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Something that you hear has happened occasionally but you assume will never happen to you is the 'rechargeable light battery setting on fire whilst charging'....
At 1.30 this morning we were woken to the sound and smells of a firework display being set off in our kitchen. I kid you not, i pooped myself. Things are a mess this morning - worktops, curtains and wallpaper all charred and a layer of dust throughout the house. It was only a small fire but had we not woken to find it, or had we been at work then i cant begin to imagine the consequences.
I'm on cleaning up duty today and have contacted the insurers who seemed to recognise my number and have dispensed with any formalities of checking my personal details such is the familiar terms that we are now on after the last 18 months.
The thing is, i don't know what i would have done differently really that would have prevented a similar outcome. I know many of you have these cheap lights / batteries off ebay or similar, so just be careful and dont think the stories are just scaremongering and something that will only happen to other people...
Not wishing to add to your woes but try and avoid breathing in the battery dust - Lithium is not a 'good thing' when ingested.
Google "LiPo charge bag" if you want to be very careful in future.
Sorry to hear that. It's said to not leave them unattended when charging.
Solarstorm X2? 😉
Hard lines, mate. Hope everything gets sorted soon for you.
"The thing is, i don't know what i would have done differently really that would have prevented a similar outcome."
Glad to hear you are all ok but the solution is simple.
Don't leave things on charge unatteneded. Especially if it is cheap crap.
I take it these [i]were[/i] ebay cree cheapo ones?
how old were they WW?
It'd be good to know what you did this time. Might help others.The thing is, i don't know what i would have done differently really that would have prevented a similar outcome
Charger supplied with batteries? Fused plug? Used this set up many times before?
Sorry to hear that. It's said to not leave them unattended when charging.
There are practicality issues with that when some take 12 hours+ to charge though...
Yes, are we talking 'pukka' lights, or Chinese jobs?
Do you sit there with a book watching over it for 5 hours?Don't leave things on charge unatteneded
*makes mental note to charge lights in garage from now on*
I always charge mine on an inflammable surface. Think I'll go belt and braces with a biscuit tin too.
I charge mine at work.
What battery was it?
How many times have you charged it before?
Yes i hear you saying not to leave it unattended but do people really sit next to a recharging battery for 3-4 hours, twice a week?
Ok that would be the perfect solution but i'm just putting it out there, because not everyone will be so meticulous.
This was the light (blimey - costs are falling!) although i would stress it wasnt from this seller...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-XM-L-XML-T6-LED-1800-Lm-Bicycle-bike-Head-Light-Headlamp-Rechargeable-Head-/370906784398?pt=UK_SportGoods_CyclAcces_RL&hash=item565bc4628e
Edit - about 18 months old
As above,i never leave it unattended..Lucky !. 😉
You don't know Saturdays lottery numbers do you ??..
For my chinese charger and the cells I recovered from some old laptops I take a fly-lead outside to a large old tool box with plenty of air circulation and charge outside.
Im happy to charge my smudge pack with the smudge charger indoors.
Glad to hear everyone is safe and well, if a little rattled.
just to clarify WW, how long had it been on charge for?
Sympathies to OP for hassle. I have to admit, this is an issue I've been worriting about too.
I stopped using the £25ish fleabay lights for mtb because a.) the cables were too flimsy (had a few separate at the connectors) and b.) they give absolutely zero warning of impending black-out when the battery runs down, which is 'interesting' at best.
However, we still use the cheap lights as head torches for walking the dogs, plus, I also have heard the odd story of combustion for some of the more reputable makes. As a rule, I don;t charge anything overnight, but out of necessity, often leave stuff charging and unattended.
Edit: I see the price has now dropped to £15 for the lights - the one's the OP links to look identical to ours.
just to clarify WW, how long had it been on charge for?
About4-5 hours.
Hmmmmmmm
Thinking I may get an army surplus ammunition box, drill a hole in it and fit an extension lead. Charger and battery should be safe in a box designed to hold bullets right?
Despite never having this happen, I always charge my cheapie lights with-
Circuit breaker extension lead on a dry concrete garage floor- put on charge as soon as I get home and off by bedtime.
Is this just a cheap Chinese problem or could it happen to anything?
Always assumed my Torchy batteries would be Ok.
