Why I never charge batteries while I am not able to monitor them.

[stevewilko]

"People just need to be aware they need to be really vigilant when they're charging lithium-ion batteries, they shouldn't ever be overcharged, they should in fact be disconnected from the charge when it's reached maximum charge,"

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-17/qld-lithium-ion-battery-fires-risk/101428618
I have a lot of rechargeable equipment now.
I used the last large 7v torch, down to AA batteries, maybe 2 years ago.

Now I have many, maybe 10 pieces of solar recharged equipment some with DC power conversion to 240v, that I monitor because this is an increasing opportunity " to loose the red steer"

Check your fire extinguishers etc as well.

Regards Wilko.

 

[user 22230]

Yep been quite a few times as I've walked out the door said to self "nup" and gone back in and turned charging batteries off. Don't like how hot some get whilst charging and don't trust them. They say lithiun batteries are much lighter ? LIGHTER may be 100% correct

 

[Ridge Runner]

A lot these batteries that catch fire are mainly from cheap internet stores, and quite a few of them can't / shouldn't be charged in 40 to 50* Temps, In 40* while charging they can reach over 65/70* which is beyoned the point of no return,

Good quality SoGens have Fans inside and their chargers are also fan cooled, I have others that don't have fans but when they are built properly when put on charge their temperature will not rise even One Degree regardless of the weather,

As for the portable Lanterns I use due to the massive run times it is pointless to even use rechargeable batteries because their run times are such that it would cost more to keep recharging the batteries to match the run times of disposable batteries than it would to buy one set of disposable batteries, I also have fuelled Lanterns as backups but as yet I have never needed them,

I have spent a small fortune on testing and I have been doing tests for the past 18 months and for once I have found one of the very few Items that actually works the way we dream about instead of finding that they don't even match the wild claims written on the Boxes.

 

[Hawkear]

I think I trashed a 5000 Lithium battery once by leaving it on charge too long. Back then I used to put my battery on charge as soon as I got back to my on-site caravan and leave it there until my next trip out which could be next day, or next week if I went back to my house.
Ended up only holding only 1 to 2 hours charge.

 

[allcables]

Lithium batteries and there in built charge controllers (BMS) or ok, but the old rule of thumb you get what you pay for

 

[Moneybox]

It's a risk most of us take every day. My nephew with his wife and child were sleeping peacefully when he was woken by the mobile phone explosion in the lounge. By the time he got to it he could do nothing but get the family out. Somebody took a photo of him standing in the front yard stark naked spraying the house with a garden hose. The fire brigade arrived quickly and extinguished the blaze but the house had to be demolished.

 

[sam-u-al]

It's a risk most of us take every day. My nephew with his wife and child were sleeping peacefully when he was woken by the mobile phone explosion in the lounge. By the time he got to it he could do nothing but get the family out. Somebody took a photo of him standing in the front yard stark naked spraying the house with a garden hose. The fire brigade arrived quickly and extinguished the blaze but the house had to be demolished.

What was the make of the phone?

 

[grubstake]

What was the make of the phone?

Sounds like it might have been a Molotov!

 

[Moneybox]

I think I remember him saying it was a Samsung but I can't be sure. It happed a year or so back in an old wooden house in Biloela that they'd renovated.

 

[condor22]

My analogy for charging batteries is, "Would you leave a casserole on the stove cooking and go out for the day?"
Pretty well every portable device we use at this time has lithium rechargeable batteries in one form or another.

Before I go to bed, I turn off my mobile, laptop and any other device, but I also turn off the power point in which the chargers are plugged.

The only exception I allow is the caravan solar controller charging the batteries. Why, I have good quality batteries and chargers. The battery's internal BMS stops overcharging and the controller or chargers have lithium profiles that also monitor charge rate. When on mains power, I'm there to manage other battery charging.

 

[condor22]

As an aside, My list of rechargables when away; 2 x mobiles, laptop, tablet, detector, GPX headphones, TV headphones, shaver, toothbrush, Ryobi 18V (for drill, vacuum, LED light), handheld UHF, 10k mAh power bank.

They all charge from the van batteries at 12V or 5V except the shaver, toothbrush and Ryobi. They can all charge from a 150W inverter. So it's all low voltage and low current, but all done with me usually present.

The best time to charge is during daytime when solar is driving the chargers, however, the total draw is so low that this is not critical.

 

[Nightjar]

As an aside, My list of rechargables when away; 2 x mobiles, laptop, tablet, detector, GPX headphones, TV headphones, shaver, toothbrush, Ryobi 18V (for drill, vacuum, LED light), handheld UHF, 10k mAh power bank.

They all charge from the van batteries at 12V or 5V except the shaver, toothbrush and Ryobi. They can all charge from a 150W inverter. So it's all low voltage and low current, but all done with me usually present.

The best time to charge is during daytime when solar is driving the chargers, however, the total draw is so low that this is not critical.

Thanks for the advice Condor.
How did we survive going prospecting in the old Holden ute (one battery), camp stretcher, tarp for cover if it rained, solar bag shower, bristle tooth brush and a trusty 39L yellow Engel.

 

[condor22]

True NJ, shows how lazy we've got, the more things that get automatic or portable lol. Reminds me of the old saying "The only difference between a man and a boy is the price of his toys.