DIY indoor charging station

[MeDotOrg]

I live in an apartment with no garage. My Gazelle T10 is chained up underneath the back stairs of the building. I take my battery into my apartment to charge. The owner of the building has legitimate concerns about safety in the unlikely but still possible event of a battery explosion. So I'm getting a LIPO bag, but it seems that most of them are for smaller RC airplane batteries. I'm also getting a stand with a ceramic tile base to put the bag on, so in the event of a fire the heat doesn't scorch the floor. (Also a fire extinguisher and a smoke detector to place above the charging site).

All of this is simple, DIY and jerry-rigged (does that expression date me?). But it strikes me that there would be a market for a one-step battery lipo bag with an input for a charging cable that came with a ceramic stand. I would imagine that a fair amount of people charge their batteries indoors. I think it would smart of the industry to pro-actively come up with some solutions. Perhaps some has a kickstarter project in them?

 

[FlatSix911]

I live in an apartment with no garage. My Gazelle T10 is chained up underneath the back stairs of the building. I take my battery into my apartment to charge. The owner of the building has legitimate concerns about safety in the unlikely but still possible event of a battery explosion. So I'm getting a LIPO bag, but it seems that most of them are for smaller RC airplane batteries. I'm also getting a stand with a ceramic tile base to put the bag on, so in the event of a fire the heat doesn't scorch the floor. (Also a fire extinguisher and a smoke detector to place above the charging site).

All of this is simple, DIY and jerry-rigged (does that expression date me?). But it strikes me that there would be a market for a one-step battery lipo bag with an input for a charging cable that came with a ceramic stand. I would imagine that a fair amount of people charge their batteries indoors. I think it would smart of the industry to pro-actively come up with some solutions. Perhaps some has a kickstarter project in them?

Welcome to EBR!

What size is your battery?

https://www.amazon.com/DerBlue-Fireproof-Explosionproof-Battery-Bag%EF%BC%88185x75x60mm%EF%BC%89/dp/B01GCHBQJS/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=lipo+bag&qid=1603945702&s=toys-and-games&sr=1-4

 

[MeDotOrg]

Bosch power tube 500 watt.

 

[FlatSix911]

Bosch power tube 500 watt.

You will need a larger bag to accommodate the battery... some EBR members have used metal ammo cases.

https://www.amazon.com/Solid-Tactical-Metal-Storage-Box/dp/B000J4HXUC/ref=sr_1_7?crid=15EQVB4S8HY14&dchild=1&keywords=ammo+boxes&qid=1603986716&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011&rnid=2470954011&rps=1&sprefix=amamo+boxes%2Caps%2C248&sr=8-7

 

[arcom]

As soon as I read your post I know you had to be from Kalifornia.

 

[Sierratim]

An interesting article re E-bike Fires.

My take aways were;

The odds of an ebike fire are quite low; 10 documented domestic cases since 2016 that did not involve vandalism. The current US population of ebikes is estimated at 1,000,000.

Use battery packs from known reliable suppliers that use high quality cells.

Use the recommended charger with the battery pack.

Do not leave charging batteries unattended.

Have a fire extinguisher nearby.

Don't use batteries that have beed damaged or even dropped.

Our ebikes are name brand with the original chargers. We do store partially charged batteries in the home office during cold weather. Charging is done in the detatched shop, though not always with someone present. We also have homeowner's insurance plus smoke/fire & CO detectors but don't want to rely on them...

 

[MeDotOrg]

Thanks for your tips, Sierratim. Also the figures you quoted will probably put my landlord at ease. I found a bag on Amazon measuring 11 x 8 x 6 in. My battery is is 14.5 inches long, so I'm hoping it will fit diagonally. We'll see.

 

[Coolbob]

@MeDotOrg please let us know how your battery fits and if there's any possibility of fitting an even longer battery in there diagonally (17.25"?).

Thanks!

