"And THEN, I got into RC OCEAN LINERS, and RC Ocean Liners are. HUGE. They used to run on COAL, but they take HUGE BATTERIES, and you have to learn to use them. I've never had a problem." Until now -shows a Escalade size-LiPo battery pack. 🔋
I ALWAYS charge my lipos in a lipo sack. I had a fire at a retail RC place I worked. I strongly advised them to use a lipo sack to charge, but they blew me off. I was charging some cheap lipos from CHYNA one day. I was out of the room I was charging the batteries in when I heard the fire alarm go off. I looked in that room and saw fire! I grabbed a fire extinguisher and put it out. LESSON LEARNED: CHEAP CHYNA LIPOS ARE DANGEROUS!!!!! USE A LIPO SACK! Great PSA Steve! We need people like you to give us incite on what could happen if you do not have procedures in place for charging these powerful but dangerous batteries.
Steve, thank you for sharing that experience with us! Had an Lipo Fire myself a few years ago, luckily the batteries were in an ammo can and a Lipo Bag. But those cans tend to get extreme hot on the outside, so the carpet beneath actually caught fire because of the extreme heat. It seems a lot of your cans are standing on carpet as well, from my perpective I would recommend putting ceramic plates under those as well. Anyway, keep up your great work and stay safe!
Fantastic video... everyone into this hobby should watch it. As an electronics tech, I have one rule for lipos and li-ions: they charge in my proximity so I can babysit them and take care of any little problems before they become big problems. Any hint of an issue and they're gone. Had one of my Mini 2 batteries start flashing an overvoltage error earlier this year - it immediately got replaced. I've had a few of those off brand Nikon camera batteries swell up on me as well - zero tolerance for that too (gotta be REAL careful with those).
My disaster took place in an hotel room at a large upscale hotel. I left a lipo charging for just a couple minutes and when I came back the room was fully engulfed in flames. It spread to multiple floors and the sprinklers caused further damage flooding the hotel, and somehow even flooded the elevators. A life changing moment to say the least.
Always very helpful hearing how these batteries go up. Broken chargers should fail-safe. You just forced me into buying a ex army ammo box to store them in. Thank you
I had a cheap helicopter with a built in battery, not knowing much because I was a newbie and I left it plugged in to the charger thinking it would stop charging. One night came home and flipped on the light switch which the charger was hooked up to the circuit. Same thing, it just exploded and it caught extension cords, cardboard boxes,and no fire extinguisher! It was the basement with cement floor, I took a blanket to snuff out most of the fire and threw some burning items into the middle of the floor away from everything, but it was so smoky and only 1 window opened and the room was full of smoke, I was starting to lose consciousness and had to get out but had to make sure the fire was out before I could leave. But I finally got it under control, ran upstairs to fresh air. It was so close to killing me and burning the house down. I learned my lesson. Also got lipo bags and ammo boxes which is where they're stored now. Don't buy anything with internal batteries! You can't see the battery if it's puffy or not. Be careful and get a fire extinguisher also! Lipo fires are no joke.
I have always been Skeptical and Paranoid when charging of the non Smart Lipos, and always placing them on a non flammable surface when charging, but now I will be even more Cautious thanks to this Video. Thank you for saving us from having a Mayor Lipo accident.
Sorry for your fire but very appreciative of your analysis and advice. You have stirred my awareness and need to review all possible heat sources, flammable materials and emergency procedures. GREAT JOB CAPTAIN!
I've blown glass off and on for 20 years or so. When I'm building a fireproof area, I use ceramic HardieBacker cement board to line the wall and for the table surface. Not expensive, could be useful setting up a charging area
Man you are lucky, thanks for teaching us something most of us never think about. Here in the States (not sure about top of the world where you are) Harbor Freight sales lots of sizes of ammo cans and cheap
This is a extremely important video. The awareness safety equipment and procedures we all should take very serious. In the 80’s we lost our 3 year old son and my mom to a house fire that started by faulty wiring in the attic. Be prepared purchase the best necessary equipment and train everyone in the home how to use it and full preparedness for any situation. Thanks Captain
THANK YOU! As I am watching this video, I glance down at my 3 DJI smart batteries that I left to charge overnight WHILE I SLEPT!!!!! I always charge my batteries overnight, which means that if they do catch fire, I will be asleep when and IF my fire detector goes off!!! From now on, I will place my battery charger in my bathtub, which I believe is a safer place for it to be if it does catch fire.
