Risk of battery fire?

[Picard12]

Is there risk of battery fire during charging?

 

[xtraman122]

There’s never going to be zero risk of a battery having something go wrong, so yes, technically. Charging tends to be when batteries catch fire, although with good quality batteries and chargers it’s very uncommon.

 

[mustclime]

I mounted a smoke detector over the place where I charge my bike.

 

[Picard12]

Has anyone on the forum had a fire?

 

[Stihldog]

I mounted a smoke detector over the place where I charge my bike.

I did the same. This is the 4th smoke detector , which is battery operated, but still “speaks” with the other 3. (Nest). I’m not worried about these batteries …but you never know.

 

[xtraman122]

If your bike has an easily removable battery, one safeguard is to charge or even store it in one of those fire retardant cases/pouches. They're usually marketed as being for LiPo batteries because those are more temperamental, but they'd work just fine at housing a Li-ion pack like we use as well and prevent any fire from spreading if it were to ignite for any reason.

 

[irie]

If Israel has been anywhere near your battery ... DON'T TOUCH IT!

 

[leehop71]

Is there risk of battery fire during charging?

From what I’m understand it’s the charger that can overheat and cause fires.

I set my charger on a stool with a laptop cooler underneath.

I plug the charger and cooler into an electric strip.

I plug the charger into the bike THEN I flip the power switch on, turning the charger and cooler on.

 

[mustclime]

99% of these e bike fires are these crap class 2 and 3 electric mopeds that kids are zipping around on without any helmets….. as for the fires, it’s the crap batteries grounding out.

 

[1TrekGA]

cheap chargers & batteries with no UL or CE certifications can overrun the battery capacity and cause a fire. Most batteries have "smarts" which communicate with the charger that it is at full capacity and to turn off the charging power. Seems that a lot of fires have been with people or shops buying cheaper batteries without the smart electronics so they can ride all day. Think bike delivery services which may go through 3 or 4 batteries a day. And they don't want to spend the big money on quality batteries. So they give the whole industry a black eye. Regulators need to state these systems must be UL or CE certified (US or Europe) before they're allowed to be sold.

 

[irie]

... Regulators need to state these systems must be UL or CE certified (US or Europe) before they're allowed to be sold.

This ^^^

 

[steve_sordy]

If my battery catches fire my bike is toast as it is in the frame. But I don;' worry about it one bit, as it is more likely that the charger will be the problem. I sleep just fine.

I don't worry about my charger (left on a timer) catching fire during operation, I sleep just fine..... But.

I roll back the matting next to my bike to expose the concrete floor of the garage and stand the charger on that. I also leave the charger as far away as possible from anything it can set fire to. I guess the fire could spread up the cable, but as I said I don't worry about it.

There are no other chargers in the house except phone chargers and they never get left on a timer.

 

[jackamo]

Is there risk of battery fire during charging?

No .
Unless you build your own or buy cheap shit from aliexpress.

 

[ari]

Not a emtb battery, but had a rechargeable light with lithium batteries bust into fire, reason was heat , left in the sun on a 40C degree day on charge , any surface left in the sun would be untouchable in few minutes.[the pic and story just popped up on the news , apparently the fire brigade is called daily for escooter and bike fires , not a good look for the sport]

 

[irie]

If Israel has been anywhere near your battery ... DON'T TOUCH IT!

Seems that @randycpu rates this as a "crap post", why is that? Sense of humour deficit perhaps?

 

[jackamo]

Not a emtb battery, but had a rechargeable light with lithium batteries bust into fire, reason was heat , left in the sun on a 40C degree day on charge , any surface left in the sun would be untouchable in few minutes.[the pic and story just popped up on the news , apparently the fire brigade is called daily for escooter and bike fires , not a good look for the sport]

View attachment 147038

I have never heard of one ebike from a reputable brand/manufacturer ever catching fire .

I have how ever heard of plenty of cheap Chinese imported crap and home conversions burning down plenty of homes...