 

[WattsUpDude]

Thanks for your tips, Sierratim. Also the figures you quoted will probably put my landlord at ease. I found a bag on Amazon measuring 11 x 8 x 6 in. My battery is is 14.5 inches long, so I'm hoping it will fit diagonally. We'll see.
View attachment 70042

As a geek who's been into the radio control hobby for a while, I can tell you that these flexible battery charging boxes are so much better than the bag/envelope forms. With the boxes, you don't have to reach into the bag/envelope and get those nasty glass fiber splinters.

 

[Sierratim]

Thanks for your tips, Sierratim. Also the figures you quoted will probably put my landlord at ease. I found a bag on Amazon measuring 11 x 8 x 6 in. My battery is is 14.5 inches long, so I'm hoping it will fit diagonally. We'll see.
View attachment 70042

Looks like the long diagonal is 14.87 inches so your 14.5 inch battery has a shot at fitting, depending on its W & H dimensions and the flexability of the charger bag. With the free return offer you've got little risk here. Good call. Hopefully this will put your landlord at ease.

@Coolbob, your 17.25 inch battery doesn't seem like it'll fit...

 

[harryS]

I have two ammo cans, and I took off the gaskets. But I don't feel very safe. Still looking for some cinder blocks.
EDIT: added the comparison with a soft sided bag.

 

[Coolbob]

Yea @Sierratim, I measured my battery and it's actually only ~16.5"x5"x4", not the 17.25" long dimension I found on the web. Even if I distorted the bag I doubt it would fit.

After seeing the videos above, I think I'll look for an ammo can or Bat-Safe!

 

[tomjasz]

Get an Ammo Can, I use a 20mm can. Drill a couple of access holes and line with grommets for wire access. Remove the lid gasket but latch the top when charging. I have a smoke alarm inches from my can, along with a heavy leather glove to haul out if there's a fire.

Zoro has frequent sales with free. shipping. I picked up this cabinet for just a couple hundred bucks.

 

[tomjasz]

Yea @Sierratim, I measured my battery and it's actually only ~16.5"x5"x4", not the 17.25" long dimension I found on the web. Even if I distorted the bag I doubt it would fit.

After seeing the videos above, I think I'll look for an ammo can or Bat-Safe!

my 20mm can will hold 2 20Ah triangle packs.

 

[MeDotOrg]

I got the bag, and it does not fit. Even trying to cram it in diagonally, no can do. Looks like an ammo can may be the solution.

 

[MeDotOrg]

Oh man, if people have problems with Bosch unit for possible explosion, what about Samsung cell phones, Toyota Prius, Tesla, Dell laptops, etc?

I totally understand why some people would be concerned, but ebikes have notorious reputation for battery explosion.

Although the probability isn't much higher than cell phones (my uneducated guess), ebikes seem to have far worse reputation.

You're quite right: Battery fires are not limited to bicycle batteries. Quite frankly, using the Bosch charger with proper care, the chances of a fire are virtually none. Part of this has to do with my situation. In an apartment with a locked-in below market rate (the lease is 20 years old), my manager would love to get in a new tenant and get more money, so I watch my P's and Q's when it comes to my rental agreement. Nevertheless, having protection would be nice.

 

[Sierratim]

Oh man, if people have problems with Bosch unit for possible explosion, what about Samsung cell phones, Toyota Prius, Tesla, Dell laptops, etc?

I totally understand why some people would be concerned, but ebikes have notorious reputation for battery explosion.

Although the probability isn't much higher than cell phones (my uneducated guess), ebikes seem to have far worse reputation.

I think vandalism related fires aimed at ebike rental fleets has given ebikes an undeserved reputation for fires as the article in my post #6 above discusses.

 

[FlatSix911]

I think vandalism related fires aimed at ebike rental fleets has given ebikes an undeserved reputation for fires as the article in my post #6 above discusses.

Unfortunately, you are spot on... the life of a rental EBike or Scooter is less than 6 months.

 

[MeDotOrg]

I found a company that appears to make fire bags specifically for ebike. The company is calle LithiumSafe and here's the bag:

Unfortunately, they seem to be a manufacturer for other companies, and not a distributor. I emailed them as to where I can find their products. If I get a reply I will post here.