Although I do not have drones that use lipo batteries, I do have communication equipment that uses them. I always take the precaution of charging the batteries outside on the balcony of the apartment to prevent them from catching fire. Thank God that you had the precaution of having a fire extinguisher. within your reach, later you will laugh at the incident and be thankful that your house did not burn down. "Sry 4 my bad english"
And now that you showed us all the batteries you have, I totally understand why you label every single one of them! OMG, the "logistics" behind the correct use and storage of each and every one is mind blowing!!! Great informations, very happy for the minimal damages in an event that could have gone much MUCH worse!!! 😲
Much needed video for all of us, not just newbies. I've been in the RC hobby since 2005 and I've had 2 lipo fires. One with a 1s batteries and a 4 cell lipo. Even a 1s lipo will surprise you with the fire that comes out of it. The 4 cell was crazy but I had it is a glass container so nothing was burnt but it did vent some flames out. So NEVER charge your batteries unattended.
Excellent information Steve! As soon as I viewed your video I went out and got an ammo box. Now with the Lipo bags and the ammo box I feel totally safe. Thanks again for the info
This is one of your most important videos. Thank you for sharing. I am immediately updating my charging station and am ordering more photoelectric smoke detectors. Thank you and glad your experience was not catastrophic!
Important episode! Anyone who owns any kind of LIPO battery should watch this and give serious consideration their own setup and precautions. Thanks so much for sharing your experience and relieved to hear everything is ok.
Glad you caught it early Steve, smoke detectors are a must in domestic properties. Here is a good tip - I to have two charging stations in my workshop. I purchased 2 fire blankets and covered the surfaces of my charging area and charge my batteries on top of these. They come in 2 sizes, 1m x 1m or 2m x 2m. If you get the larger ones you can fold them over the batteries whilst charging, this will act as a damper if you get an ignition.
I am so happy/glad you're safe!!! You are way too important to have an accident. We would miss you so much 💓 😢. Thank you for your time, because it is yours and you give it to us.
Man so glad you are OK! When I used to fly rc planes one of our guys had a plane with two 6s lipo's in it. It caught fire in the air and when it hit the ground it burned for like 30 minutes. It was pretty bad can't imagine if they would of been in a house. I sometimes worry about my drone batteries even though they discharge.
Sorry about the fire. But thanks for the reminder. I used to be extremely cautious but I've grown a bit lax. This is a great wakeup call. I'm gonna share with my RC friends. Thanks again
Superb information Steve, unfortunately at the expense of your heart rate! It just proves how vital every precaution is and that we can all become a little complacent! I am most definitely re-evaluating my setup for sure. Thank you!
I charge my smart batteries on a old restaurant stainless prep table and store all my drone batteries in Lipo bags and ammo boxes. Thank goodness the damage was minimal for you. This is a great PSA for people.
Thank God your home didn’t burn down. Info for you are that Ionization smoke detectors are very sensitive to particles of fire or smoke in the air and are used in computer rooms and Photoelectric smoke detectors need to see smoke in its chamber. It operates by using an LED light that has to reflect the light by using the smoke to a receiver for it to go off. The location of the smoke detector are important also. Stay safe Steve. From Steven B.
I sure am glad you caught the fire, before it was too late. I had a small fire , similar circumstance, with a cheap usb charger, " which I don't use anymore"", It over-charged a 1S which caught fire, and even though it was only a 1S , it still melted the charging plug , and cable. . I didn't know about those little can extinguishers, or the photo-type detectors. I am going to order some .
Thanks Steve for sharing your experience. Makes you rethink your safety measures. I’ll certainly be purchasing extras as in your list you kindly shared. So glad you managed to contain it. Best wishes, stay safe and happy flying my friend. 😊👍😎
So glad you were able to get the fire out and thank you for sharing what happened. The whole experience has made you even more cautious which is good anyway. I like your charging setup on a tiled surface. I think many of us will have learnt something from this. Cheers 🇦🇺
Thank you for sharing your experience. It has spurred me to action. I have ordered fire safe containers for my LiPo batteries. You may have saved some family's home and/or lives with this video 👍👍
Glad to hear that the incident went ok at the end .. be safe buddy and thanks for sharing what you went through. Back in 2007 a former engineer at GM who works later as web forum administrator in the traxxas forum advised me to be a quality and nothing less than quality lipo charger , the Hyperion and thanks to him that charger still working until this day and detecting every single malfunction cell ever charged through all these years past .
