are lipos safe?
 

Ok Im just getting started in the whole lipo craze. I have them for rx's in my 1/8 scale stuff, starter box and I bought one for my sc10. Reading all the warning lables has me a bit nervous. Saying doing this and that may cause a fire. I bought a hyperion 606i charger. So what are the main causes for fire in lipos? Im scared to just leave them in my gargae unattended now reading all the warnings

Don't know about the main reason, but a common reason is using a charger that's not meant to charge lipos (but for NiMH, NiCD), or the charging not having a cutoff and thus overcharging.

Lipo is pretty safe if you handle them right, most lipo fire are caused by user error (overcharging, wrong charging voltage, over discharging, etc).

There are plenty of discussions related to lipo here:

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1287041

http://www.rcgroups.com/batteries-and-chargers-129/

Take some time to read them, your family, your insurance agent and last but not least your lipo will thank you... :blush:

All the best!

there are also lipo regulator for the 1/8 rx pack.. when the voltage is near low it will give u alarm.. time to stop & charge.

User error causes lipo fire. Dont over discharge, over charge, short or puncture and you should never see fire. Usually there are big warning signs before the lipos blows up and catchesfire so you can stop running or charging the battery and get it outside and away so it can self destruct if it wants to. Shorting and punchuring the lipos will almost instantly blow them up though. I've only personally seen one lipo catch fire and it popped and sizzled and lot before we got to it. It was plugged into a octopus charge lead while something else was charging. It doesnt take much to care for your lipos but when you do it pays off

so basically unattended they are fine being unused. When charging I think I would only have to worry about them when they are getting hot. The ones I have charged never really get warm. I always balance them when charging thou, My hyperion charger does basically eveything for me. All I do is set it 2s and the correct mah which I have are 1600 and one 5000mah and the charger sets the amps. If I do all that correctly I should be ok right?

Yes, set your charger correctly and you will be fine. I don't use a lipo sack but if it makes you feel better they're cheap insurance.

Wrong!
Treat them right,inspect, and always store properly.

I had a 1 month old rx lipo sitting on my bench in the garage. It had an 80% storage charge on it and had only been out of the truggy for three days. I had held in my hand the day before it blew up and it had no damage! Before going to bed I went lock the garage and smelled smoke, opened door and could bareley see the three foot flames through the smoke. It did a lot of damage to stuff that is replaceable, but if this random occurance happened even an hour later my family may have not have survived.

So don't get complacent with these batteries. Go to an army surplus store and buy an old steel ammo box to store your lipos in when they are not in use.. Better safe than really sorry!

Sorry for the soapbox but I still shudder about what could have happened!

Please DO NOT leave your battery unattended while charging, I have seen folks over at rcgroup install a smoke alarm and a fire extinguisher on standby next to their charging station... :sweat:

Call me a paranoid, I charge all my lipo on the floor... :blush:

thats scary.. im safe when i charge them but i have get them is a steel box for storage.

im sure thi does not happen a ton.. think of all the RTR airplanes that have a lipo in them sitting in a hobby shop..

I have heard of and witnessed some burning from charging or discharging issues or even cell damage. I was definately not prepared for that random blow up, and I am sure it is rare, but will never take that chance again. Always store in a fireproof container.

I'm always amazed by some of the scare tactics and stories people have on Lipos. Yes a Lipo battery needs to be used properly, and yes you should always triple check your settings and not be elsewhere when charging. But Steel boxes? Concrete Floors?

I store and charge my Lipos in Lipo Sacks, The only batteries I have that stay in the truck are Lifepo4 as they don't catch fire. That said I will not use a soft case lipo.

Use them properly and carefully, you will be fine. But to be honest everything has an element of danger, Nimh packs can explode and I have seen them puncture a garage door, your car has what, 55-60 litres of flammable liquid on board everytime you drive. You can burn yourself on a stove, be struck by lightning or anything else could happen.

I think most of these horror stories are user error, or from people too proud to admit user error.

If you do not understand the potential hazard of lipo then you better take all precautions seriously.

It is only a scare tactic by scaremongers until things starting to go wrong. For me, safety is absolute paramount, the last thing I want is some cheap $10 lipo burning down my house...

Based on what I have read on lipo fire over the past few years, most accidents are caused by either complacency, ignorance or under informed users. Like it or not, human is still the weakest link, understand and recognize this weakness and you will be able to enjoy your hobby safely.

Putting on seat belt does not mean that I am pussy, I do it because I value life and there are people depending on me... ;)

Another one of these threads seems like as soon as the other one disapears we get another

I'm going to post a site that Duster_360 usually posts that tells everything about lipos here it is...http://www.rchelicopterfun.com/rc-lipo-batteries.html Credit fot finding this site goes to Duster_360...it helped me alot when i was first looking at lipos.

Now for your question "Are lipos safe"
You will get so many opinions it not even funny so heres mine

Lipos are safe if you treat them with respect and take care of them...9 out of 10 times it is human error or damage to the actuall lipo that makes lipos dangerous... just my opinion...

Good Luck

...and when in doubt read my signature...:sneaky::lol:

From what I've read user errors (particularly charging errors!) cause a majority of incidents. True spontaneous lipo meltdowns of a well maintained lipo are about like getting struck by lightning. Yes, they do happen, but only rarely.

Treat them with respect, use them knowledgeably (charging and maintenance), you'll prob never have a prob.