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Cordless tool batteries and chargers fire risk

Landslide

Red Skull Member
Joined
May 20, 2020
Member Number
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Do you leave your cordless batteries on the charger plugged in weeks on end? I don’t ever since a friend of mines huge shop burnt to the ground a bunch of years back.

then today I saw another person have the same thing happen to them.

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Do you know what kind of battery/charger it was? I feel like there was an issue with the DeWalt single chargers. Good reminder though, I'm not always the best about pulling mine off the charger.

edit: I found the one relating to DeWalts. Curious if other brands have/had similar issues. https://www.dewalt.com/support/safet...ttery-chargers
 
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Wow.

I try to never leave anything plugged in, or on, or charging, when I'm not in my shop. Had a task light burst into flames on me a few months back while using it, and I'm glad i was there to disconnect it. Can't imagine what would have happened if I wasn't there.
 
Do you know what kind of battery/charger it was? I feel like there was an issue with the DeWalt single chargers. Good reminder though, I'm not always the best about pulling mine off the charger.

edit: I found the one relating to DeWalts. Curious if other brands have/had similar issues. https://www.dewalt.com/support/safet...ttery-chargers



Not sure what brand my friends was anymore but the one above was DeWalt.
 
Just my M18 stuff overnight after I'm done using them.
 
Fuuuudge that sucks but as least nobody got hurt. We have an attached garage with kids sleeping inside. I am glad that I decided to put all my chargers and accessories on a switched surge protector. I usually have it switched off, but now I will be more conscious of it
 
I have M18 chargers with batteries in them in 4 or 5 different locations. I was under the impression that Milwaukee says it is safe to leave the batteries in 24/7. If anyone knows otherwise or has info on Milwaukee issues i would like to hear about it.
 
My wife always rags on me to pull the batteries from the charger (yes its a yeller one) and dad instilled to never leave a transformer powered on when you are away and or not in close proximity of it.

Yes dad was a BC with LAcoFD for 40+ years so very good education from him I had back in the day.
 
i have chargers and shop radio connected to garage light switch.
 
Years ago I remember that the manufacturers recommended that you remove the batteries after fully charged. I thought that I read that M18 said that you could leave them in there and the charger would go into float mode.
 
My buddies shop burnt down, the first thing the inspector asked was how many battery chargers he had plugged in. He didn't have any in the shop at the time but it was interesting that was the first question.
 
After reading this post, I just went to the garage and took my m18 9.0 battery off the charger. This is the same battery style that cought fire 2 different times on my BILs service truck  :shocked::nuke:
 
This has been on my mind lately, I want to make a charging station for my tool batteries and the half dozen car batteries I like to keep topped off, thinking I'll do it in the corner off my backyard

I really want the pimp super organized power tool station that guys show off, but not trusting a row of slave labor chargers to not burn my house down
 
I plan on putting the "charger outlet" on a 2 hour timer.

Maybe I should quit planning and actually do it:rolleyes:
 
So, who is making a fire-proof charging box, or an outside shanty to put chargers in?

Possibly use for those giant useless old safes? Wouldn't totally contain the mess, but should keep a fire from spreading.

Charge your batteries inside your wood stove in the summer time? Add second wood stove with chimney specifically for charging batteries? Easy to add a flammable seal so the chimney didn't draw until the batteries caught fire.
 
I've got so many batteries/chargers kicking around for my cordless tools that I can usually just plug a few in while working in the garage and never worry about not having a charged battery. If I really need to catch up on charging, I'll bring a few chargers/batteries inside and charge them in the living room in the evening while I watch tv or w/e.
 
I plan on putting the "charger outlet" on a 2 hour timer.

Maybe I should quit planning and actually do it:rolleyes:

Been thinking about this, and pretty sure the batteries could catch fire at any time, not just while charging.

They're so power dense, contain so much energy that if something inside goes wrong....poof.
 
Been thinking about this, and pretty sure the batteries could catch fire at any time, not just while charging.

They're so power dense, contain so much energy that if something inside goes wrong....poof.

Yes, if the get damaged or wet. But just after getting charged, they are not at risk, so removing the charger from the equation can only lessen the chance of something happening
 
I have 3 Milwaukee chargers mounted on the side of a cabinet right by my door. I only charge batteries while I’m in the shop. If one is dead when I am about to leave it gets set on the shelf below the chargers. Same goes for if a battery is on the charger when I leave it gets pulled off and set on the shelf until I return.

i also try to avoid charging off of generators or inverters but that is just my paranoia.
 
That link about the Dewalt chargers is from 20 years ago...

Anybody aware of this happening with modern name brand batteries and chargers? Not the generic eBay stuff?

I assume the issue is that the charger doesn’t shut off, battery gets hit, case melts, lithiumis exposed and :nuke:

That would mean as long as the battery is removed, the charger is safe to stay plugged in. The newer ones are so fast it’s typically done in 15 minutes, so I usually pull them anyways before leaving the shop for the day.
 
Nope, not worth the risk and electricity isn't free.
 
I guess everyone forgets when 2nd gen dodge trucks were burning houses down.

Or hoverboards and r/c car lipo batteries.
 
Or F150's


I only have two batteries, so they're usually on the tool. I generally don't charge them overnight, but I'm not paranoid about it.
 
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