Smoke alarms do have a finite lifetime, some are 10 years. I recently replaced my smoke detectors with dual sensor units, ion and photo electric. I don’t leave the house if RC lipo batteries are charging. I now know what I going to be using my extra ceramic floor tiles for, thanks Captain! Drone talk needs to be a regular feature! 👍
Great information, in one short video you saved me hundreds if not thousands of dollars. I will forget helicopters, boats, submarines, cars, FPV, etc. I will stick to my Air 2 for risky flights and my Mavic 3 for quality video and forget all the stuff that would make me have to figure everything out, then burn the house down... 😂
This is a Very important video that needs to be seen. You used the single word we cannot take for granted….. Complacent! Glad this wasn’t worse. Thanks for informing us Steve.
Thanks for the video Steve. After reading your blog the other day. I already ordered 3 battery safe bags for Air 2S battery. I like the ceramic square set up. Glad everything turned out okay for your family..........👍
Just to add a thought to all the great comments and suggestions. Don't store your fire extinguisher so close to the possible source of the fire that you could be prevented from reaching it by the fire itself.
Many thanks for this Steve. Although you've got a big setup it's certainly a wake-up call for all those amateur enthusiasts with one or two RC units lying around the house. Glad everything worked out for you, you've certainly got some gear there :-)
Glad you're alive it could have been bad I've had three fires in my house so far from LiPO batteries from fpv drones I guess it's my fault for using them cheap charging boards to charge multiple batteries but I normally I've had no problems I've been applying for like 5 years not bad fires except for one of them one of them smoke the whole house I fell asleep charging and the whole house was all smoke could see nothing anyways the other times I just grabbed that charger and threw it outside and the time that was really bad I was only storage charging them so they're pretty much already dead well glad you're alive make sure everybody stay safe
Advice: have a test plan for your smoke detectors ( each 6 month ). Then you know the sound of the detectors. Furthermore my house alarm picks Up the sound of the smoke detectors and the app on my phone reports the alarm. Thanks for all your info. I learned a lot off you and have great sky.
Thanks for the links to the Photoelectric Smoke Alarms. Ours are all the crappy chemical reaction type, which before this video, had no idea they were crap! 👍
One other thing you might want is a ground fault receptacle where you plug your chargers in. I once had a battery blow with a cheap quad proprietary charger ,in my garage.
Unfortunately since the ground is not affected when charging batteries that suddenly go on fire, there is no effect, unless of course there is a short.
Lipos require a lot more attention compared to the old NiCD and NiMH especially the fragile soft packs. I'm really surprised there aren't more fires happening with them. I have lots of Lipos at my residence and have to constantly remind myself of the dangers.
perfect information Steve, yesterday i nearly had a li-po battery explode i was sitting right by it and there was a strange smell i looked at it and the wires was starting to melt. the charging light was still on it should have gone of when charged. so i was lucky it didn't explode so great advice Captain.
The Gods were looking down on you Steve. A valuable lesson learned and shared, thank you! The only comment I will make is I store my individual battery's in small fire proof bags and then in a larger fireproof bag ( belt and braces is a common UK term). Stuffing lots of unprotected battery's inside a fireproof bag only needs one to malfunction to start a chain reaction. Sorry to be a portent of gloom but I couldn't help notice your unprotected timber basement ceiling. I know it would be a ball ache of a job but I would have to cover any timbers with fire proof plaster boarding. I think it's called base board across the pond. Thanks again for the cautionary tale and so pleased you caught it all in time.
Glad you're safe, and thanks for using the experience as a reminder it can happen to anyone - a call to action ! I watched the video, then morning creating an outside space where my lipos can now be charged and stored on concrete/stone shelves with tiles above and below. I will sleep a bit better, as Ive been thinking about doing something for a while, as charging in my office in the house was not going to end well IF there was a fire. new solution is probably not perfect, but much safer... and can always be improved with time optical smoke sensor is a good idea, and might also invest in a couple of batsafes. thanks again, stay safe everyone.
btw: one thing, I noticed you store a lot of batteries together... are you not concerned about a chain reaction? one lipo going up, is relatively short life (but massive heat), but it also compromise any other battery around it.... I doubt the lipo bags will do much, from what Ive seen on other RUclips videos.... not sure the best solution, can't isolate every battery - so a compromise of how many to store together. that said, I think charging is the most likely place to start, and so isolating that, as you have, from storage is a really good idea.
I fully expect a lipo chain reaction. The fire I put out was a total of 3 batteries... one caught fire, and the heat caused the other two batteries sitting nearby to catch fire. The solution to any lipo fire is containment and quick reaction. AMMO cans will contain the fire, but it will be darn hot. It gives you time to react to the fire. This is why in each ammo can are lipo bags that further contain the fire.
