Reader Comes Home to a Burned Down House After Radios Fry His Lithium Batteries

Drive-Thru Freak writes:

Lithum batteries can be dangerous. They are simply not worth the risk.

Now before you think I'm being over couscous, let me tell you what happened to me the night before last. I left two things plugged into a usb port to charge. The little Melsonic M7 I was so fond of, and a Cowon C3. They both have lithium ion batteries. I left the house for the night. I came home the next morning to a burnt out house. One of the batteries had started a fire.

I had to learn the hard way. Please never charge your devices when you're not home, or asleep.

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Comments

[Keith Beesley]

Damn! Glad you're ok, DIF; hope you have good insurance and get a fair settlement (and have a place to stay). I have to wonder though: is the issue with Li-Ion batteries generally, or a defective device (the Melsonic or the Cowon), or a particular defective battery?

[Gary]

This article has some good info on Li-ion battery safety.

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/lithium_ion_safety_concerns

[Drive-In-Freak]

Thank you.

It's hard to say what was at fault. I just don't know.

[Gary]

Here's a current Yahoo article on Lithium-ion battery technology and safety:

"Rethinking the lithium-ion battery revolution over cost, safety"

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/analysis-rethinking-lithium-ion-battery-050743150.html