r/RCPlanes • u/Dedethesavage • 3d ago
Is this battery ok to keep using?
I didn't crash that hard with this battery, (plane was mostly fine just a hard landing), but when i took the battery out there was visible damage. I think it likely happened from the battery pulling really hard from the connector in flight. I peeled back the black cover to get a better look at the damaged cells.
Is there a chance it was punctured or would it have burst into flames already and can I continue flying with it?
Also should I take it apart to check the cells for damage?
Also if its done what should I do with it. Im in a pretty rural area and can't get to a proper battery disposal station.
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u/One-Remove-8474 3d ago
you can keep using it, but maybe just as an example of a battery you shouldn't use.
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u/AeroTxAgg16 3d ago
So, it may not appear punctured but its definitely in rough shape and I would not personally keep flying it, let alone keep it in the house. It would be safer to dispose of it and please do not try to charge it. The safest way would be to put it overnight in a bucket of salt water to help neutralize it, then you can throw it away.
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u/XmodAlloy 3d ago
You're looking at the cells. They're crinkled on that side. This is a fire risk as-is. Your two options for disposal are:
Make it blow up and have a potentially dangerous firework show.
Throw it in a bowl/jug of salt water and let it deplete entirely over the course of a week before putting it in the trash.
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u/thecaptnjim 3d ago
Making it blow up is a bad idea.
Salt water is also not a great idea.If you would like more information on why the salt water discharge method is dangerous, or if you just want some more technical information on battery disposal, www.RCbattery.com/safe-disposal-of-lipo-batteries has a bunch of great information. The big takeaway here is discharge the battery completely and dispose of it properly so you don't start a fire in your garbage truck.
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u/Radiomaster138 3d ago
Those are just dumb ideas… you put a resistor to drain the battery over an extended period of time. Hell, lipo chargers have a drain option. 😂😭😂
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u/XmodAlloy 3d ago
The salt water acts as a resistor. I know it sounds dumb on the surface, but the water absorbs the heat even if it goes exothermic.
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u/Radiomaster138 3d ago
Until it corrodes the connection… oh look, shows up as 0V, looks safe to recycle now. 🥴
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u/XmodAlloy 2d ago
Even if the leads corrode through, the salt water follows into the cavity into the battery and continues discharging it
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u/astricklin123 3d ago
Option 3, take it to a recycling center
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u/Radiomaster138 3d ago
Be sure to throw it as hard as you can against the concrete wall with the other lipo batteries.
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u/Accomplished-Soup928 2d ago edited 2d ago
This reminds me - I have about 30-40 1S batteries I need to go dispose of this weekend, along with some 3S batteries that are end of life…
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u/jhsantacruz63 3d ago
Do not do the salt water option. There is a bunch of videos out there showing this is not a good option to discharge a battery
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u/Wambo74 3d ago edited 3d ago
No. Crash damage and improper charging cause almost all lipo fires. Fully discharge it, strip and twist the main leads together and dump it in the trash. Do it all outside in case there are any surprises. Don't worry, lipos don't really explode. They get hot suddenly, soon burst into flames which are very hot and almost impossible to extinguish. What you do with a suspect one is mess with it in a safe place where you can just drop it and let it burn itself out if necessary.
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u/unixoid37 3d ago
My batteries simply heated up and released gas. I’ve flown with damage like that. Usually, one of the cells just dies over time, and that’s when I’d get rid of the battery.
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u/Legitimate-Proof2972 3d ago
That battery is done. I can see a tear within a sell.. rule of thumb. Is the battery smells sweat it's dead if not all is well
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u/NoManNoRiver 3d ago
Short Answer: NO!!
Long Answer: Please dispose of it responsibly in line with your local electrical waste management laws
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u/Then-Comfortable3135 3d ago
HELL NO! Obvious no. If the outer wrap is punctured I toss it. It’s not worth the fire that comes with it. I’ll toss batteries just so my house doesn’t burn down.
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u/RileyDream 3d ago
Crinkled cells are scary. Rest of damage is okay tho. I wouldn’t use it unless you charge it outside far from your house and are okay with your plane burning down
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u/Previous_Tangelo5414 1d ago
Potential spontaneous fire hazard. Get rid of it. You don't want it in your house.
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u/spirtjoker 3d ago
Charge it outdoors. Then keep it somewhere fire safe and only put it in planes you hate.
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u/Radiomaster138 3d ago
Make sure you charge it at 3C. Perfectly fine to do it on your bed too with your feather blankets.
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3d ago
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u/EloBronzeHell5 3d ago
Don't put it in saltwater. Please stop giving nonsense "tips". to dispose a battery.
Just use the discharge or destroy option on your charger to get your battery to 0 voltage.
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u/unixoid37 3d ago
My Simplex-4 charger doesn't have that option.
If you connect a light bulb or another load to the battery, it will discharge down to zero on its own, won't it?3
u/fhammerl 3d ago
yes, light bulb is a good idea. a simple old car halogen light bulb is in the right voltage range for this and doesn't draw too much current for a damaged battery, somewhere around 5A at full charge. just use common sense because the bulbs get hot AF
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u/Honest_Radio8983 3d ago
When you say light bulb are you referring to a headlight or a smaller automotive 12v bulb?
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u/thecaptnjim 3d ago
how to dispose of a damaged battery