Glad to hear you are safe and your house is okay with minimal damage. I personally don't charge in the house so my "charging station" is a metal cart with 3 levels. The top level has the charger, middle level holds the power supply connected to a heavy duty extension cord, and the lower level has my ammo can (with the seal partially removed and lipo bags inside). It even has a spot for me to put my ABC fire extinguisher. I roll the cart outside away from any other objects to charge and roll it back in the garage when I'm done. If you have a home security system I recommend looking for photoelectric smoke detectors that can be integrated into the security system. I have a wireless one that goes right above the spot where I store my metal cart + ammo can, and when it goes off it sets off the entire alarm system, even if the alarm is not armed. That way, if I have a case of spontaneous combustion when I'm not home, at least the smoke detector will set off the alarm and that will summon the fire department. Plus the siren from the alarm system is ear-piercingly loud, there is NO WAY I can ignore that.
Hey Steve, thanks for this great video. I thought I was prepared. WRONG. I do store my non-Smart batteries in a LiPo bag. However I do store my DJI batteries in the cases after I have put them into Storage mode. The info on the smoke detectors and Fire extinguisher was real good. Hopefully everyone will re-evaluate their set ups. Again thanks for the Wake Up call.
So glad to hear that everything OK in the end and thank you for your tips and knowledge God bless take care stay safe ! Love the ceramic tile ,I use the cement bored but ceramics way better.
Lol learning curve is understatement I'm a noob to FPV and this is my main concern!!! Thanks for the info and I bought a lipo bag and fire extinguisher with my very first purchase of a lipo battery. Glad your ok and your home survived!!!
Oh fun. Thanks for bringing this to mind, as I'm brand new to this hobby and this seems to be CRITICAL information. For the 2s lipos I'm about the start using, I'll use tiles (already have these), and I've ordered lipo bags (two small, one larger to for double protection), and a one of the spray-type fire extinguishers. There is a good, newish detector pretty much right above where I plan to charge. I may run by my local surplus shop to see what they charge for ammo boxes.
Captain, my Captain...thank you!! This was one of my major worries about getting further into the FPV hobby - although just making my first experiences in acro mode with Mabel(DJI FPV). This shows how you can never be too careful but NOW, when I go for something stupid like a big 7" cruiser of a kind, I won't be so afeared! Many thanks 👻👻💕💕
Thanks for doing this. I think charging and battery care is thought of as secondary when it comes to this hobby and it can really be bad if something goes wrong. People that are new to the hobby may not realize how dangerous it can be.
"And THEN, I got into RC OCEAN LINERS, and RC Ocean Liners are. HUGE. They used to run on COAL, but they take HUGE BATTERIES, and you have to learn to use them. I've never had a problem." Until now -shows a Escalade size-LiPo battery pack. 🔋
I ALWAYS charge my lipos in a lipo sack. I had a fire at a retail RC place I worked. I strongly advised them to use a lipo sack to charge, but they blew me off. I was charging some cheap lipos from CHYNA one day. I was out of the room I was charging the batteries in when I heard the fire alarm go off. I looked in that room and saw fire! I grabbed a fire extinguisher and put it out. LESSON LEARNED: CHEAP CHYNA LIPOS ARE DANGEROUS!!!!! USE A LIPO SACK! Great PSA Steve! We need people like you to give us incite on what could happen if you do not have procedures in place for charging these powerful but dangerous batteries.
I started in ground 1:16 with a b6 charger and am now working on my first quad with a T100.
Thank you for the heads up, never gave much thought to batteries I have on charge but now it has my attention.
Steve, thank you for sharing that experience with us! Had an Lipo Fire myself a few years ago, luckily the batteries were in an ammo can and a Lipo Bag. But those cans tend to get extreme hot on the outside, so the carpet beneath actually caught fire because of the extreme heat. It seems a lot of your cans are standing on carpet as well, from my perpective I would recommend putting ceramic plates under those as well. Anyway, keep up your great work and stay safe!
Good point about placing cans on ceramic!
Fantastic video... everyone into this hobby should watch it. As an electronics tech, I have one rule for lipos and li-ions: they charge in my proximity so I can babysit them and take care of any little problems before they become big problems. Any hint of an issue and they're gone. Had one of my Mini 2 batteries start flashing an overvoltage error earlier this year - it immediately got replaced. I've had a few of those off brand Nikon camera batteries swell up on me as well - zero tolerance for that too (gotta be REAL careful with those).
My disaster took place in an hotel room at a large upscale hotel. I left a lipo charging for just a couple minutes and when I came back the room was fully engulfed in flames. It spread to multiple floors and the sprinklers caused further damage flooding the hotel, and somehow even flooded the elevators. A life changing moment to say the least.