OP - glad you and your family are safe and sounds like fortune was on your side (could have been a LOT worse)
flaming/exploding lipo's is well known. i used to use one of these to charge lipos in for my RC cars when i was racing but luckily never had one blow. i'm thinking of getting one that's a snug fit on my light battery and just leave it on all the time. in fact i might still have one in the box of doom i can just use to charge in
[url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lipo-Battery-Charging-Bag-Fireproof-Charge-Bag-25x30cm-/370527360437 ]ebay link - but proper brands are available[/url]
i once saw a RC car burst into flames at about 70mph down a long straight when the lipo blew due to the discharge rate exceeding the design limit - proper fireball!
Blimey. Always thought I was paranoid with charging things, but Stoner wins.
Reading this, makes me think I should take more care with my laptops. I leave them on in the house alone, overnight, all sorts.
I am pretty rubbish at understanding how electrical stuff works so sorry if this is a daft question. Would a circuit breaker have prevented this happening?
The thing is, I don't know what I would have done differently really that would have prevented a similar outcome.
Do you have any sort of additional protection like an RCD plug adaptor? If you are going to leave it unattended, do you have a Garage with power you could have charged it in instead of the house?
What actually went pop? the charger or the battery or both?
The thing is, i don't know what i would have done differently really that would have prevented a similar outcome.
1. Don't charge batteries overnight while you are sleeping. Battery chargers are a prime cause of house fires.
2. Don't buy cheap lights
You were lucky this time so take note
I usually charge mine just left strapped to the helmet, shan't be doing that any more. This is terrifying though, what if your kid just happened to be walking past when it went off.
Charge mine on an asbestos sheet taken from work 🙂
Highly unlikely as the circuit almost certainly had a circuit breaker in it. RCD might have done (although again there should already be one) or maybe a low value fuse but again unlikely as it was most probably the charger cut off circuit failing and the energy for the fire would have come from the battery.Would a circuit breaker have prevented this happening?
Makes me wonder how many of us charge smart phones overnight ? I do.
Slightly scary, I was charging my (cheap light) battery yesterday and forgot to unplug it overnight, first time I've done that. Luckily, I didn't get the same result but shall certainly pay closer attention now...
I never charge el cheapo electrical stuff overnight or while I'm out of the house.
Glad you're all ok!
How new is (was!) the light/charger/battery? Just interested to know if this happened to a battery that had been fine for several months/uses or if as I'd have expected (Maybe wrongly...) that it's the sort of thing you find out quickly (ie during the first few charges).
[quote=iainc ]Makes me wonder how many of us charge smart phones overnight ? I do.
and I think mobile phone manufacturers invest a little more in batteries, chargers and protection circuits...
OP I wont even leave a Samsung charger/phone unattended. Mines getting on for two years and even when its not charging its unplugged. Let alone go to bed with a cheap market chinese light battery charging. They are cheap for a reason- i.e less stringent controls somewhere along the line.
Saying this- I don't even leave the TV switched on at the mains (TV off standby) or kettle plug turned on- maybe I'm weird.
Glad you are alright, batteries scare me from cheap lights so I use a waterproof 4x18650 charger, batteries from torchy and an intellicore charger.
1. Don't charge batteries overnight while you are sleeping. Battery chargers are a prime cause of house fires.
2. Don't buy cheap lights
^ this, although if we're being picky, it's fine to buy cheap lights, just dont trust the cheap batteries they come with, and if you must use them be ultra paranoid when charging them.
But don't be complacent, don't forget this can happen with decent batteries as well, just a lot more prevalent with cheap and recycled cells, and dodgy chargers.
Glad you're OK OP, fingers crossed you (or anyone!) don't have another incident liek this!
what lights were they?
it would be of benefit to others who possibly have the same lights to know.
what lights were they?
it would be of benefit to others who possibly have the same lights to know.
He's already linked to them.
apologies ^^
and I'm just about to click "buy it" button, not sure how that worked out 😕He's already linked to them.
and I think mobile phone manufacturers invest a little more in batteries, chargers and protection circuits...
Problems usually occur when people replace them with £1 fleabay chargers:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27390466
Some kind of viral marketing. You can get the solarstorm X2 for similar money and it kicks out quite a bit more light. Same potential issue with charging, though.and I'm just about to click "buy it" button, not sure how that worked out
I charge my iPhone next to my head at night. Might just move it a tad... 😯
Is this a hidden benefit of exposure lights with the built in metal case?
even reputable chargers and batteries can cause problems. i have a calumet (big camera dealer) own brand fast AA charger that i have used overnight on numerous occassions but last week i charged 4 AA’s (also calumet branded) and noticed a funny smell, looked at the charger and the plastic coating on the batteries had melted and i presume the charging cut off had failed and the batteries were getting hotter and hotter. i guess they would have eventually caught fire or exploded if i hadn’t turned it off.
