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26.
LiIon, LiPo, LiFe BATTERY SAFETY
• Only charge batteries that have a Lithium ion or Lithium polymer mark.
• Do not charge batteries that have a Lithium mark. Charging Lithium mark batteries will damage the batteries and
may cause fires or personal injuries.
• Only charge batteries labelled with these cell voltages ( 3.3V / 3.6V / 3.7V ).
• Place the charger and battery on a non-flammable surface during the charging process.
• NEVER charge Lithium ion/Polymer/Fe batteries inside a vehicle.
• Always ensure that the charger is correctly programmed for the battery being charged, checking both the voltage
and the capacity. Be particularly careful with series/parallel battery packs or using packs of different specifications
with the same charger.
• Never charge at a rate exceeding the recommended specifications by the cell manufacturer. (VERY DANGEROUS).
• Do not leave Lithium ion/Polymer/Fe batteries unattended during the charging process. Continual monitoring of
the batteries is very important.
• Every few minutes, check the temperature of the battery being charged. If the battery becomes hot to the touch,
disconnect it from the charger immediately and allow to cool. Do not restart the charging process until both
the battery and the charger have been checked for compatibility and the charger settings have been confirmed as
being correct.
• In the unlikely event of the Lithium ion/Polymer/Fe battery catching fire, DO NOT use water to attempt to put the
fire out! Instead, use sand or a fire extinguisher designed for electrical fires.
When used correctly, Lithium ion/Polymer/Fe battery packs are as safe as any other type of rechargeable battery
pack. However, these batteries do require different charge regimes than the more established Nickel Cadmium
and Nickel Metal Hydride technologies and have the potential for catching fire, if severely mistreated.
• If Lithium Polymer battery packs are short-circuited or severely over-charged, elemental Lithium may be
deposited internally. If the battery pouch is damaged, elemental Lithium can escape from inside the battery.
If this occurs, a fire may result. Elemental Lithium is highly reactive with exposure to water or moisture, producing
flammable hydrogen gas and corrosive fumes. Elemental Lithium is only produced with severly mistreated battery
packs. During normal usage, explosions or fires are extremely rare.
• Lithium Ion/Polymer battery packs must NEVER be discharged below 3 volts per cell (Li-Fe 2.0V), as this will result
in damage to the cells. If the voltage is allowed to drop below 3 volts per cell, the battery voltage may seem to
recover following a charge, but the battery may not have full nominal capacity and a reduction in performance is
likely. Allowing the voltage to fall below 3 volts per cell will invalidate all warranty claims.
• Never charge Lithium Polymer battery packs to values exceeding 4.2V per cell, Lithium Ion batteries exceeding
4.1V volts per cell or LiFe batteries exceeding 3.7V per cell. Exceeding these recommended values can cause
irreversible damage to the cells and will invalidate all warranty claims.
• Never charge Lithium battery packs at rates exceeding the maximum charge rate, as damage to the pack can
occur and this process may be very dangerous. Generally, Lithium Polymer packs should not be charged above 2C
(2 x Capacity). However, some newer packs do allow charging at rates up to 5C. Charging at these excessily high
rates will reduce the life of the pack. (e.g Pack of 2500mAh capacity : 2C = 5000mAh = 5A max)
• Do not use discharge rates in excess of those specified with the battery pack, as a significant drop in voltage under
load will occur that can dramatically reduce the number of charge/discharge cycles that the battery pack will hold.
• Disposal of the Lithium battery packs requires that the pack be completely discharged. Use a light bulb, electric
motor or similar to completely discharge the pack.
• Before charging Lithium battery packs, inspect closely for any damage, such as punctures in the sleeving or
swelling (expanding) of the battery. Do not charge if any damage has been detected, even if the battery otherwise
appears to be new and unused.
• Before starting the charging process, double-check the settings on the charger to ensure that the correct
parameters have been entered for the specific battery pack that is to be charged. Using the wrong settings is likely
to result in damage to the battery pack being charged and could result in the battery catching fire.
Do not allow any Lithium battery pack to short-circuit as this is likely to result in a minor explosion
and consequent fire.