Yikes! That sounds wild!
Thanks. A Great Education Video to remind us Never to take batteries for granted.
Always very helpful hearing how these batteries go up. Broken chargers should fail-safe. You just forced me into buying a ex army ammo box to store them in.
Thank you
As far as smoke alarms go, I ordered one that is wifi enabled. It will send an alarm on my phone as well. Good if your far away or not at home...
I had a cheap helicopter with a built in battery, not knowing much because I was a newbie and I left it plugged in to the charger thinking it would stop charging. One night came home and flipped on the light switch which the charger was hooked up to the circuit. Same thing, it just exploded and it caught extension cords, cardboard boxes,and no fire extinguisher! It was the basement with cement floor, I took a blanket to snuff out most of the fire and threw some burning items into the middle of the floor away from everything, but it was so smoky and only 1 window opened and the room was full of smoke, I was starting to lose consciousness and had to get out but had to make sure the fire was out before I could leave. But I finally got it under control, ran upstairs to fresh air. It was so close to killing me and burning the house down. I learned my lesson. Also got lipo bags and ammo boxes which is where they're stored now. Don't buy anything with internal batteries! You can't see the battery if it's puffy or not. Be careful and get a fire extinguisher also! Lipo fires are no joke.
Well done, Steve - this is information everyone in each of these hobbies needs to know!
I have always been Skeptical and Paranoid when charging of the non Smart Lipos, and always placing them on a non flammable surface when charging, but now I will be even more Cautious thanks to this Video.
Thank you for saving us from having a Mayor Lipo accident.
Sorry for your fire but very appreciative of your analysis and advice. You have stirred my awareness and need to review all possible heat sources, flammable materials and emergency procedures.
GREAT JOB CAPTAIN!
I've blown glass off and on for 20 years or so. When I'm building a fireproof area, I use ceramic HardieBacker cement board to line the wall and for the table surface. Not expensive, could be useful setting up a charging area
Man you are lucky, thanks for teaching us something most of us never think about. Here in the States (not sure about top of the world where you are) Harbor Freight sales lots of sizes of ammo cans and cheap
This is a extremely important video. The awareness safety equipment and procedures we all should take very serious. In the 80’s we lost our 3 year old son and my mom to a house fire that started by faulty wiring in the attic. Be prepared purchase the best necessary equipment and train everyone in the home how to use it and full preparedness for any situation.
Thanks Captain
So very sorry for your lose. Thank you for sharing.
THANK YOU!
As I am watching this video, I glance down at my 3 DJI smart batteries that I left to charge overnight WHILE I SLEPT!!!!! I always charge my batteries overnight, which means that if they do catch fire, I will be asleep when and IF my fire detector goes off!!!
From now on, I will place my battery charger in my bathtub, which I believe is a safer place for it to be if it does catch fire.
Although I do not have drones that use lipo batteries, I do have communication equipment that uses them. I always take the precaution of charging the batteries outside on the balcony of the apartment to prevent them from catching fire. Thank God that you had the precaution of having a fire extinguisher. within your reach, later you will laugh at the incident and be thankful that your house did not burn down. "Sry 4 my bad english"
First of all, glad you had no damage to your home. Secondly, your RC hobby is massively impressive !! Happy flying, driving, sailing !!!
And now that you showed us all the batteries you have, I totally understand why you label every single one of them!
OMG, the "logistics" behind the correct use and storage of each and every one is mind blowing!!!
Great informations, very happy for the minimal damages in an event that could have gone much MUCH worse!!! 😲
Thanks for this,Cap lucky little carpet and leg hair all I lost!
Thankyou great vid on lipo batteries.very interesting. Better be safe then sorry...
Much needed video for all of us, not just newbies. I've been in the RC hobby since 2005 and I've had 2 lipo fires. One with a 1s batteries and a 4 cell lipo. Even a 1s lipo will surprise you with the fire that comes out of it. The 4 cell was crazy but I had it is a glass container so nothing was burnt but it did vent some flames out.
So NEVER charge your batteries unattended.
Yikes…glad that you were able to put out the fire. Thanks for the head up on charging your lipo and all batteries
Excellent information Steve! As soon as I viewed your video I went out and got an ammo box. Now with the Lipo bags and the ammo box I feel totally safe. Thanks again for the info
This is one of your most important videos. Thank you for sharing. I am immediately updating my charging station and am ordering more photoelectric smoke detectors. Thank you and glad your experience was not catastrophic!
Important episode! Anyone who owns any kind of LIPO battery should watch this and give serious consideration their own setup and precautions. Thanks so much for sharing your experience and relieved to hear everything is ok.
