Battery Arcing?

[leehop71]

I think I have decided on how to handle the battery concerns except for one lingering issue.

All electric bike manufacturers give the user an option to charge the battery ON or OFF the bike.

I’ve also heard the arcing fire issue, caused from disconnecting and reconnecting the battery from the bike. The articles I’ve read suggest to keep the battery ON the bike ALL the time. Including charging it to keep it from arcing.

Common sense tells me that the arcing issue must be such a minuscule issue, otherwise, manufacturers would not offer the option to remove the battery!?!

What say you?

 

[circuitsmith]

The arcing itself is not a danger, unless there's flammable vapors in the air.
Damage to the contacts after many connections causing high resistance can be a safety issue.

 

[leehop71]

The arcing itself is not a danger, unless there's flammable vapors in the air.
Damage to the contacts after many connections causing high resistance can be a safety issue.

Making sure I understand correctly, it’s NOT a good idea to take the battery out after a ride, and reconnect before the next ride during the 5 month heat/humidity in SW Florida?

Let me ask another way.

Which procedure is better during the heat storing the bike in a garage:

1. Leaving the battery IN the bike, disconnecting and bringing it inside ONLY to charge

2. Disconnecting and bringing battery in AFTER every ride, reconnecting BEFORE every ride and charging inside

OR is it a six of one half a dozen of the other scenario?

 

[Gionnirocket]

Making sure I understand correctly, it’s NOT a good idea to take the battery out after a ride, and reconnect before the next ride during the 5 month heat/humidity in SW Florida?

Let me ask another way.

Which procedure is better during the heat storing the bike in a garage:

1. Leaving the battery IN the bike, disconnecting and bringing it inside ONLY to charge

2. Disconnecting and bringing battery in AFTER every ride, reconnecting BEFORE every ride and charging inside

OR is it a six of one half a dozen of the other scenario?

All this could be avoided with a $0.99 switch on the battery that probably adds another total $1.50 to the cost of the BMS/Battery.
That said your best bet is to move from SW Florida

 

[leehop71]

All this could be avoided with a $0.99 switch on the battery that probably adds another total $1.50 to the cost of the BMS/Battery.
That said your best bet is to move from SW Florida

I have no clue about the switch.

Summer heat/humidity is not confined to Florida.

 

[Gionnirocket]

I have no clue about the switch.

Summer heat/humidity is not confined to Florida.

It would be part of the battery from the manufacturer. Point being it's such a easily solved problem yet many are too cheap to implement it.
Was just breaking them about SW Fl.... it's kinda what I do.

 

[leehop71]

It would be part of the battery from the manufacturer. Point being it's such a easily solved problem yet many are to cheap to implement it.
Was just breaking them about SW Fl.... it's kinda what I do.

So do YOU leave battery ON the bike charging included, regardless of the weather conditions?

 

[Gionnirocket]

So do YOU leave battery ON the bike charging included, regardless of the weather conditions?

Yes.
But I live in the North East and bring my bike into my basement that's consistently in the 70° realm.
I would avoid the arcing as it will eventually foul the connection

 

[leehop71]

So do YOU leave battery ON the bike charging included?

Yes.
But I live in the North East and bring my bike into my basement that's consistently in the 70° realm.
I would avoid the arcing as it will eventually foul the connection

No basements here in SW Fl and I’m certainly not storing my bike inside, so I guess I’ll leave it on the bike, in the garage, bring the charger into the garage on a laptop fan cooler and charge there.

The tech at the LBS where I bought it does the same thing and has for 5 years with no issues.

 

[Gionnirocket]

No basements here in SW Fl and I’m certainly not storing my bike inside, so I guess I’ll leave it on the bike, in the garage, bring the charger into the garage on a laptop fan cooler and charge there.

The tech at the LBS where I bought it does the same thing and has for 5 years with no issues.

I rarely charge to 100% (usually 80%)so charging indoors is not a safety concern... or I should say greatly diminished.
My garages are just too impractical and I like doing any maintenance in comfort.

 

[Chargeride]

Surely the bikes have anti spark connectors, I dont bother with them myself.

I like the crack, it reminds me what Im dealing with.

 

[6zfshdb]

Whether charging the battery on the bike or off, I always connect the charger to the battery before plugging the charger into the wall outlet. That way, any arcing that may occur won't damage the battery or bike.

 

[Gionnirocket]

Whether charging the battery on the bike or off, I always connect the charger to the battery before plugging the charger into the wall outlet. That way, any arcing that may occur won't damage the battery or bike.

