Tony j Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 Hi all I have a lipo that I was given but no longer want, so I want to be rid of it. Correct me if I am wrong please, but as I understand it I need to discharge it first. Now if I use a car light bulb of say 12 volts / 5 watts will this do the job? 1. Do I run this until there is no more light coming from the bulb so hence taking out any power in the battery? 2. If this is so will doing the above not cause it to swell or does that only happen due to running too long at too higher amp draw if you see what I am getting at. 3. If the battery was to swell what do you do then or if I ever end up with a swollen / damaged battery what then I have read that a swollen battery should not be dis charged ??? I know that there is a lot on here about Lipo's, believe me I have ploughed through Quite a lot of info on here and the net in general Many thanks for your help in advance Regards Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 Well Tony, I'm no expert, but I run them down with a car lamp, till the battery is flat. I then leave them in salt water for a week or so. Finally, I take them to our local tip and give them to the guy who runs the place ernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Lee Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 Putting them in salt water is no longer recommended. Just fully discharge with the lightbulb, don't worry about swelling at the low discharge rate. I leave for 24hrs outdoors on the stone patio. Then dispose. See the BMFA Leaflet, page 14 Edited By John Lee on 30/12/2016 09:27:06 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 Hi, Thanks for that John. I shudder to think how many buckets of salty lipo infested water I have put into the French sewage system. Hope I'm not responsible for this years lamentable grape harvest ernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 I agree - forget the salt water nonsense. Discharging with a bulb is fine but, as suggested, do it outside. Once the battery gets down below its normal 'safe' discharge level, it will probably swell and may well heat up. I believe most household battery re-cycling schemes (e.g. at your tip or local supermarket) do in principle accept Lithium batteries (although they probably have in mind phone batteries and the like). However if you have taken the above precautions, I reckon it's okay to deposit them there and certainly this gives a better chance of them being recycled than just dumping them in the household waste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy48 Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 I use a 12v light bulb to discharge old lipos. As has been said above, leave them for 24 hours connected. I've never had one swell during this process and they don't heat up. As the voltage drops, so does the current, they die quietly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony j Posted December 30, 2016 Author Share Posted December 30, 2016 Hi guys Thank you for you help in this matter it is most welcome. I have little experience with lipo's and they do scare me some what, so the plan is to get rid of the one that I don't need, as the intended project for that is no longer live which will leave me with just the one for my wing and see how it goes. John that was a excellent link well worth the read thanks. Just one thing though if I was to end up with a puffy lipo how do you deal with it. I hope this will not happen but if it does what is the best practice? Thanks again for the response this really is a great site for help Kind regards Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denis Watkins Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 It should be flat by this stage, but keep it outdoors until disposed of Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Focae Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 If discharged for 24 hrs with a lamp it will be completely flat. You could even short out the contacts with a piece of wire at this stage quite safely. There will be no energy left in the battery whatsoever so no need to leave outside. Lipo's are really only volatile on charging or if discharged at high rates Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 A puffed charged battery is a potential issue - a puffed fully discharged battery (whilst not to be in any way abused) is no real issue. Note also that while putting them in the battery recycling might be best - in general I understand they are not recycled and can in fact be put in the land fill waste. This is pity as lithium is fairly scarce resource in the west (most is mined in China I believe) Having said that I don't know if it can be recovered from batteries,I would have thought so, but maybe its prohibitively expensive to do so - well until we all fall out with China and they quadruple the cost of any product with lithium in it! BEB Edited By Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator on 30/12/2016 23:47:58 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony j Posted December 31, 2016 Author Share Posted December 31, 2016 Hi Thanks again.But I think that I have not made myself clear with regards to the puffy battery thing though your replies have been very helpful I shall now not be fretting if the battery does become puffed while discharging it . With regards to the puffed battery I was really trying to say is when I start to use my new battery if it ever became puffed up in use what is then the best way to deal with that, is it still to discharge it out side with a lamp as I am going to do with the unwanted one ? Sorry for the confusion hope this now makes sense Regards Tony Edited By Tony j on 31/12/2016 03:57:21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 Yes, you deal with a puffed battery the same way. Take it outside and discharge it with a lamp.BEB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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