Glad you caught it early Steve, smoke detectors are a must in domestic properties. Here is a good tip - I to have two charging stations in my workshop. I purchased 2 fire blankets and covered the surfaces of my charging area and charge my batteries on top of these. They come in 2 sizes, 1m x 1m or 2m x 2m. If you get the larger ones you can fold them over the batteries whilst charging, this will act as a damper if you get an ignition.
I have a link to a similar item below the vid. I don’t have one but it is certainly a good idea.
I like the fire blanket better than the fire extinguisher for such a "point source" ignition. Thanks for sharing!
Wow glad everything worked out . Good thing you were home when it happened and you were awake. Looks like you have all safety protocols covered now!
I am so happy/glad you're safe!!! You are way too important to have an accident. We would miss you so much 💓 😢. Thank you for your time, because it is yours and you give it to us.
Glad you, family and house are safe. Just goes to show you that you can never be that careful. Great reminder. Thank you for sharing this with us!!
Thanks Steve for the great video . It started me thinking about my battery and bad charging practices . Glad you and family are safe .
Man so glad you are OK! When I used to fly rc planes one of our guys had a plane with two 6s lipo's in it. It caught fire in the air and when it hit the ground it burned for like 30 minutes. It was pretty bad can't imagine if they would of been in a house. I sometimes worry about my drone batteries even though they discharge.
Thanks for this one. Purchased Lipo bags that can accommodate Autel or DJI charging rigs. They have a sealable hole for the wire to the mains.
Sorry about the fire. But thanks for the reminder. I used to be extremely cautious but I've grown a bit lax. This is a great wakeup call. I'm gonna share with my RC friends. Thanks again
Superb information Steve, unfortunately at the expense of your heart rate!
It just proves how vital every precaution is and that we can all become a little complacent!
I am most definitely re-evaluating my setup for sure. Thank you!
I charge my smart batteries on a old restaurant stainless prep table and store all my drone batteries in Lipo bags and ammo boxes. Thank goodness the damage was minimal for you. This is a great PSA for people.
I am happy to hear that you are all right safe and sound❤
Thank God your home didn’t burn down. Info for you are that Ionization smoke detectors are very sensitive to particles of fire or smoke in the air and are used in computer rooms and Photoelectric smoke detectors need to see smoke in its chamber. It operates by using an LED light that has to reflect the light by using the smoke to a receiver for it to go off. The location of the smoke detector are important also. Stay safe Steve.
From Steven B.
Thank you sir Steve. Presence of mind will save us from more harm. Good you have that stuff too to put fire off.
A cautionary tale! I am glad that I am seeing it here with its safe resolution, rather than on the local news! Keep Safe!
Oh God, I sooo agree! Thanks
Wow, scary Steve! I'm doing several things wrong, that I will be correcting. Glad there was no major damage!
Great reminder!
So many battery in or daily life,In cars,phone,computer,camera,drone,weed eaters …
We can’t be too careful.
Thank God your Ok!
I sure am glad you caught the fire, before it was too late. I had a small fire , similar circumstance, with a cheap usb charger, " which I don't use anymore"", It over-charged a 1S which caught fire, and even though it was only a 1S , it still melted the charging plug , and cable. . I didn't know about those little can extinguishers, or the photo-type detectors. I am going to order some .
Thanks Steve for sharing your experience. Makes you rethink your safety measures. I’ll certainly be purchasing extras as in your list you kindly shared. So glad you managed to contain it. Best wishes, stay safe and happy flying my friend. 😊👍😎
Great info. Being safe is important. Happy safe flying , Captain
Great precautionary video , but I worry about if no one is home.
99% of the time lipo battery issues occur during charging or while in use under load. When sitting around and not being used they should be fine.
Have a good weekend
Best video I ever watched and I say that to say if My house burned down I would care less about RC hobbies. You rock Cap
Thanks for sharing. I thought I was careful but you gave me new ideas to improve my charging set up
So glad you were able to get the fire out and thank you for sharing what happened. The whole experience has made you even more cautious which is good anyway. I like your charging setup on a tiled surface. I think many of us will have learnt something from this. Cheers 🇦🇺
Thank you for sharing your experience. It has spurred me to action. I have ordered fire safe containers for my LiPo batteries. You may have saved some family's home and/or lives with this video 👍👍
Glad to hear that the incident went ok at the end .. be safe buddy and thanks for sharing what you went through. Back in 2007 a former engineer at GM who works later as web forum administrator in the traxxas forum advised me to be a quality and nothing less than quality lipo charger , the Hyperion and thanks to him that charger still working until this day and detecting every single malfunction cell ever charged through all these years past .
