We can’t escape the reality of burning lithium-ion batteries. They are strong and powerful as young stallions, but they are excitable and can break out on their own. The best we can do is act smart, especially when charging them. Living with lithium battery fires involves doing our best to prevent them happening.
Charging Cables Start Lithium Battery Fires
We came across a story on Energy Matters, that inspired us to write this post. The writer had disconnected her kids from the gaming console, and loaded them onto the school bus. Later the same day, before the kids came home, she caught a whiff of the smell of burning plastic.
The USB charging cable was still connected to the gaming console, and the live wall switch. This meant the kids had left a potentially open circuit, that just needed a fault to go live! Something had caused just such a fault, and started melting the upholstery on the couch. Fortunately she was there to quickly turn off the wall switch.
Living with lithium battery fires requires us to be awake to ageing appliances, dodgy cords, overloaded power boards, and devices left charging. The average family has up to a dozen or more electronic devices. That’s a load of cables, batteries, chargers, and potential ignition points to keep our eye on.
Living With an Expanding Level of Risk
Twenty years ago, we might have charged a ‘walkman’ portable audio player. Ten years ago, it would have been a smartphone in one or other guise. Now there’s an increasing probability of a (lithium) battery powered mobility device sharing our home with us.
Mobility devices have bigger batteries, causing larger instant fires if they malfunction. Living with lithium battery fires is no longer an distraction. It is becoming a full-time obligation.
So switch off the battery charger at the wall when you are done charging, the young mother insists. That way you break a potentially closed circuit to the household power supply. You could also save money. Devices on standby still use electricity, you see …
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How Likely Are Home Battery Fires Really?
