Where do you charge your ebike batteries at home?

[BBassett]

A year or more ago I saw a video of a 15Ah lithium ebike battery cooking off while being charged... it was pretty terrifying. It made me start to think about where I charge my packs in my home. I own quality packs and a great charger but... s*it happens. So thinking of worst-case terms what I have been doing ever since is when it's above 50 degs. F... I place a single pack at a time inside a large pottery kiln in my garage. The power cord for the Satiator enters on the side of the kiln like it was made for it allowing the lid to be firmly shut and leaving the Satiator outside the kiln should tragedy strike. The kiln also has a blower that I leave on when charging the pack... they throw off a lot of gas when the cells breach and vent. When it is below 50 degs. I bring the packs inside and allow them to warm. Once up to room temp I place a single pack in my dryer in the laundry room to charge. Not optimal I know but I think it would contain the fire. The room also has venting blower... I don't want to test it but it's better than sitting on the floor in a corner of the house somewhere. These measures are also backed up with smoke/CO2 detectors and 5lb ABC dry chemical extinguishers. If I didn't own the kiln I would build a charging box out of cinder blocks somewhere.

Anyone else concerned?

 

[Browneye]

None.
If you're charging above 1c and/or overcharging, or using an aftermarket/incompatible charger, there MAY be some cause for concern. Otherwise you're 99.9% safe.
I charge them on the bikes, in the garage. 2a and 3a oem chargers.

 

[BBassett]

...you're 99.9% safe...

Believe what you like... and hope for the best I guess.

 

[PDXzap]

I used to see a lot of the people on ES saying they charged their packs in the BBQ! I always thought that was a pretty good idea.
Some (most?) of my packs are old and I try to make sure they've got a lot of room around them and they get charged sitting on the floor in the garage.

I think they have fireproof bags now specifically made to hold battery packs while they charge.

 

[BBassett]

I used to see a lot of the people on ES saying they charged their packs in the BBQ! I always thought that was a pretty good idea.
Some (most?) of my packs are old and I try to make sure they've got a lot of room around them and they get charged sitting on the floor in the garage.

I think they have fireproof bags now specifically made to hold battery packs while they charge.

A BBQ would be ideal when the temperature is warm enough, even in the garage. I don't think a fire-proof bag would do much of anything with a large lithium pack unless it's made out of Ti. But it's not just the temperature, they are fairly active when they go off and throw out tons of smoke and gas.

 

[fooferdoggie]

well do you put your watch in the kiln your phone every device that had batteries?

 

[BBassett]

well do you put your watch in the kiln your phone every device that had batteries?

No, I traded in my Samsung Note 7 immediately. Also, not all battery designs are the same. Do you equate the potential damage of a 30Ah lithium pack (12Ah for you right?) cooking off to that of a watch or phone battery venting? Like to have it happen with that grandchild (guessing) you're holding in your picture in the house? Simple precaution for anyone that cares.

 

[indianajo]

I charge outside, mostly. Battery takes 20 minutes to take off frame. Bike cabled to a 24' ladder here in town, loose at summer camp. Occasionally I charge in the garage, but not very often. Don't use the motor in the winter, battery is removed, stored at 60% in the garage with a heating pad over it on freezing nights.

 

[BBassett]

I charge outside, mostly. Battery takes 20 minutes to take off frame. Bike cabled to a 24' ladder here in town, loose at summer camp. Occasionally I charge in the garage, but not very often. Don't use the motor in the winter, battery is removed, stored at 60% in the garage with a heating pad over it on freezing nights.

Twenty minutes to get it off the frame... man that blows. I unzip the frame bag, remove the shock and tire pumps, pull 3 velcro straps, disconnect barrel connectors, and lift the 17 lb. battery out, it takes about minute. Why don't you use the motor in winter? Are we talking about a hub-motor? I use USB foot heating pads inside the frame bag on each side of the battery when I ride in the cold, not sure if they make much of a difference. Charging outside is a good idea if you feel secure enough.

 

[fooferdoggie]

I charge outside, mostly. Battery takes 20 minutes to take off frame. Bike cabled to a 24' ladder here in town, loose at summer camp. Occasionally I charge in the garage, but not very often. Don't use the motor in the winter, battery is removed, stored at 60% in the garage with a heating pad over it on freezing nights.

where is the battery in the tires?

 

[indianajo]

Twenty minutes to get it off the frame... man that blows. I unzip the frame bag, remove the shock and tire pumps, pull 3 velcro straps, disconnect barrel connectors, and lift the 17 lb. battery out, it takes about minute. Why don't you use the motor in winter? Are we talking about a hub-motor? I use USB foot heating pads inside the frame bag on each side of the battery when I ride in the cold, not sure if they make much of a difference. Charging outside is a good idea if you feel secure enough.

You can see battery on front of bike in picture left, the green/white wedge.
I leave the bike cabled to a power pole on the sidewalk up to 4 hours when at my volunteer job. 90 minutes outside the grocery store. Making it difficult to remove the $630 battery was a goal. I don't ride 30 mile trips in the winter, I can't afford to heat my drafty summer trailer. I can't ride 60 miles RT (7 hours) without sleeping in between. So I don't need the motor until spring. Geared hub motor doesn't drag so I don't take it off in the winter. LiIon battery parked on sidewalk could freeze, so it is better in the garage.
Somebody in Charlestown did remove some screws from battery frame while I was in the grocery last summer, but removed the wrong ones. Screw heads are buried in plastic foam inside mount; screws spin if just the (elastic stop) nuts are turned.