Sounds like leaving them unattended is a good idea! Don't want to be sitting staring at it when it blows.
I charge my batteries with an [url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1311.R-1.TR4.TRC0.A0.H1.Xaccucel&_nkw=accucel+6&_sacat=0 ]Accucel 6[/url]. This is a decent hobby charger which can do all the battery types at what ever charge rate you like - up to 5 amps and gives you a charge/discharge capacity so you can check the life remaining in your cells.
If I do let them charge overnight - I set the charge current low that they are just about to finish charging by the time I leave for work.
Or if I am in the garage I can set them at 1C so they are done in an hour or so.
After seeing one blow up first hand from about 6ft away there is no way I would buy any cheap Chinese crap. It’s not worth the risk to save a few £. I have an exposure enduro and a glowworm x2 which are so much better than any of the cheap tat that a few friends use. Funny that everyone I know with Chinese lights I know thinks they are great until they see the glowworm.
The one I watched blow up was plugged in at work and It was quite a spectacle to watch. A massive bang followed by fire and showers of sparks plus loads of vile smelling smoke.
I have no idea how anyone thinks it’s acceptable to buy a product that needs charging in the garden in a saucepan to stop their house burning down.
Same one that I got a direct sample of a couple of years ago, said it was a POS in another thread.This was the light ..
The whole Chinese kit thing is a topic on here that doesn't need raking over and I know there's good stuff made there but re cheap lights, the CE marks if there are simply that in some cases, it doesn't mean they meet any actual standards. Of all the cheap stuff they make this may be the area to be avoided over all others.
(and OP, sorry to hear this happened, of course)
scary stuff. Touch wood mine have never gone but it doesnt mean they wont.
Im curious as to why this had happened. my packs are dripping wet after a ride and i pop them on charge (one in the garage and one in the house) straight away overnight.
sometimes i leave them on charge for days! Would a biscuit tin really offer anything at all if they went up, wouldnt it just make it like a bomb?
Exact same thing happened to my mate a few weeks ago! Started a small fire and ruined walls/carpet/doors in his hallway. His blew just as he was going to bed, had the fire brigade out and got a stern lecture.
I charge mine under a sturdy bucket on the slabs outside my garage, fed via an rcd socket.
Totally trust my gloworm battery, wouldn't trust my solarstorm one as far as I could throw it!
Edit - about 18 months old
I've got two pairs of those sat in the boot of my car that someone loaned me 😯
One was ok but one got fantastically hot very quickly when turned on. Apparently though you need to be moving to keep them cool?
I have an exposure enduro and a glowworm x2 which are so much better than any of the cheap tat that a few friends use.
I have a gloworm X2 and I still wouldn't leave it charging overnight.
With regards to the cheapness of the light, i'm not adverse to spending money. The light on my bars is a Magic Shine MJ-880 costing £160. I just had a cheap one for my helmet which seemed to make sense.
I don't have a garage and my shed hasn't got a power supply. I have never had an issue before and although i have heard that they can set on fire, I havent had any experience of reading or hearing first hand stories.
The description of the incident above is spot on...
The one I watched blow up was plugged in at work and It was quite a spectacle to watch. A massive bang followed by fire and showers of sparks plus loads of vile smelling smoke.
I do need to have a rethink about the whole recharging issue but do i extend this to everything such as my magic shine light, mobile phones, laptops, ipads etc??
How old is it? ie is it a new light or one that you've used for a while?
Nope, just the cheap Chinese stuff. Look up the story about what the CE mark is [i]said to[/i] mean to some Chinese factories .. : )do i extend this to everything such as my magic shine light, mobile phones, laptops, ipads etc??
The one I watched blow up was plugged in at work and It was quite a spectacle to watch. A massive bang followed by fire and showers of sparks plus loads of vile smelling smoke.
someone on Pistonheads said their small business went to the wall/everyone out of a job because a girl at the office used a cheap charger for her phone/left it in and it burnt down the building. Insurance didn't pay out as not PAC(?) H&S tested.
China Export (for those wondering) but it seems to be a myth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CE_marking#China_Export
I always charge mine in an ovenproof cast iron dish lid. Always whilst we are up in the evening - never whilst asleep.
Look up the story about what the CE mark
[img] 
[/img]
two very different 'standards'
Totally trust my gloworm battery
This is foolhardy. It maybe that the better quality battery/charger combos are less of a risk, they are still a risk. And probably a much higher risk than most things in a house.
