionally checking during commercials. I decided to make a charging station that I could either place near me or just take it outside while charging. Also put a smoke detector nearby for a little extra safety. Store the lipos outside in a grill. Call me paranoid, so be it.

Harry

rcjetsaok

My Feedback: (7)

This may sound kinda stupid, but I have charged mine in the Toaster Oven in my trailer.. I don't make toast in it, may as well use it for something !!! If I ever have a fire, I'll just take it back to Walmart and tell them they owe me a new Toaster Oven and a Loaf of Bread !!!!


Danno

TimWatson

This was a nasty situation and I am glad it was not worse. I have to say however that it is not always that simple to charge your lipos out of the plane given that very offten they are 'burried' in the nose of the plane and are very inaccessble. Also with the amount of charging to be done before a flying session if you are taking several planes. Being in attendance is also not that easy

Taz_Hobbies

My Feedback: (15)

Anyone else notice all the splices, adapters and quick connectors on these leads? I am sorry for the damage, but you said this charger "should" be able to charge 4 batteries at once and you were charging at "full capacity". I am not sure what exactly that means, but in my experience, every one of the joints or connections is a bottleneck or resistance point. Add that to the quick connectors, the homemade dual and triple battery charging harness (at least they look fabricated), the close proximity to flammable items, this looks like a disaster waiting to happen.

I see one harness in the foreground above that looks like you can hook three (3) batts to one output lead from the charger! That alone looks scary and is likley not within the manufacturers specificaions for charging. Also, you have a pigtail on the middle right side that is a cluster of exposed leads, I see what looks like a 1/4" photo style plug possibly a TRX style plug and what looks to be a male deans ALL unprotected and laying together in a heap. That alone could be the source of the short, it may not even have been a bad battery.

Again, I am sorry you had this experience, and I am glad it wasn't worse, but from this arrangement you have, a disaster was just about guaranteed.

TimWatson

Those multi charge leads are very readily available and are used my many people myself included. The bare ends are indeed a concern. They actually come with protectors that would prevent shorts but these soon get lost in my opinion

Taz_Hobbies

My Feedback: (15)

I have been in the hobby for almost 32 years and I do not doubt your word, but I have NEVER seen any commercially produced charger with scotch-locks (quick connectors / snap connectors) on the battery leads. I sell Hyperion, Venom, Tenergy, Racer's Edge and many other chargers and have never seen a single one with scotch-locks on the leads, ever. That is an end user mod and likely voids any warranty for charger & battery and is a huge risk.

gunradd

My Feedback: (9)

Charging a lipo without balancing is like throwing a match on a fire.

This is why all your good chargers dont allow you to charge without the balance taps hooked up.

ddennison

My Feedback: (15)

Andy,

Sorry to hear this news.

Your post does serve us all to be reminded of the risks when charging.

This has no doubt brought some eleveated awareness to this topic and will hopefully prevent more issues for other people.

It is never fun to re-live the bad stuff that happens but it is smarter to share it as others will learn hopefully without suffering through the same problem. Thanks for sharing.

DD

Tony Iannucelli

My Feedback: (193)

That Hobby King harness (which generally works fine) may have been an issue. I accidentally mixed a high capacity nimh -car battery- on one line and a low capacity (flight pack) on another.... one feed the other, burned the low capacity battery which was in a plane (flightpack), and caught the plane on fire. Took about five minutes for me to recognize the mistake, as I went in the house for a coffee refill. By the time I got back I saw and smelled the fire. Gotta keep THINKING all the time.

avidflyguy

My Feedback: (48)

i had a flying buddy that had a lipo fire last fall, he said he normally sticks around the shop while the packs are charging to monitor the lipos, he stepped outside for a minute to his van to get something and bring it inside the shop, he came back inside only about a minute later and his lipo he was charging had flames shooting out of it 2-3 feet and caught a bunch of stuff on fire on his bench, tried to get it put out without any luck, he called the fire dept and they responded fairly quickly(only about 1/2 mile away) he lost nearly everything in the shop with significant smoke and water damage. the lipos nearly cost this person a home. after my buddy had that experience, i have since gotten rid/sold everything i have that is powered by lipo batteries, no more electrics for me. i'll stick to my glow and gas powered stuff. my home is far more important than any lipo powered equipment

Carsten Groen

Glad no one got hurt!
What did your friend do wrong since the batteries decided to ignite ?
I'm still convinced that IF you treat the LiPo's right, they will not "suddenly out of nowhere" explode on you.
If you put a flame near gas, then it will explode...it all comes down to common sense...treat a LiPo wrong, and it will bite you...

hsukaria

I charge my lipos out of the plane and with a balance charger and keep an eye on them. My questions are:
1. Is it good enough to place the batteries in an ammo box with the lid slightly open for the wires to connect to the balancers?
2. Would it help to use the temp sensors that are available as a safety measure?

After all I heard/read, I think I should move my charging out of the house.

Harold Staats

I have heard so many bad reports of lipo charging that I never charge them when I am not in the shop with them.
I have never even have on get warm while charging. I have learned that I do not have to make all the mistakes myself.
Thanks for helping us learn from your mistake.

Eagle Driver

why are not using one of this .....
over here they are sold as a transportable fire protection case for urgent papers
and you can get them very cheap at walmart .... around 50 US$



[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGZJjRs1k6w&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

NeilRivera

First rule of charging lipos is to NEVER leave them unattended ! I always remove mine from the airplane before recharging and always place them in a lipo safe charge bag. The ammo box might be useful too but be very careful- I know of an incident where a fellow flier was using an ammo box to store his lipos and as he closed the lit it pinched the balance wires and destroyed the batteries. He found out the next time he opened it up ! I am glad you are ok and that no one was hurt as this could have been a disaster...

lopflyers

My Feedback: (12)

Oh my God, overnight! You and your family could be dead by now. You have an angel watching over you[X(]

raptureboy

But it's a plastic box. Looks good but what are you going to do when it's on fire? It's time for some real safe way to store and charge these little devils. I don't think the industry has done enough to drive home how dangerous these things can be if not treated with the greatest of care. There are too many people who go into a Hobbytown or wherever and buy an electric plane or helicopter that comes with a charger and they have no idea just how dangerous these batteries can be. I myself get a little careless or complacent with charging and just because it has not been a problem today doesn't mean it won't be a problem tomorrow. Chargers can fail, batteries can fail, any part of the system can fail. I still see guys reaching over their props to take off the glow igniter, or tune and I think to myself; DUMB Thanks to the OP for sharing your mistake and helping us all, I hope, to be safe and be smart.

Jetmodeler

Dang Andy,
if it can happen to you it can happen to any of us. Monday morning quarterbacks can say all they want, but bottom line sharing your experience really drives home just how important the basics are, and always be prepare for the fire to happen, cause it really does happen. Thanks for sharing.
Jim

P. Richards

My Feedback: (3)

It may not be over yet especially how you cleaned it up. Those are very hazardous materials and if you were exposed to some of those toxic fumes, it could cause some long term health issues. Guys any time that you have a Lipo fire inside your house or garage, you should consider calling a professional Haz Mat company to collect, clean and dispose of these materials properly. They usually wear a full chemical suit with respirator, when cleaning up these toxic chemicals. I understand that it may have been just one pack, but I would rather be safe than sorry. And nope I have not had a Lipo fire...

P. Richards aka SwatTeam

AndyAndrews

Yeah, we used respirators and everything was taken out of the garage and scrubbed down with soapy water.

Hnorth

Whooh-whee! Andy! I say you are very fortunate! I'm glad that everything came out O.K, scares the bageebers out of me!