@richpowers All laptops, phones, cameras, rechargeable shavers, emergency radios, portable drills, most everything that is rechargeable use lithium ion. I wonder why.
It's the power stations that are using the other. I guess for the longevity and much faster charging. But wouldn't that be a plus with the other stuff also? In addition to being safer? Electric vehicles use them too. Yes you've heard of a few Tesla's burning but what about all the regular cars that are on fire every day everywhere? Cars just burning at the side of the highway. Why do gasoline cars burn? No complaints about that.
There has also been a few cases of ebikes that people take on the TTC buses/subways and there has been a few cases of them exploding and they were not being charged at the time. Go figure. Now they are banned on the TTC(Toronto Transit Commission) Can anyone tell me why this is? Why aren't the liFe PO4 batteries used in everything instead?
@mark I suppose it's a trade off on efficiency and safety. - and weight. I'm not really afraid of them perse, I use them all the time, rechargeables- phones, radios, speakers, lights, tablets laptops, power bricks, my tiny Marburo, etc. But those are all very small and manageable should it fire up.
But I am afraid of having a primary battery bank as one on my boat which often tends to be used unattended, freezer, bilge pumps, whatever else. And maybe even when I am there and fall asleep watching tv or whatever.. if a lithium fails it can start an chemical reaction that cant be put out and the battery literally melts through the fiberglass and sinks the boat.. even if you put it in a steel battery box, it could heat the box red hot which also melts fiberglass.. So yeah, they make me weary.
A lead acid is much much heavier, less efficient, less resilient and with a shorter lifespan! But they dont make me nervous, I've heard too many stories.
The newer and safer kinds I'll probably consider after they're out for a while.
I didnt go looking for this, it turned up on my google discover page. I suspect from an aglothorum because I had been taking about it.. People were running thinking it was a bomb or something.. but no, it was just a lithium battery misshap.
The video has gone viral on tic-toc and Instagram, neither of which I use so while looking for another link I find similar videos at other airports in the past.
https://etsn.fm/ixp/175/p/backpack-bursts-into-flames-dallas-fort-worth-international-airpor t" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Backpack Bursts Into Flames at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
@richpowers Wow! I wonder what caused that or what was in the back pack that had the battery? All phones use lithium ion batteries.
If a lithium battery shorts it will do that.
I once had a laptop that had a bulge on the key pad and wondered what it was and I suspected the internal battery which is under the key pad that something was wrong. So opened up the laptop, in that computer the key pad came off from the top and I saw the lithium battery which is a large flat like thing that lays across the top of the motherboard which was bloated like there was air in it. I knew that I could replace this as Amazon sells laptop batteries so I started to undo screws to remove it. But I stupidly slipped with the screw driver and hit the battery puncturing the battery where it was bloated and suddenly it sizzled and white smoke came out.
I ran with the smoking computer outside as fast as I could and threw it out in the snow, it was winter, and watch while it burned itself out. The house smelled for a day or so but one strange thing...there was a smoke detector ran by with white smoke billowing from the computer but the smoke detector didn't go off! Strange.
Laptop batteries used to come in an external compartment on the bottom that was user removable and replaceable before they were placed inside.
I figure the whole thing happened because the charging system in the computer was over charging and not stopping when full as I noticed for a while the computer was running warmer that it normally did but didn't think much of it. That was a broadcast computer, an HP Stream I was using at the time. This was a few years ago.
More for my argument that all these things should go to liFe PO4 batteries like the power stations as it is a fact that these don't have these problems like lithium ion does. E bikes and scooters all use lithium ion also and have exploded on the subways when they are taken on. Along with all rechargeable things you use and carry in your purse or pocket. Like a phone. I don't think there has been one case of a power station catching fire or exploding and they are used for camping, UPS backups, home back up power when power goes out.....also in fishing boats with trolling motors the lead acid ones can be replaced with liFe PO4 and they are half the weight and charge 10x as fast and last way longer.
I wonder if there have been cases where someones phone has caught fire? If something goes wrong with the charging management and it over charges when the charging doesn't stop when full that is where the problem is but e-scooters have as I mentioned caught fire on the subway and were not even charging!
Maybe it just because I'm already paranoid about them, but I've heard literally dozens of stories of cellphones catching fire over the last several years. I had one a few years ago that got hot in my pocket and swelled up but did not catch fire. I had to buy a new phone though because I found (to my surprise) that you cant just change the battery in cellphones anymore. Now days cellphones are disposable, when the battery dies you just throw away the phone and get a new one (how wasteful is that?)
