LIfePO4 Warning!

eHomer

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 20, 2012
635
164
That thread title gave me a jolt, when I saw it back at the top of the list !

I thought there'd been another instance, not realising it was the old thread resurrected.

It could look very frightening to any new or potential ebike users, and even discourage them from wanting to buy an ebike, which would be a shame.

The crux of that thread (as far as I can see), was the major explosion and extensive garage fire caused by a blatantly incorrectly constructed lithium battery pack, without a "battery management system" circuit to prevent exactly that from happening. (Unbeknown to the buyer, who quite understandably expected a legitimately supplied item to be correctly and safely constructed).

After reading this forum for the past year or so, I've understood the reason why they are crucial, and that all reputable ready made ebikes and almost all reputable battery suppliers always fit them. This particular instance was an ebay seller wiring the cells up himself and then wrapping them up without the crucial BMS safety circuits.

I appreciate that charging or shorting any battery can potentially cause a big explosion, so certain precautions should be taken, but as others have said on here, it's important to not lose faith in these much more efficient ways of using electric power. I've been using cars and boats with lead acid batteries for 50 years, and hi amperage lithium batteries for two years, with no mishaps, and have never personally heard of any, except over the Internet.
 
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Geebee

Esteemed Pedelecer
Mar 26, 2010
1,256
227
Australia
I have a mate who had extensive face surgery and lost most sight in one eye from a lead acid car battery, he lent over the motor and the battery went bang, they never found out why.
Any battery type is storing energy, if it releases to rapidly not nice thing happen.
 

pdarnett

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jul 5, 2013
599
140
Bradford
www.mybigdaydj.co.uk
Didn't mean to startle anyone, just wanted to point out that those dangerously constructed batteries are now on sale again.
 
D

Deleted member 4366

Guest
He never stopped selling them. He started selling them under a new name shortly after that. If anybody lives in Wakefield, they should get the Fire Brigade to investigate the new seller.
 

eHomer

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 20, 2012
635
164
Didn't mean to startle anyone, just wanted to point out that those dangerously constructed batteries are now on sale again.
Absolutely right Paul, I didn't mean to imply anything against you.

The details of this seller's lethal products should be exposed as widely as possible, (and he should be prosecuted IMHO).
 

Tangsoo

Pedelecer
Feb 8, 2014
51
2
58
As daft as it may sound, I charge my batteries in an old fish tank (obviously devoid of water) in the garage wityh a smoke alarm above.
 

eHomer

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 20, 2012
635
164
I looked at all the commercially made options, but wanted something I could charge any size battery in, and cheap to buy.

I ended up sewing a fire blanket into a sack shape, with heavilly reinforced seams. It's very thick and strong, fireproof, and I would imagine it would contain a blast quite well.

A standard fire blanket is quite cheap, and makes a really large bag, easily big enough to hold even lead acid leisure batteries.
 

Fordulike

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 26, 2010
3,802
1,538
I have a mate who had extensive face surgery and lost most sight in one eye from a lead acid car battery, he lent over the motor and the battery went bang, they never found out why.
Any battery type is storing energy, if it releases to rapidly not nice thing happen.
Yeah, you tend to think of lead acid as being fairly harmless.
When I was in the forces, we used to have these massive 12v lead acid batteries to power the equipment in the tanks.
Can't remember the discharge specs, but they were friggin huge and usually paralleled up to 4 batteries.
Many a soldier ended up with melted spanners and KFF*, as the tanks were negatively grounded and the batteries in difficult to access locations and surrounded by metal.

Did remember one dozy idiot, checking the electrolyte levels with his lighter.... BOOM :eek:

*Kentucky Fried Fingers
 

eHomer

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 20, 2012
635
164
When I worked in telephone exchanges, 45 years ago, they were electro-mechanical, rather than electronic or computerised.

Thousands of the mechanical switches, on several floors, all powered by 50 volts DC. This was run around the exchange at ceiling level by huge copper bus bars, carrying thousands of amps.

You could safely touch both bars at once without getting a shock, but if anyone ever accidentally bridged them with a pair of pliers or screwdriver, it instantly melted into a blob of metal... :eek: