Something that you hear has happened occasionally but you assume will never happen to you is the ‘rechargeable light battery setting on fire whilst charging’….

At 1.30 this morning we were woken to the sound and smells of a firework display being set off in our kitchen. I kid you not, i pooped myself. Things are a mess this morning – worktops, curtains and wallpaper all charred and a layer of dust throughout the house. It was only a small fire but had we not woken to find it, or had we been at work then i cant begin to imagine the consequences.

I’m on cleaning up duty today and have contacted the insurers who seemed to recognise my number and have dispensed with any formalities of checking my personal details such is the familiar terms that we are now on after the last 18 months.

The thing is, i don’t know what i would have done differently really that would have prevented a similar outcome. I know many of you have these cheap lights / batteries off ebay or similar, so just be careful and dont think the stories are just scaremongering and something that will only happen to other people…

Not wishing to add to your woes but try and avoid breathing in the battery dust – Lithium is not a ‘good thing’ when ingested.

Google “LiPo charge bag” if you want to be very careful in future.

Sorry to hear that. It’s said to not leave them unattended when charging.

Solarstorm X2? 😉

Hard lines, mate. Hope everything gets sorted soon for you.

“The thing is, i don’t know what i would have done differently really that would have prevented a similar outcome.”

Glad to hear you are all ok but the solution is simple.

Don’t leave things on charge unatteneded. Especially if it is cheap crap.

I take it these were ebay cree cheapo ones?
how old were they WW?

The thing is, i don’t know what i would have done differently really that would have prevented a similar outcome

It’d be good to know what you did this time. Might help others.
Charger supplied with batteries? Fused plug? Used this set up many times before?

Sorry to hear that. It’s said to not leave them unattended when charging.

There are practicality issues with that when some take 12 hours+ to charge though…

Yes, are we talking ‘pukka’ lights, or Chinese jobs?

Don’t leave things on charge unatteneded

Do you sit there with a book watching over it for 5 hours?

*makes mental note to charge lights in garage from now on*

I always charge mine on an inflammable surface. Think I’ll go belt and braces with a biscuit tin too.

I charge mine at work.

What battery was it?
How many times have you charged it before?

Yes i hear you saying not to leave it unattended but do people really sit next to a recharging battery for 3-4 hours, twice a week?

Ok that would be the perfect solution but i’m just putting it out there, because not everyone will be so meticulous.

This was the light (blimey – costs are falling!) although i would stress it wasnt from this seller…
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-XM-L-XML-T6-LED-1800-Lm-Bicycle-bike-Head-Light-Headlamp-Rechargeable-Head-/370906784398?pt=UK_SportGoods_CyclAcces_RL&hash=item565bc4628e

Edit – about 18 months old

As above,i never leave it unattended..Lucky !. 😉

You don’t know Saturdays lottery numbers do you ??..

For my chinese charger and the cells I recovered from some old laptops I take a fly-lead outside to a large old tool box with plenty of air circulation and charge outside.

Im happy to charge my smudge pack with the smudge charger indoors.

Glad to hear everyone is safe and well, if a little rattled.

just to clarify WW, how long had it been on charge for?

Sympathies to OP for hassle. I have to admit, this is an issue I’ve been worriting about too.

I stopped using the £25ish fleabay lights for mtb because a.) the cables were too flimsy (had a few separate at the connectors) and b.) they give absolutely zero warning of impending black-out when the battery runs down, which is ‘interesting’ at best.

However, we still use the cheap lights as head torches for walking the dogs, plus, I also have heard the odd story of combustion for some of the more reputable makes. As a rule, I don;t charge anything overnight, but out of necessity, often leave stuff charging and unattended.

Edit: I see the price has now dropped to £15 for the lights – the one’s the OP links to look identical to ours.

just to clarify WW, how long had it been on charge for?

About4-5 hours.

Hmmmmmmm

Thinking I may get an army surplus ammunition box, drill a hole in it and fit an extension lead. Charger and battery should be safe in a box designed to hold bullets right?