Same goes for the power generators, Ive heard of them catching fire in RVs and with tent campers. One predominate example from United States
CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION: HALO 1000 Portable Power Stations Recalled Due to Serious Fire and Burn Hazards; One Death Reported
I am liking your Lifepod option though, there are many sources that agree with it being much safer.
@richpowers That opens up another subject, built in obsolescence. When things can't have a battery replacement intentionally to make you have to buy another. And a phone gets charged from empty each day. Lithium ion batteries are good for 500 cycles, so a phone will last for maybe two years at most? Then garbage? Besides the waste, the corporations have you hooked and there should be consumer protection laws that all batteries can be replaced.
I looked on Amazon and there is pages of battery replacements for cell phones with the tools to do it yourself. After market ones that are compatible with the major brands.
You were very lucky with the cell phone.
@mark Well, certainly its possible to replace a battery but.. when mine swelled up and I opened the case (with some difficulty) that's when I saw how difficult it would be to replace the battery. It was really embedded in there with ribboned cables wrapped over the battery and no way of simply popping the battery out like the old days, it would be a very involved process to remove and replace it. It was a Cricket phone, when I contacted support asking how to replace the battery they told me it was not designed to be replaced. So I bought a new phone (used ebay actually).
But I tell you what, don't know if you realize it but most of the lithium power stations are not designed for battery replacements either. My Marburo isnt. Most Jackerys aren't. Sure it's possible but complicated and usually the company advises against it. I dont know about yours. My older Yeti 1250 which takes a lead acid however is easily replaced.
Unless I missed something the discussion has mainly been about keeping the radio station on the air and maybe a lamp. But what keeping warm? You could freeze in well lit discomfort. It takes at least 1.4kW to heat a room
Unless I missed something the discussion has mainly been about keeping the radio station on the air and maybe a lamp. But what keeping warm? You could freeze in well lit discomfort. It takes at least 1.4kW to heat a room
Actually keeping the radio station on the air was in another thread, but I suppose this thread kind of begin there even though it's actually a branch off your weather thread when I asked if cold negatively affected lithium the same as it does lead-acid...
But to answer you question, I recently bought one of those Chinese deisel heater blowers which are real popular with RVs. Problem is that I waited too long and now my battery bank is not charging properly because of cold - and because I didn't treat it right. The heater requires a initial heavy draw to get it started then its draw eases to a trickle - Your not supposed to go lower than 60% with a lead acid and I tend to it anyway, so that made things even worse. Probably need a new battery even though this one is only a year old.
So cant currently run anything, that's why I bought the tiny Marburo, as a temporary solution just to keep lights and my devices charge and have some entertainment even it's just TV on my phone.
In about a week and a half I get another measly SS check and as a temporary going buy a free standing Buddy heater - which unlike the deisel blower I know is going to create indoor condensation, not ideal, but it too is only a temporary solution.. Then I'll save up for either a replacement battery for my Yeti solar generator, or perhaps better yet, a whole new 1500watt lifepod bsttery solar generator like the Bluetti.
For the meantime, I have plenty of blankets
@carl-blare Yes you bring up a good point if it's winter.
The power stations can keep you warm but you have to spend about $2000.00. A portable heater uses 1500 watts. This will keep you warm. Will run a portable heater with ease. Along with your station and lights. Even AC in summer.
https://ca.aferiy.com/products/aferiy-p310-portable-power-station-3300w-3840wh
@mark @carl Yeah.. powering an electric heater with batteries generally is really not a feasible option at all. Best bet is wood fireplace (which is a dry heat), or a propane or kerosene, preferably engineered with an exhaust system.
Even with the one that Mark links it would drain the battery way too fast. Bad idea
.. of course powering an electric heater with an ample gas generator would work if you can stand the constant noise.
@richardpowers I've thought about gas generators and in my head I picture gas appliances as being quiet. What is it about them that makes noise?
@carl-blare It's a gasoline engine like a lawnmower that runs the generator. It has no muffler. It's the same as letting a lawn mover run. Look how loud they are. It has to be outside. And most likely breaking noise laws if running at night and could get complaints from neighbours. You could enclose it in something like a shed I guess with an exaust outlet.
It would be good if on 1 or 2 acres of land with no one right beside you.
But I think you can rig a gas generator to act like a an EPS(emergency power supply) and turn on if the power goes off.