Thanks for the heads up Steve.
Thank you for the information and I'm glad your house is still standing.
This could have been a real disaster but your common sense and forward planning paid off. Warning understood and alarm now ordered.
It's great that you're safe and sound. Really admire your passion for the hobby!
Smoke alarms do have a finite lifetime, some are 10 years. I recently replaced my smoke detectors with dual sensor units, ion and photo electric. I don’t leave the house if RC lipo batteries are charging. I now know what I going to be using my extra ceramic floor tiles for, thanks Captain! Drone talk needs to be a regular feature! 👍
Great information, in one short video you saved me hundreds if not thousands of dollars. I will forget helicopters, boats, submarines, cars, FPV, etc. I will stick to my Air 2 for risky flights and my Mavic 3 for quality video and forget all the stuff that would make me have to figure everything out, then burn the house down... 😂
This is a Very important video that needs to be seen. You used the single word we cannot take for granted….. Complacent! Glad this wasn’t worse. Thanks for informing us Steve.
Your Battery Setup and studio is 10/10 glag you caught the fire before it spread!
YIKES! Glad you and your family are safe....certainly has scared me into taking action!
I enjoy watching your channel. It provided me with a lot of useful information.
Thanks for the video Steve. After reading your blog the other day. I already ordered 3 battery safe bags for Air 2S battery. I like the ceramic square set up. Glad everything turned out okay for your family..........👍
Just to add a thought to all the great comments and suggestions. Don't store your fire extinguisher so close to the possible source of the fire that you could be prevented from reaching it by the fire itself.
Thanks for your transparency you are one of the best thank you very much
Glad you were home to act fast and put it out.
Thanks for your video and thank God you didn’t have a really bad situation. ✌️
Many thanks for this Steve. Although you've got a big setup it's certainly a wake-up call for all those amateur enthusiasts with one or two RC units lying around the house. Glad everything worked out for you, you've certainly got some gear there :-)
Glad you're alive it could have been bad I've had three fires in my house so far from LiPO batteries from fpv drones I guess it's my fault for using them cheap charging boards to charge multiple batteries but I normally I've had no problems I've been applying for like 5 years not bad fires except for one of them one of them smoke the whole house I fell asleep charging and the whole house was all smoke could see nothing anyways the other times I just grabbed that charger and threw it outside and the time that was really bad I was only storage charging them so they're pretty much already dead well glad you're alive make sure everybody stay safe
Thanks Captain drone, I shall take your warnings to heart and store my batteries more appropriately and follow your advice. Thank you so much.
Advice: have a test plan for your smoke detectors ( each 6 month ). Then you know the sound of the detectors. Furthermore my house alarm picks Up the sound of the smoke detectors and the app on my phone reports the alarm. Thanks for all your info. I learned a lot off you and have great sky.
Glad that everything worked out ok and your all safe, thanks for sharing Cap 👍
Thanks for the links to the Photoelectric Smoke Alarms. Ours are all the crappy chemical reaction type, which before this video, had no idea they were crap! 👍
One other thing you might want is a ground fault receptacle where you plug your chargers in. I once had a battery blow with a cheap quad proprietary charger ,in my garage.
Unfortunately since the ground is not affected when charging batteries that suddenly go on fire, there is no effect, unless of course there is a short.
Lipos require a lot more attention compared to the old NiCD and NiMH especially the fragile soft packs. I'm really surprised there aren't more fires happening with them. I have lots of Lipos at my residence and have to constantly remind myself of the dangers.
scary stuff glad your ok
good to know that your safe and property and stuff are saved..
im one of those silent viewers of yours.
perfect information Steve, yesterday i nearly had a li-po battery explode i was sitting right by it and there was a strange smell i looked at it and the wires was starting to melt. the charging light was still on it should have gone of when charged. so i was lucky it didn't explode so great advice Captain.
Omgosh Captain I am so happy you and your family are alright. God bless you 😇
Sorry about your fire Steve. Excellent Information! Thank You.
Glad you’re ok. Stay safe.
Been there, Keep smiling
Thank you so much for the video. It happened to me twice but I heard a kind of explosion then was able to put the fire off.
The Gods were looking down on you Steve. A valuable lesson learned and shared, thank you!
The only comment I will make is I store my individual battery's in small fire proof bags and then in a larger fireproof bag ( belt and braces is a common UK term).
Stuffing lots of unprotected battery's inside a fireproof bag only needs one to malfunction to start a chain reaction.
