My Fire Resistant Charging Station

[NAUJK]

So this is my first post on the Flite Test Forums but I thought it was a good one. I wanted to share my charging station with everyone. Ive seen a lot of the concrete and ammo can charging stations but not any of my fire resistant safe ones.

So What I did was I went out and got one of the fire resistant safes that people buy to protect their delicate documents in case their house burns down. Drilled a large hole in the side for the wires both the balance and the main plug will fit. The hole is big enough to let expanding gasses to escape and the lid is heavy and locks closed. I havent had a fire yet but my hope is that this safe will help prevent any damage to things other than the batter or charger. I am up for feedback on it as well. Thanks for looking!

 

[RAM]

I was thinking about doing the same thing. Do you think the plastic on the inside could melt or ignite?

Also, what kind of drill did you have to use to get through the box (my guess was I would need a concrete drill)?

The only thing I might do different after I watched some lipo fires is to put a wall up between the battery side of the box and the connector hole. Hardibacker is what I was thinking. This way, if there ever was a fire, the flames would have a harder time burning my wires.

 

[Tactical Ex]

First off ... welcome to the forums!

It's a great idea! I think its kinda overkill but if I lived in a tiny apartment or charged in small flammable quarters I would probably consider the measures you took. From the videos I have seen a LiPo safe bag will contain any fires but as for storage ... I think the fire safe you are using would be very practical. I have one of those safes myself ... I just actually use it for storing documents.

 

[themajik1]

That is exactly what I have been using for over 3 years to transport and store my batteries. They only cost between $15 and $20 at WalMart so well worth the money.

I have not had any issues with batteries as of yet and hope I don't, but these should keep things safe... (I hope!)

I like the idea of drilling a hole in it and being able to keep it closed while charging though, great share!

 

[MT Alex]

Unless you have a long adapter for your balance plug, which I don't see in the picture, you are increasing the risk of having a volatile battery when charging.

 

[Nathan_116]

Unless you have a long adapter for your balance plug, which I don't see in the picture, you are increasing the risk of having a volatile battery when charging.

It says that he has one. He drilled the hole big enough for it to pas through.

Also, do you think that a metal cash box, one that you would use say at a yard sale, would do the same? I feel that the safes are a bit too heavy to carry back and forth to the flying field so I'm looking for a lighter alternative, and as the closest army surplus store is around 30min away, I was also looking for a closer alternative.

 

[RAM]

The metal ones would probably transfer a lot more heat if a battery went up. Maybe not a fire but it might burn or melt whatever it was sitting on at the time.

 

[MT Alex]

It says that he has one. He drilled the hole big enough for it to pas through.

Oh sheesh, my bad!

 

[themajik1]

It says that he has one. He drilled the hole big enough for it to pas through.

Also, do you think that a metal cash box, one that you would use say at a yard sale, would do the same? I feel that the safes are a bit too heavy to carry back and forth to the flying field so I'm looking for a lighter alternative, and as the closest army surplus store is around 30min away, I was also looking for a closer alternative.

Yes, they are a little heavy... But I think they are a pretty safe way to store and transport in my vehicle. Not sure as to where else to point you to for alternatives... Good luck!

 

[NAUJK]

I was thinking about doing the same thing. Do you think the plastic on the inside could melt or ignite?

Also, what kind of drill did you have to use to get through the box (my guess was I would need a concrete drill)?

The only thing I might do different after I watched some lipo fires is to put a wall up between the battery side of the box and the connector hole. Hardibacker is what I was thinking. This way, if there ever was a fire, the flames would have a harder time burning my wires.

Honestly I just used a normal drill and it went right through with some slight effort. Problem is the fire resistant inner material powders easily and gets everywhere. So What I did after drilling was lined the hole with hot glue to help keep it together.


Thanks all for the comments! And thanks for the welcome!
Yeah it may be a bit overkill but I feel a lot better with it than anything else. It is also a fantastic way to carry batteries around, holds all 10 of my batteries no problem. I haven't had a fire yet so I am not sure as to how the inside of it will handle it, but I believe it should do fine. I initially did this setup as I was in a small apartment with no garage and was uncomfortable with battery storage and charging. I am now in a house with a garage but since I have the setup its here to stay till something fails and I go back to the drawing board.

 

[xuzme720]

I think the main thing to worry about if charging indoors are the gasses the battery puts out if/when it does go Hiroshima. I know Lipo fires have made the top 10 of out biggest worries in the hobby, but if you are careful and follow a few safety procedures, you should never have to worry about a Lipo fire.
One thing to remember is that Lipo's don't spontaneously combust. There is always an outside influence when they do, such as damage(like a crash or puncture or short) or overcharging. Overcharging can be too high a charge rate or too high a charge voltage, like taking cells over 4.2v. Proper balance charging can prevent this and knowing how to setup and use your charger is very important to avoiding disaster.
I have never heard of a pack going up while being stored. Only storage issue I can think of would be shorting the pack.
Take a little time to learn all you can about your power system and you can save a lot of grief for yourself and hopefully not become a statistic.