 

[ari]

I have never heard of one ebike from a reputable brand/manufacturer ever catching fire .

I have how ever heard of plenty of cheap Chinese imported crap and home conversions burning down plenty of homes...

Yes , but they[fire brigade , media etc] throw us all in the same basket unfortunately .

 

[Binhill1]

I was in the Glenbrittle memorial hut in Skye a month ago. , No ebikes ,batteries allowed inside or on the porch out the back. No cables going out through windows either for electric cars. Would we know if we had a dodgy battery ??? mine says made in China on it.

 

[Picard12]

How long does it takes for propain battery charge? Do you guys put it in fire proof bag?

 

[Downhillr]

If Israel has been anywhere near your battery ... DON'T TOUCH IT!

I’ve been wondering why my bike gps has been getting so hot lately and I’ve felt like I’m being watched!

 

[Brian VT USA]

Do you guys put it in fire proof bag?

I charge and store mine in my Weber grill. And I have a warm, fireproof place to store them during freezing temperatures.
Ya never know.

 

[Binhill1]

If you read enough stuff about battery fires you will find every scenario. They can catch fires when their not even being charged. My ebike batteries are in the bedroom cupboards. Laptops go up as well were all doomed , washing machines etc etc.

 

[RustyMTB]

I wouldn't sweat it. Your house is alredy stuffed with lithium ion battery devices. Just don't buy cheap garbage from Ali Express, Temu etc. with no certification & you'll be golden.

 

[Binhill1]

I wouldn't sweat it. Your house is alredy stuffed with lithium ion battery devices. Just don't buy cheap garbage from Ali Express, Temu etc. with no certification & you'll be golden.

Yes hybrid cars probably a time bomb as well , woodburner stove not enough clearance no linked fire detectors I could go on.

 

[Stihldog]

I’m not selling my Ford Pinto. Chemistry Sets make great Xmas gifts. Suspension stems are awesome. …should I go on?

 

[Dax]

I roll back the matting next to my bike to expose the concrete floor of the garage and stand the charger on that. I also leave the charger as far away as possible from anything it can set fire to. I guess the fire could spread up the cable, but as I said I don't worry about it.

You know heat rises? What’s above the e-bike while you’re charging it?

Maybe consider a fireproof cabinet to charge it in?

 

[RustyMTB]

A Tesla semi truck caught fire in California in August. It took fire fighters 190,000 litres of water & an airplane dropping fire retardant to put it out. My view is unless you're charging your stuff in a bunker out the back of the house, you're probably screwed if the battery decides it no longer wants to be a battery.

It took 50,000 gallons of water to put out Tesla Semi fire in California, US agency says

The National Transportation Safety Board says California firefighters had to douse a flaming battery in a Tesla Semi with about 50,000 gallons of water to put out flames after a crash

www.independent.co.uk

 

[steve_sordy]

If it was the Cyberbeast model and without the 47kw extender pack then it would have had 200 times more energy in the Tesla truck battery than a typical emtb, so I'm not surprised it took a lot of effort to quench it.

 

[steve_sordy]

You know heat rises? What’s above the e-bike while you’re charging it?

Maybe consider a fireproof cabinet to charge it in?

Good point. Just a plasterboard ceiling nailed to timber joists and an empty roof space. But if the fire was enough to set light to the ceiling, then the bike would be a gonner anyway, along with the rest of the garage. I think that at least I should install a smoke alarm.

 

[Dax]

Good point. Just a plasterboard ceiling nailed to timber joists and an empty roof space. But if the fire was enough to set light to the ceiling, then the bike would be a gonner anyway, along with the rest of the garage. I think that at least I should install a smoke alarm.

Plasterboard is fairly effective at stopping fire, you may wish to upgrade to two layers of plasterboard, or fire rated plasterboard. Definitely add a fire alarm, ideally linked to the house.

I’m assuming if your bike catches fire while on charge, it’s a gonner, but saving the garage might be possible.