 

[BBassett]

You can see battery on front of bike in picture left, the green/white wedge.
I leave the bike cabled to a power pole on the sidewalk up to 4 hours when at my volunteer job. 90 minutes outside the grocery store. Making it difficult to remove the $630 battery was a goal. I don't ride 30 mile trips in the winter, I can't afford to heat my drafty summer trailer. I can't ride 60 miles RT (7 hours) without sleeping in between. So I don't need the motor until spring. Geared hub motor doesn't drag so I don't take it off in the winter. LiIon battery parked on sidewalk could freeze, so it is better in the garage. Somebody in Charlestown did remove some screws from battery frame while I was in the grocery last summer, but removed the wrong ones. Screw heads are buried in plastic foam inside mount; screws spin if just the (elastic stop) nuts are turned.

No picture but I understand you're thinking. The cold really does make things more difficult as fas as charging is concerned.

 

[6zfshdb]

Considering the number of reported battery fires attributed to charging, I don't perceive it as being a great threat. Still, I do take some precautions.

I keep five, 15 ah batteries in my heated garage. I store / charge them on a fireproof wire rack which allows good air circulation to dissipate heat.

Two-Shelf Wire Shelving Unit - 60 x 18 x 34

Recommended for garages and storage rooms where space is tight. NSF certified shelves adjust in 1" increments. Assemble in minutes. No tools required. Open wire maximizes airflow, reduces dust. Optional 5" polyurethane swivel stem casters add 6" to height. Add-On Units and Wire Shelving...

www.uline.com

I charge them with a high quality charger (Satiator) keeping the rate at or below 6A. I have a smoke / CO2 detector mounted above the rack and NEVER charge them when I'm not home.

 

[Browneye]

Believe what you like... and hope for the best I guess.

Please provide some stats to support your claim.
The only time lithium-ion batteries are at risk is for excessive charge rates or damage. The failure rate across all lithium-ion batteries, according to battery-university, is less than one in a million. Yes, I'll believe what I like. Dear god...chicken-little much??

Safety Concerns with Li-ion Batteries – Battery University

Learn what causes Li-ion to fail and what to do in case of fire. Battery makers are obligated to meet safety requirements, but less reputable firms may cheat.

batteryuniversity.com

"With more than a billion mobile phones and computers used in the world every day, the number of accidents is small. By comparison, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say that your chance of being struck by lightning in the course of a lifetime is about 1 in 13,000. Lithium-ion batteries have a failure rate that is less than one in a million. The failure rate of a quality Li-ion cell is better than 1 in 10 million."

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Unless it was the ill-designed Samsung Galaxy Note 7 or the batteries in the Boeing Dreamliners

I agree with you though @Browneye. I know at least one incident in which a friend was killed by a lightning and no one I have known have ever had a battery incident. I charge e-bike batteries in a spare room, these do not even get warm. Yes, I don't use any fast charger.

 

[BBassett]

Unless it was the ill-designed Samsung Galaxy Note 7 or the batteries in the Boeing Dreamliners

I agree with you though @Browneye. I know at least one incident in which a friend was killed by a lightning and no one I have known have ever had a battery incident. I charge e-bike batteries in a spare room, these do not even get warm. Yes, I don't use any fast charger.

Good luck.

 

[BBassett]

Please provide some stats to support your claim.

What claim are you talking about... I'm talking about safety and a little preparedness. Browneye.... lol that kills me. Navy?

 

[Browneye]

What claim are you talking about... I'm talking about safety and a little preparedness. Browneye.... lol that kills me. Navy?

IMO you're worried excessively, and your comment to 'believe what I like and hope for the best' is an effort to shame me for lack of concern. I've provided evidence that li-ion packs are safe - failure estimated at 1 in 10 million. I was asking for evidence you had that they pose an eminent fire danger and thus a recommendation for a fireproof charging environment.

 

[BBassett]

IMO you're worried excessively, and your comment to 'believe what I like and hope for the best' is an effort to shame me for lack of concern. I've provided evidence that li-ion packs are safe - failure estimated at 1 in 10 million. I was asking for evidence you had that they pose an eminent fire danger and thus a recommendation for a fireproof charging environment.

If you feel shame for your ideas or actions for some reason then seek professional help Mr. Eye. The fact that you keep equating a cell phone lithium battery to large packs of multiple lithium cells that take a constant beating and your choice of the word "eminent" (never mentioned by me) shows you are more concerned with "winning" an online argument than you are about safety. That's cool (childish... but you do you), just like with disregarding state and federal ebike regulations cause you want to. I am sure the majority of riders feel like you do. Same with all the uninsured motorists driving right this minute. Where I can say with total assurity that you are wrong is that I don't worry about a possible melt-down at all. Why would I? The 5 P's Mr. Eye... Proper Planning Prevent Piss-poor Performance, and insurance claims.

 

[Browneye]

Thank goodness for the ignore feature.