chris collis Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 I have a few old lipos that have puffed up and not holding charge.What is the safest way of disposing of them?recycle bin or are there any specialist disposal places to take them to?Anybody got any tips?Dont want to cause any chemical fires at a recycling plant! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Lewis 3 Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 I completely flatten them with headlight bulbs, then I connect the two leads together to evidence that they are dead and then take them to my local recycling plant which has a battery section.Ā 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Chaddock Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 +1 That is exactly what I do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leccyflyer Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 When any lipo has reached the end of it's useful life they are discharged overnight, outdoors, using a car headlight bulb to which I've soldered 4mm gold connectors on short fly leads. With the pack dead, the voltage is checked through the balance leads, before the leads are clipped close to the case, have a small wrap of tape or a cm of heatshrink over their ends. The inert lipo then goes to the battery box at the municipal recycling centre and the leads go into my scrap wire drawer for recycling of the wire and connectors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Lee Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 See page 14 of the BMFA Booklet. Quite old now but still very relevant. Battery Safety Booklet - June 2014.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris collis Posted April 4 Author Share Posted April 4 Many thanks everyone, I hadnāt thought of any of the suggestions made.All Iāve got to do now is find a headlight bulb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Cooper Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 54 minutes ago, chris collis said: Many thanks everyone, I hadnāt thought of any of the suggestions made.All Iāve got to do now is find a headlight bulb. Halfords has many to choose from.Ā š Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatMc Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 (edited) Chris, I'm pretty certain that there's a dedicated battery disposal area at Bebside tip. You don't need to fully discharge your battery but best to cut off each main + balance wire - one at a time.Ā Ā Ā Ā PS :Ā If you do want to discharge it first - plug the battery into a model & run the motor at full throttle until LV cut then re-start at low throttle & repeat.Ā Ā Edited April 4 by PatMc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris collis Posted April 4 Author Share Posted April 4 Hi Pat, I was thinking about Bebside for their disposal.Would they take old receiver Nimhs as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leccyflyer Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 2 hours ago, chris collis said: Many thanks everyone, I hadnāt thought of any of the suggestions made.All Iāve got to do now is find a headlight bulb. Doesn't have to be an expensive headlight bulb Chris, any old 12v -24v bulb will do the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatMc Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 2 hours ago, chris collis said: Hi Pat, I was thinking about Bebside for their disposal.Would they take old receiver Nimhs as well? Hi Chris, I think I've dumped some there in the past but I've also left old Nimhs & hearing aid batteries in supermarket disposal bins. IĀ believe they are obliged to provide this facility as they sell these types of batteries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Billinge Posted April 5 Share Posted April 5 Once your sure they are discharged and safe; pop them into your local supermarket and near the checkout there's always a battery recycling thingy. They go to get a new life in a Tesla or something? Ā KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Learner Posted April 5 Share Posted April 5 Took mine to local tip today. They were discharged and wires crossed, asked if they were OK to go into battery recycling and without looking or checking he said go ahead Coincidentally as I got there they had a fire drill, they might need it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Z Posted April 5 Share Posted April 5 I soak mine in salted water for a few weeks. Ā The they can go to tip for battery recycling. Ā 4 Max have a data sheet explains how to dispose of them safely. Ā S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leccyflyer Posted April 5 Share Posted April 5 Hi Stuart - that soaking in salted water is a bad idea, since it can result in corrosion of the terminal tabs on the lipos before they are actually discharged, leaving you with no means of fully discharging them. It's long been superseded as an appropriate method for safe disposal. I'm surprised that 4-Max would recommend such a procedure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Z Posted April 5 Share Posted April 5 (edited) Leccyflyer Ā IāmĀ following advice from 4Max. Ā I soak them for about 4 weeks-seem very dead by then.Ā Ā I donāt like Lipos at all and this seems a good way to kill them off.Ā Ā Edited April 5 by Stuart Z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leccyflyer Posted April 5 Share Posted April 5 Sorry, but that's terrible advice andĀ was recognised as terrible advice some years ago.Ā Check out the BMFA advice mentioned earlier in this thread which explicitly states not to put lipos in salt water to discharge, it is ineffective and unecessary. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leccyflyer Posted April 5 Share Posted April 5 Here's a link to a comprehensive document explaining where the outdated and frequently misunderstood recommendation to dispose of lipos by leaving them in salt water came from, when it was withdrawn as a recommendation by the originator and why it's a bad idea.Ā Ā https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?3413821-Safe-Disposal-of-LiPo-Batteries 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris collis Posted April 6 Author Share Posted April 6 On reflection of all the various advice and thoughts given, I think I am going to go down the road of discharging with a headlight bulb and disposing safely at the local recycling tip.donāt want to be responsible for any lithium fires! I have seen the videos for batteries catching fire in aircraft at flying fields!Just as an aside, I wonder how spent lithium batteries are going to be dealt with in electric vehicles when they come to the end of their lives? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Harris - Moderator Posted April 6 Share Posted April 6 They will be recycled or reused for less demanding applications. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Engine Doctor Posted April 6 Share Posted April 6 35 minutes ago, chris collis said: On reflection of all the various advice and thoughts given, I think I am going to go down the road of discharging with a headlight bulb and disposing safely at the local recycling tip.donāt want to be responsible for any lithium fires! I have seen the videos for batteries catching fire in aircraft at flying fields!Just as an aside, I wonder how spent lithium batteries are going to be dealt with in electric vehicles when they come to the end of their lives? Any car bulb 12 or 24 will do doesnt have to be a headlamp bulb . Indicator bulbs work fine and we usually have those lying around . I used to just dunk them into a bucket of salty water overnight but was told that it leaches lithium into the water and that has its own issues with disposal; but it does completely discharge them . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Learner Posted April 6 Share Posted April 6 1 hour ago, Martin Harris - Moderator said: They will be recycled or reused for less demanding applications. I wonder if there will be a charge for this in the future? For example our local tip now charges Ā£7.00 for a tyre! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leccyflyer Posted April 6 Share Posted April 6 No charge involved - that's what the car bulb is for..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Learner Posted April 6 Share Posted April 6 12 minutes ago, leccyflyer said: No charge involved - that's what the car bulb is for..... Surely that's for dischargeš 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john davidson 1 Posted April 6 Share Posted April 6 Ā Four cell lipos which have a duff cellĀ Ā cellĀ are near enough to 12 volts so can be dischargedĀ with a bulb. I useĀ such old lipos as a power source forĀ LED day running lights on my old Triumph then dispose when flat. Nearly all vehicles now have these LEDs so I feel more comfortable that I can be seen by car drivers, always a worry on a bike.Ā I once put a lipo in a bucket of water then pierced it . It boiled away for a while under water, showing how difficultĀ to extinguish they are. Just the once! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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