Sorry to be a portent of gloom but I couldn't help notice your unprotected timber basement ceiling. I know it would be a ball ache of a job but I would have to cover any timbers with fire proof plaster boarding. I think it's called base board across the pond.
Thanks again for the cautionary tale and so pleased you caught it all in time.
Correct. One can never be too safe, there are always improvements possible.
Glad you're safe, and thanks for using the experience as a reminder it can happen to anyone - a call to action !
I watched the video, then morning creating an outside space where my lipos can now be charged and stored on concrete/stone shelves with tiles above and below.
I will sleep a bit better, as Ive been thinking about doing something for a while, as charging in my office in the house was not going to end well IF there was a fire.
new solution is probably not perfect, but much safer... and can always be improved with time
optical smoke sensor is a good idea, and might also invest in a couple of batsafes.
thanks again, stay safe everyone.
btw: one thing, I noticed you store a lot of batteries together... are you not concerned about a chain reaction?
one lipo going up, is relatively short life (but massive heat), but it also compromise any other battery around it.... I doubt the lipo bags will do much, from what Ive seen on other RUclips videos.... not sure the best solution, can't isolate every battery - so a compromise of how many to store together.
that said, I think charging is the most likely place to start, and so isolating that, as you have, from storage is a really good idea.
I fully expect a lipo chain reaction. The fire I put out was a total of 3 batteries... one caught fire, and the heat caused the other two batteries sitting nearby to catch fire. The solution to any lipo fire is containment and quick reaction. AMMO cans will contain the fire, but it will be darn hot. It gives you time to react to the fire. This is why in each ammo can are lipo bags that further contain the fire.
Really good information enjoy the weekend
Glad to hear you are safe and your house is okay with minimal damage. I personally don't charge in the house so my "charging station" is a metal cart with 3 levels. The top level has the charger, middle level holds the power supply connected to a heavy duty extension cord, and the lower level has my ammo can (with the seal partially removed and lipo bags inside). It even has a spot for me to put my ABC fire extinguisher. I roll the cart outside away from any other objects to charge and roll it back in the garage when I'm done. If you have a home security system I recommend looking for photoelectric smoke detectors that can be integrated into the security system. I have a wireless one that goes right above the spot where I store my metal cart + ammo can, and when it goes off it sets off the entire alarm system, even if the alarm is not armed. That way, if I have a case of spontaneous combustion when I'm not home, at least the smoke detector will set off the alarm and that will summon the fire department. Plus the siren from the alarm system is ear-piercingly loud, there is NO WAY I can ignore that.
Hey Steve, thanks for this great video. I thought I was prepared. WRONG. I do store my non-Smart batteries in a LiPo bag. However I do store my DJI batteries in the cases after I have put them into Storage mode. The info on the smoke detectors and Fire extinguisher was real good. Hopefully everyone will re-evaluate their set ups. Again thanks for the Wake Up call.
So glad to hear that everything OK in the end and thank you for your tips and knowledge God bless take care stay safe ! Love the ceramic tile ,I use the cement bored but ceramics way better.
Thanks! the fpv community doesn't really have much info on battery safety....I will recommend this video to every drone beginner &
student
Lol learning curve is understatement I'm a noob to FPV and this is my main concern!!! Thanks for the info and I bought a lipo bag and fire extinguisher with my very first purchase of a lipo battery. Glad your ok and your home survived!!!
Oh fun. Thanks for bringing this to mind, as I'm brand new to this hobby and this seems to be CRITICAL information. For the 2s lipos I'm about the start using, I'll use tiles (already have these), and I've ordered lipo bags (two small, one larger to for double protection), and a one of the spray-type fire extinguishers. There is a good, newish detector pretty much right above where I plan to charge. I may run by my local surplus shop to see what they charge for ammo boxes.
Thank you for posting this. This may be the most important video you've done. I know I will be making changes.
Wow, so glad you are all good. Thanks for the education. Very well could save lives and property. Keep up the good work.
Captain, my Captain...thank you!! This was one of my major worries about getting further into the FPV hobby - although just making my first experiences in acro mode with Mabel(DJI FPV). This shows how you can never be too careful but NOW, when I go for something stupid like a big 7" cruiser of a kind, I won't be so afeared! Many thanks 👻👻💕💕
God is good! Thanks for your video Steve… we all need to be reminded. Glad you and yours are well
Yup, someone was looking out for me.
Thank god you and your family are safe .... Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us .
Thanks for doing this. I think charging and battery care is thought of as secondary when it comes to this hobby and it can really be bad if something goes wrong. People that are new to the hobby may not realize how dangerous it can be.