Battery charging/storage safety box

[Wilbur]

Anyone found a good solution that doesn't cost $3000 (like the Dutch boxes)?
Old filing cabinet or decommissioned oven? I'm thinking an oven would be good - heat proof and accessible - add vents and a charging port... bada bom.

 

[Wilbur]

So I guess everyone is just ignoring the (potentially) explosive lithium elephant in the room...

 

[Paulquattro]

So I guess everyone is just ignoring the (potentially) explosive lithium elephant in the room...

Correct LOL

 

[Wilbur]

Hope it works out...

 

[Paulquattro]

Hope it works out...

You will find most ebike battery fires are caused by cheap unregulated batteries and chargers
The big manufacturers have good fail safes built in and use quality components
also do you own a Phone , Laptop and many other consumer products running lithium ion batteries if so do you worry about putting them in a safe place to charge , they can all potentially burn on or off charge
I also take it your not the owner of an EV and check the car park you park in for one before leaving your own car in the carpark
My point is you cant worry about everything and if it concerns you that much maybe you should not have any batteries in your life .

 

[Wilbur]

I'm not sure most fires are due to 'cheap' batteries. Samsung phones batteries, Sony laptop batteries etc aren't exactly cheap by definition and they have been implicated in many fires. A neighbor of a friend in my town had their new Range Rover PHEV burn their house down recently.
My point is the risk may be low, but the consequences are huge... Safe battery handling and storage practices seem like a no brainer.

 

[Paulquattro]

I'm not sure most fires are due to 'cheap' batteries. Samsung phones batteries, Sony laptop batteries etc aren't exactly cheap by definition and they have been implicated in many fires. A neighbor of a friend in my town had their new Range Rover PHEV burn their house down recently.
My point is the risk may be low, but the consequences are huge... Safe battery handling and storage practices seem like a no brainer.

You have just cemented what I said
My point is why just pick on the ebike battery are you going to put everything you own with a lithium ion battery in a charge box if not why worry about it .

 

[Bones]

Range rovers have a habit of setting themselves on fire. There's a strong rumour it was one that set the Luton airport car park ablaze.
My traffic cop mate had a fancy BMW set itself on fire whilst idling with all its lights on.

 

[Wilbur]

You have just cemented what I said
My point is why just pick on the ebike battery are you going to put everything you own with a lithium ion battery in a charge box if not why worry about it .

Risk reduction. Same reason people choose to wear FF helmets and googles, but not elbow pads.

You can reduce your exposure to small device fires by not charging them overnight, unplugging them after charging, using a fire-proof wallet, not charging next to curtains/bedding etc. And if you are lucky/unlucky enough to be around when your phone explodes, you can probably contain it. Ain't no containing an ebike battery fire.

 

[RiderOnTheStorm]

Safe battery handling and storage practices seem like a no brainer.

Definitely. Take a look at this other thread on the forum which touches on the topic extensively

Do's and Don'ts for e-bike battery care. What do you do to keep your battery performing at its best?

To squeeze more useful cycles out of my battery, I've been fine tuning my charging routine based on all your helpful tips and inputs 🍻 thanks! So here goes, 🆕 SUGGESTED E-BIKE BATTERY CHARGING BEST PRACTICES ✅ Charge to 80% before most rides, or charge to 100% just before a long ride. After...

www.emtbforums.com

 

[Wilbur]

Definitely. Take a look at this other thread on the forum which touches on the topic extensively

Do's and Don'ts for e-bike battery care. What do you do to keep your battery performing at its best?

To squeeze more useful cycles out of my battery, I've been fine tuning my charging routine based on all your helpful tips and inputs 🍻 thanks! So here goes, 🆕 SUGGESTED E-BIKE BATTERY CHARGING BEST PRACTICES ✅ Charge to 80% before most rides, or charge to 100% just before a long ride. After...

www.emtbforums.com

Good discussion- storing a battery below 80% is not only better in terms cell degradation; it's also less risky in terms of cell malfunction. Do you have a charging/storage box?

 

[cozzy]

This is the first news story I've seen of a proper ebike catching fire whilst charging, as opposed to a cheap pos from china.
A Haibike with a Yamaha motor.
I've generally been pretty blasé about charging mine, in the lounge overnight on cheap rate electricity.

E-bike fire in Southend kills cat and destroys house

A family say they are devastated after an e-bike "exploded" in their house in Essex.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[steve_sordy]

Step Number One was to buy a branded bike from a reputable supplier.
Step Number Two was not to dick about with faster chargers.
Step Number Three was not to dick about with spoofing the motor or software to get a faster assist speed.
After that I'm in the lap of the Gods.

The only other thing I can do is to put my charger on a concrete floor as far away from anything else as the cables will allow. So that's the charger taken care of. The battery however, stays in the bike! If that goes off, not only will I lose the bike, but probably the garage as well.

I suppose I could put a smoke alarm in the garage, but I doubt I would hear it; too many closed doors, solid walls & floors between me and it.

All we need now is for our buildings & contents insurers to load the premiums if we have a e-bike on the premises!

 

[RiderOnTheStorm]

Do you have a charging/storage box?

For winter storage, I keep all my batteries in fireproof/lipo bags at room temperature and charged at 50%.

When charging, I'm never far away from the bike or battery so I can keep an eye on them. I preset a charging time based on % charge needed before a ride e.g. charging 2hr to reach 80% charge. I always unplug the charger when done and don't overcharge the battery.

I only use OEM chargers (2A or 4A) in a dry and well-ventilated/cool area at they tend to get hot. And only trust OEM quality batteries that I've purchased new.

So far so good!

 

[alancube]

New to all this but have charged my my Bosch 750 battery and have not noticed it get warm at all? It's definitely charged as it will display 100% once fitted back on the bike.