Sourcing Lipo's from reputable sources doesn't guarantee you won't have issues
http://www.cnet.com/news/faa-grounds-boeings-787-dreamliner-after-battery-fires/
This is foolhardy. It maybe that the better quality battery/charger combos are less of a risk, they are still a risk. And probably a much higher risk than most things in a house.
+1. As I said earlier- I don't leave my Samsung branded charger alone let alone a cheaper Chinese one.
I bought a cheap iphone charger off a market that exploded - not as dramatically as the OP but still pretty scary. Also had a cheap laptop charger set on fire.
Genuine branded/quality chargers only for me now!
This is true, for perspective.It maybe that the better quality battery/charger combos are less of a risk, they are still a risk. And probably a much higher risk than most things in a house.
It is a myth but it's based on how common a CE mark that means nothing is - ie no testing or standards passed, so very much a gamble on safety or quality. Back to the old 'which Chinese suppliers are OK' Q rather than buying products where quality is assumed.China Export (for those wondering) but it seems to be a myth
Glad youre ok, worktops can be replaced, now go out and buy some SMOKE ALARMS, or phone the local fire brigade who will come out and fit them free all for a few cups of tea.
Insurance didn't pay out as not PAC(?) H&S tested.
Should be PAT (Portable Appliance Test). Compulsory annual test for businesses.
I bought a cheap iphone charger off a market that exploded - not as dramatically as the OP but still pretty scary. Also had a cheap laptop charger set on fire.
Bad call, but at least you learnt your lesson. Also be careful where you buy your branded chargers from - lots of fake ones around too
Some of these lights are a classic combo of crappy battery and crappy charger. Wonder which is most to blame? I've had good use from cheaper lights but I've got a good quality charger (from a higher end magicshine) so all the cheap chargers went straight in the bin.
Glad youre ok, worktops can be replaced, now go out and buy some SMOKE ALARMS
Yep, amazes me how many people still don't have them.
This is why I charge my lights at DeadlyDarcy's house.
Edit: OP didn't have smoke alarms? 😯
For USB chargers if in doubt just go to an Apple store and buy a genuine apple one. They don't cost much.
Other branded ones should be good but buying any on-line opens you up to the risk of a fake.
What kind of chargers do these lights need? (voltage, current)
same experience for me two years ago...
the charger of my magicshine melted and batteries went red hot,
it was just luck that it only burnt the floor..
the light itself is still fine until today..
had a lupine light before, an early one from 2001 (nightmare LiOn), halo no led and stupidly expensive but ..
had this unit in use for 11 years charging it two times per week during spring/winter/fall time..and constantly on the charger during the summer months...never had any problems, never thought about..
so meanwhile I think you get what you pay for according to chargers and batteries...but know of course that some forum members here see this different.. 😉
A timer switch is another good idea. Only allow them to charge for a few hours at a time, they are most likely to go bang when hot.
Always charge the dubious origin stuff in a nice big tin.
Is this a hidden benefit of exposure lights with the built in metal case?
Probably not, and probably not from a biscuit tin either.
Batteries are made up cells made up of 2 electrodes, and a chemical. When in normal use the chemical reacts with the electrodes and generate current, when chargeing the opposite happens. A really simple one is the lead-acid battery. Sulphuric acid in the solution splits into H+ and SO4-2 ions at the electrodes, generating the voltage (theres a voltage even with nothing connected to the terminals), the flow of current when you complete the circuit allows the reaction to occour forming the ions.
When you short circuit a cell/battery (which is what happens inside the cell when it fails, the eledctrodes/chemicals are all allowed to react freely) you're releasing all that stored energy nearly instantaneously. LiPo cells have a vent designed to relieve the pressure and contain as much of the battery as possible in the event it blows up.
At best an aluminuum torch body would be burnt through in seconds.
OP didn't have smoke alarms?
I know. ****ing crackers. Especially when you consider you can have a few sherbets, come home from a night out (or long ride) and sleep very soundly.
but buying any on-line opens you up to the risk of a fake.
Nothing wrong with buying online from a reputable source e.g. apple store. It's when you buy from some random fleabayer at a price that is too good to be true.
Interesting that someone mentioned PAT testing earlier.
I took the liberty of having several chargers tested by the chap doing our office a few years back & both the ebay specials were binned there and then. IIRC the readings were a bit 'intermittent' so it was a case of waiting for them to actually decide when they were going to fail.
The ones I have from Smudge & Exposure were fine.
Nothing wrong with buying online from a reputable source e.g. apple store. It's when you buy from some random fleabayer at a price that is too good to be true.
...or a Amazon reseller.