I think what's happening is on the low end chargers and batteries the chargers with no switching or back feed prevention act as a load.. and the cheaper the charger it seems the heavier that load can be. Then enter the battery with no switch or charger handshake required and pop goes the electrons. I've had a few different batteries and chargers and have had from zero arcing on the better ones to lightning bolts in the cheaper one. The cheaper one eventually fouled the cheap DC 2.1 connector.
Batteries that have either switches or somewhat intelligent BMS work well at solving this easily solved manufacturing oversight. One of my chargers won't put out full voltage/current until it senses the battery connected and then switches on.

 

[leehop71]

All this could be avoided with a $0.99 switch on the battery that probably adds another total $1.50 to the cost of the BMS/Battery.
That said your best bet is to move from SW Florida

Is this the switch you are referring to?

 

[harryS]

That's probably the button to check the battery voltage status. They are not precise, but red means discharged or close to it.
.
Are we talking about a phantom event here. Have you ever heard the pop of a battery arc when you put the battery into the bike? All of them will throw a spark when inserted unless they have an on/off switch on the battery. The prongs on most battery contacts are nickel plated and large enough to withstand arcing. I have batteries that use small pins, but they have on/off switches. And no, a novice cannot add an ON/OFF switch to most ebike batteries without making it less safe.
.
Another source for arcing is with the charge plug. If I want to avoid it, I plug in the charger before connecting it to the battery so its output capacitors are at the battery voltage.
.
Unless as stated above, you have flammable fumes nearby, the arcs in an ebike are minor in my opinion.

 

[leehop71]

That's probably the button to check the battery voltage status. They are not precise, but red means discharged or close to it.
.
Are we talking about a phantom event here. Have you ever heard the pop of a battery arc when you put the battery into the bike? All of them will throw a spark when inserted unless they have an on/off switch on the battery. The prongs on most battery contacts are nickel plated and large enough to withstand arcing. I have batteries that use small pins, but they have on/off switches. And no, a novice cannot add an ON/OFF switch to most ebike batteries without making it less safe.
.
Another source for arcing is with the charge plug. If I want to avoid it, I plug in the charg

That's probably the button to check the battery voltage status. They are not precise, but red means discharged or close to it.
.
Are we talking about a phantom event here. Have you ever heard the pop of a battery arc when you put the battery into the bike? All of them will throw a spark when inserted unless they have an on/off switch on the battery. The prongs on most battery contacts are nickel plated and large enough to withstand arcing. I have batteries that use small pins, but they have on/off switches. And no, a novice cannot add an ON/OFF switch to most ebike batteries without making it less safe.
.
Another source for arcing is with the charge plug. If I want to avoid it, I plug in the charger before connecting it to the battery so its output capacitors are at the battery voltage.
.
Unless as stated above, you have flammable fumes nearby, the arcs in an ebike are minor in my opinion.

er before connecting it to the battery so its output capacitors are at the battery voltage.
.
Unless as stated above, you have flammable fumes nearby, the arcs in an ebike are minor in my opinion.

I have never heard or had a spark coming out or going into the bike.

Manual says to turn battery to OFF position!?!?

Outside of the indicator I SEE no switch and have examined the battery thoroughly!

It also says not to cover the battery while charging so I guess fireproof bags would be a no no!

 

[PCeBiker]

I have a similar button on my battery.
When I push the button, the battery turns on, I can see the charge level, and the battery output turns on.

I am supposed to wait for the battery to turn off before removing it from the bike.

Once the battery level indicator turns off, the battery goes to sleep and the battery's output is turned off so it doesn't spark when it is removed or installed on the bike.

Your battery may work in a similar way and shut off the output when the battery is "off". I would assume that when the battery display is off, the battery is sleeping.


I have a second battery and the battery's output is always on. It doesn't go to sleep.

 

[PCeBiker]

Whether charging the battery on the bike or off, I always connect the charger to the battery before plugging the charger into the wall outlet.

That is how I'm supposed to connect my OEM Das-Kit battery, but it is completely opposite for my new battery.
If I don't have the charger plugged in and powered up before connecting it to the battery, it sparks like crazy.

It all depends on how the battery (and its BMS) and the charger is designed.

Doing what the owners manual says is always the best bet.

As far as @leehop71 is concerned, I would assume that once the display on his battery turns off, the battery has turned off.
My battery just waits a few seconds then the display turns off and my battery goes to sleep.

My second battery doesn't go to sleep, but I haven't noticed any sparking removing or installing it on my bike.