 

[Wilbur]

New to all this but have charged my my Bosch 750 battery and have not noticed it get warm at all? It's definitely charged as it will display 100% once fitted back on the bike.

They will get a little warm during charging (insulated by the covers so you don't really feel it). Fires happen when a cell goes into thermal runaway, which rapidly spread to neighbouring cells...

 

[Giff]

Step Number One was to buy a branded bike from a reputable supplier.
Step Number Two was not to dick about with faster chargers.
Step Number Three was not to dick about with spoofing the motor or software to get a faster assist speed.
After that I'm in the lap of the Gods.

The only other thing I can do is to put my charger on a concrete floor as far away from anything else as the cables will allow. So that's the charger taken care of. The battery however, stays in the bike! If that goes off, not only will I lose the bike, but probably the garage as well.

I suppose I could put a smoke alarm in the garage, but I doubt I would hear it; too many closed doors, solid walls & floors between me and it.

All we need now is for our buildings & contents insurers to load the premiums if we have a e-bike on the premises!

Shhhh…they don’t need any more excuses!

 

[Tribey]

OP do you charge your phone in a fire proof box?
The house fires from charging I have seen all feature DIY ebikes or cheap Chinese e-scooters.

 

[Guyt]

a great article o the topic:

https://www.theatlantic.com/technol...22Cgb6omgXPLB5cyFRNm620cYpUgVQ-4rfs5T2M3c8sS4

 

[jackamo]

This reminds me of the paranoia a good few years ago with CreeX2 bike lights.
1 catches fire because it was a cheap fake import and the story just kept rolling ......
The fact its thst hardly any of the 100s of 1000s of ebikes manufactured by recognised manufactures have ever caught fire.
Lots of home hacks and cheap Chinese imports have .
And if you go down that route more fool you.
Buy quality you'll never have to worry.

 

[darwink1]

My simple solution is to not have the battery charging when I'm not in the garage. Has worked very well so far.

D

 

[Kingerz]

These claim to work on the fires F-500 (Lithium Ion Battery fire) extinguisher The battery can continue to cause new cells to ignite though in a runaway effect so it's no joke. I'm always charging out of the bike and it's another reason I'll never buy a bike with a fixed-in battery.

 

[Expidia]

I agree with the OP’s concerns. I have two 2022 Treks. One has a 500 watt battery and the other a 625.
I never charge them on the bike. They are charged and stored inside an old broken washing machine that insread of tossing it I use it as a metal battery box. A battery is fully charged after each ride. But during the freezing weather I draw them down to 60% for longer term storage.

I also installed an Intermatic 0-6 hours spring loaded wall timer that turns off the charger.

The plastic impeller inside the washer has been removed. As others have said IMO it’s the non UL approved Chinese crap bikes that catch on fire. Especially The ones that are used for food delivery all day and put away hot then stored in the hallways of apartment houses like in NYC. Or e-bikes that have been altered or chipped by the owners.

There are a lot of individual Lithium batteries in each of my Bosch Powertubes. The thought of just one shorting out is scary. These batteries burn so hot that it takes the fire dept a long time to put out and that is if they got to your house quick enough that your house is still standing

These battery manufacturers should sell an optional fireproof box for a decent price as an optional accessory.

 

[MountainBoy]

You will find most ebike battery fires are caused by cheap unregulated batteries and chargers
The big manufacturers have good fail safes built in and use quality components
also do you own a Phone , Laptop and many other consumer products running lithium ion batteries if so do you worry about putting them in a safe place to charge , they can all potentially burn on or off charge
I also take it your not the owner of an EV and check the car park you park in for one before leaving your own car in the carpark
My point is you cant worry about everything and if it concerns you that much maybe you should not have any batteries in your life .

Well, the first thing a person wanting to minimize the chance of a housefire would cut out of their house, if they were logical and based risk on statistics, is gasoline, gas mowers, weedeaters, gas cars parking in attached garages, etc.

All of those are more dangerous than high quality and reputable EVs and e-bikes. Just avoid the cheap junk from China. There is also good, high-quality li-ion tech and equipment available from China. Stick with reputable brands.

 

[RiderOnTheStorm]

While looking into this in another thread, the Fire Protection Research Foundation (affiliated to the NFPA) indicated that while accidents are generally rare, the battery remains a potential fire hazard if not treated with care.

They listed a number of causes for battery fires, including:

• Manufacturing defects, design flaws, battery made with low quality components. Definitely on top of the list.
• Improper use, like placing a battery near a heat source or leaving it in intense sunlight for an extended period of time, leading to the battery overheating.
• Penetrating a battery in a way that causes a short circuit, like an accident with high impact causing damage to the battery.
• Using chargers that are not appropriate for the battery.

Bottom line is that risk of fires should be extremely low if using quality batteries, proper chargers, and taking good care of your battery.

 

[cozzy]

I noticed this story today. Looks like a legitimate emtb rather than the usual homemade pos.
Canyon maybe?

Fire in Tavistock garage caused by e-bike being charged - BBC News

Fire and rescue teams attended the scene on Saturday morning after the blaze was stared by a charging bike.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[jackamo]

I noticed this story today. Looks like a legitimate emtb rather than the usual homemade pos.
Canyon maybe?

Fire in Tavistock garage caused by e-bike being charged - BBC News

Fire and rescue teams attended the scene on Saturday morning after the blaze was stared by a charging bike.

www.bbc.co.uk

View attachment 133852

That'll buff out

 

[irie]

That'll buff out

With some cable ties and duck tape if necessary

 

[jimbob]

Front tyre still looks in decent nick. I could do with a new one as well, wonder if the owners selling?

 

[arTNC]

Does anyone use the BBQ grill that they keep on the patio outdoors?