Despite never having this happen, I always charge my cheapie lights with-

Circuit breaker extension lead on a dry concrete garage floor- put on charge as soon as I get home and off by bedtime.

Is this just a cheap Chinese problem or could it happen to anything?
Always assumed my Torchy batteries would be Ok.

OP – glad you and your family are safe and sounds like fortune was on your side (could have been a LOT worse)

flaming/exploding lipo’s is well known. i used to use one of these to charge lipos in for my RC cars when i was racing but luckily never had one blow. i’m thinking of getting one that’s a snug fit on my light battery and just leave it on all the time. in fact i might still have one in the box of doom i can just use to charge in

ebay link – but proper brands are available

i once saw a RC car burst into flames at about 70mph down a long straight when the lipo blew due to the discharge rate exceeding the design limit – proper fireball!

Blimey. Always thought I was paranoid with charging things, but Stoner wins.

Reading this, makes me think I should take more care with my laptops. I leave them on in the house alone, overnight, all sorts.

I am pretty rubbish at understanding how electrical stuff works so sorry if this is a daft question. Would a circuit breaker have prevented this happening?

The thing is, I don’t know what I would have done differently really that would have prevented a similar outcome.

Do you have any sort of additional protection like an RCD plug adaptor? If you are going to leave it unattended, do you have a Garage with power you could have charged it in instead of the house?

What actually went pop? the charger or the battery or both?

The thing is, i don’t know what i would have done differently really that would have prevented a similar outcome.

1. Don’t charge batteries overnight while you are sleeping. Battery chargers are a prime cause of house fires.
2. Don’t buy cheap lights

You were lucky this time so take note

I usually charge mine just left strapped to the helmet, shan’t be doing that any more. This is terrifying though, what if your kid just happened to be walking past when it went off.

Charge mine on an asbestos sheet taken from work 🙂

Would a circuit breaker have prevented this happening?

Highly unlikely as the circuit almost certainly had a circuit breaker in it. RCD might have done (although again there should already be one) or maybe a low value fuse but again unlikely as it was most probably the charger cut off circuit failing and the energy for the fire would have come from the battery.

Makes me wonder how many of us charge smart phones overnight ? I do.

Slightly scary, I was charging my (cheap light) battery yesterday and forgot to unplug it overnight, first time I’ve done that. Luckily, I didn’t get the same result but shall certainly pay closer attention now…

I never charge el cheapo electrical stuff overnight or while I’m out of the house.

Glad you’re all ok!

How new is (was!) the light/charger/battery? Just interested to know if this happened to a battery that had been fine for several months/uses or if as I’d have expected (Maybe wrongly…) that it’s the sort of thing you find out quickly (ie during the first few charges).

and I think mobile phone manufacturers invest a little more in batteries, chargers and protection circuits…

OP I wont even leave a Samsung charger/phone unattended. Mines getting on for two years and even when its not charging its unplugged. Let alone go to bed with a cheap market chinese light battery charging. They are cheap for a reason- i.e less stringent controls somewhere along the line.

Saying this- I don’t even leave the TV switched on at the mains (TV off standby) or kettle plug turned on- maybe I’m weird.

Glad you are alright, batteries scare me from cheap lights so I use a waterproof 4×18650 charger, batteries from torchy and an intellicore charger.

1. Don’t charge batteries overnight while you are sleeping. Battery chargers are a prime cause of house fires.
2. Don’t buy cheap lights

^ this, although if we’re being picky, it’s fine to buy cheap lights, just dont trust the cheap batteries they come with, and if you must use them be ultra paranoid when charging them.

But don’t be complacent, don’t forget this can happen with decent batteries as well, just a lot more prevalent with cheap and recycled cells, and dodgy chargers.

Glad you’re OK OP, fingers crossed you (or anyone!) don’t have another incident liek this!

what lights were they?
it would be of benefit to others who possibly have the same lights to know.

what lights were they?
it would be of benefit to others who possibly have the same lights to know.

He’s already linked to them.