Dropping Li-Ion batteries - how bad?

[StorminMatt]

I was sitting down with an open battery box with 14500s on my lap. And I got up forgetting they were there. So they fell about 18-20 inches on a wood floor. There are no visible dents on the batteries, or any other visible signs of damage. Plus, they were 14500s, so the force of the fall was considerably less than with larger batteries. But you always hear about how bad it is to drop Li-Ion batteries. Should these batteries be used? Or should they be tossed?

 

[ven]

I have dropped a few over the years,i would suspect most people have . From your description i really cant see why they would not be fine,keep an eye on them for a couple of uses.

My worst drop was the other year,around 3ft on to a tiled floor(apart from height i would say its about the least unforgiving to fall on) and no issue many uses later.

If your not sure confidence wise ,just check with a MM,leave somewhere safe over night, and re-check in morning .

 

[TEEJ]

I think the protection circuits were where the most potential for damage is....but I've dropped a ton, both when in lights, and when not in lights, and never had one go bad....but, I have heard of a few people at least who had the PCB get damaged in a fall... so it IS possible.

It may be the way they fall, so if anything can be struck just right (wrong?) it can be damaged.

 

[lwknight]

I'm telling off on myself being a cluts but I have dropped my share. 2 18650 that I dropped about 3 feet onto a tile floor died within a few hours. Never had one die on contact though.

 

[GillBates]

I dropped a Li-ion once and our chemistry changed it just wasn't meant to be.

 

[Wendee]

[...]
My worst drop was the other year,around 3ft on to a tiled floor(apart from height i would say its about the least unforgiving to fall on) and no issue many uses later.

If your not sure confidence wise ,just check with a MM,leave somewhere safe over night, and re-check in morning .

I just dropped an unprotected Sanyo NCR18650GA from counter height onto the kitchen floor (tile) and it didn't sound good when it hit the floor (crash!).
Is it safe to put into my Nitecore D4 charger to check the voltage? If so, what exactly am I looking for tomorrow morning? A drop in voltage, I assume?

I'm so mad at myself!!:hairpull:
I paid full price for 4 of these batteries plus about $12.00 shipping from Orbtronic. Not cheap and a pain to replace! I hope the battery is ok. Going to go kick myself now.

I guess this is the best thread to ask my question, even though it's an older thread.

 

[ven]

Wendee.............how clumsy are you, seriously that is major clumsy stuff, i would never do anything so crazy like that!...............













Should be fine, just keep an eye on it, see if it slowly charges and if you have a means to check the V prior to charging and after termination just to see all is well. Maybe compare direct with one of the others to see all is similar. That is what i would do wendee​ and have done a few times.

 

[peter yetman]

I agree with Ven, just keep an eye on them.
You owe it to yourself to get a Multimeter, then you can check their charge without putting them on the charger. Unless I'm wrong, your charger is going to start charging them while you're reading the voltage. If and I say "if" the cells are damaged I'd be wary of charging them - so a meter is a good idea. I busted mine last week and I'm a bit lost - new one coming tomorrow. That's the flashlight budget gone for a bit, but at least I can charge it to the brewery.
There's a intersting new thread on meters here.......
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?423456-While-studying-multimeters-found-this
As with a charger, don't go too cheap.
Hope they're Ok.
P

 

[Wendee]

Thanks guys!
I did buy a multi-meter but I've been putting off learning how to use it because it looks complicated (and my Nitecore D4 charger is so easy to use to check voltage).
I just took it out of the box. Now I'll watch that video for beginners in the link above (thanks for that!).
The meter I bought is a Mastercraft (Canadian hardware brand) and I only paid $20.00 for it on sale. I hope it will at least do the job, since I already bought it, but now I wish I had bought a good one. :sigh:
Off I go to learn how to use this thing. Thanks again!
PS: I put the battery in a safe place away from anything flammable. I'm wondering if I should put it outside but it looks ok (no damage) and it's not doing anything weird (no smoke or anything like that). I'll test it today.

 

[ven]

I set it to V(on the dial)


Then - lead to the - end of cell, red + to the pos

 

[StandardBattery]

I set it to V(on the dial)
...

Then - lead to the - end of cell, red + to the pos

That would be Vdc if as on your better AC and DC are different settings. Polarity hardly matters as one can ignore the - (negative) sign if one gets it wrong.

Nothing wrong with using the voltage read out on the charger, it's accurate enough and may even put a load on the cell for a better reading. However, that's presuming the D4 is reasonably competent I don't use those for serious stuff.

 

[peter yetman]

It's as easy as that. Just use the DC Voltage not the AC for your cells.
On Ven's Fluke, AC is the one with the sine wave symbol and DC is the one with the straight line and dotted line.
Don't be scared, the Multimeter is there to help and protect you.
When I'm working on house circuits I trust the meter to tell me whether the wires are live or not, before I touch them. Just belt and braces.
Ooops I'm getting as obssesive about my meters as I am about lights.
P

 

[peter yetman]

Blimey Ven, that's a serious meter, just googled it.
One day I'll work out what you do for a living, just from your pics.
Don't tell me I want to work it out.
P

 

[markr6]

These things fall hard. I've dented a few and it usually also cracks the wrapper (if it has one).

 

[ven]

Blimey Ven, that's a serious meter, just googled it.
One day I'll work out what you do for a living, just from your pics.
Don't tell me I want to work it out.
P

 

[peter yetman]

Nah, there's nowhere in a tux for your Fluke. And a big Vinh would spoil the lines.
P

 

[ven]

:laughing: