Flite Test - Lipo Battery Bunker 

I use the balance program everytime.

**Sees battery explode** **Gets flashbacks of my old rc plane** **Sobs**

I love the idea of sticking them into the cinder block holes with the sandbag over it. If one battery goes up in flames the rest won't! I love it, still a great idea with the battery bunker Josh! I also use the ammo boxes for tools, electronics and food! They are watertight and can take a beating. Thanks for the video guys, keep it up!

Great tips and love the bunker idea. A friend had a spontaneous lipo fire this weekend on a camping trip that could have cost him his car or worse if he was driving. The lipo was old and sitting idle in a gym bag with others. One cell decided to party. If I didn't see it I wouldn't believe it could happen like that.

One of the best videos I have seen on LiPo safety! Currently, I have mine charging on an all metal rack (baker's rack) and using old licence plates for the bottom. I do have several larger ammo cans that I have thought about using for charging and storage, but I did not know if it was safe or not. Looks like you guys just gave me my next project!

Safety is no accident.

Thanks for making this hobby safer for us . I really appreciate the learning curve you guys provide. Cheers. Oh, and if Dan Wilson doesn't condone your language please know that many of us do.

Raise your hands up if your wife now hates your hobby even more because you want to build this. ;) Safety first. Thumbs up!

Extra good video. Please keep this topic active, creating occasional safety videos. The risk of having lipos in my home really sunk in a while back and I don't believe enough is done to help the flyer keep this in mind. Especially if you fly nitro, too and all your materials are kept together. A lipo explodes and your nitro goes up as well - keep them separate.The idea of putting the bag of sand above the concrete block pocket is excellent, maybe better than the concrete board on top. Thanks, keep up the great info!

GREAT job on the bunker!! Thanks for sharing your ideas! Cheers!

Great safety video! Everyone in the hobby should watch this, especially those who are new to lipo batteries. I use 2 large cinder blocks and charge in the cavity like you showed. Love the idea of putting sand on top. Thanks for being awesome!

nice bunker)

For years I've used a Treadplate Steel 20x10" toolbox on the floor with pavers brick between the box and floor. Away from anything flammable. Ammo cans for storage.. Great video!

your lipo bunk you tube segment rotated to the top of my you tube page. THANK YOU !!, great info

Learned a lot! I thought up the bag of something above the battery to put out a fire, didn't think of it containing something as simple as sand. Looks really effective.

In the case of ammo cans, lining them with cement board will insulate the metal can so it will be less likely to transfer heat to the surrounding area.

This is my first FT Build! Went to home depot and the clerk mentioned the sales rep for the cement board brought a flame torch to show them how resistant it was to fire. I put mine together and happy to have it. One of our local guys just had his car catch on fire. Console, seats and interior. He was charging with an inverter. I do that all the time, too. I'm going to make a mini version to charge while at the field with spare pieces of cement board. Thanks for the great tip! Hope I never have to test the fire capabilities!

Thanks for sharing the safety precaution.

After seeing a lipo fire at my local track recently, I built my own lipo bunker. I used 2" tall 12"x12" patio blocks on the floor. Then put standard cinder blocks laid on their sides on top so the 2 hollowed out spaces of each block are faced up. That gave me 4 separate compartments total. 3 of them are used for battery storage, 1 is used only for charging. I also added an extended balance lead to my charger so the charger can be kept away from the charging battery. I like the idea of the granite board used in the video, Ill buy some of that to make a top. My favorite suggestion though is the bucket of sand, so inexpensive yet effective counter to a lipo fire. Also the smoke alarm, ill be adding that too. Thank you for the ideas.

As usual a great video. I had my lipo battery bunker built into my house. Now that all of the children have graduated collage and left home I took over the family room. The family room has a fire place with tempered glass doors. I just put my battery in a charging bag, place the bag and charger in the fireplace and close the doors. I have a fire extinguisher handy, but I think I’m going to put a bucket of sand close by as well. Thanks

Awesome video, thank you. I will definitely be building something along these line in the garage to minimize any potential damage.

Thanks for those tips, probably good for many of us to be reminded to be careful with lipos Balance lead extension cables exist (think HK has them) in case you want to put the charger outside the bunker

Great video, I have been needing some inspiration in this area!

Love the snoring LiPo at the end! LOL!!!!!!!

Better Safe than Sorry. Sometimes we get carried away by minor things and forget the foremost important things. Congratulations guys, very educational.

Awesome. Covered all bases, excellent.

Great tips on SAFE battery charging techniques. I really like the one you payed forward from Utah Flyers. ROG

The sandbag over the batteries to let the flame melt the bag and release the sand is an amazing idea

Best video ever!!!!! I just made a charging station out of a very heavy tool box with nothing else in it. Thanks Guyz

Excellent ideas. Thanks!

Very informative video, guys. Thank you and thank camera man.

Well done. Yes, the big one is .50 cal and the little one is 7.62...

Absolutely wonderful information as always thank you and safe, happy flight

very important info. I just had a fire from a lipo and lost all my RC stuff and almost everything in the house. you can't put them out. great information.

Great Video with thoughtful ideas.

i loved the toolbox idea... muck easyer to store at home

Great tips guys, I didn't know about the sand for a lipo fire.

A lot of good advice in this video, thanks!

Well done guys. Safety is paramount!! Kia ora Jon

Good one guys. Thanks for the tip about using sand.

Please, please, PLEASE stop recommending salt water for discharging LiPos!!!! All that happens in salt water is that electrolysis corrodes the terminals of the battery before the battery gets anywhere near full discharge. The correct way to discharge a LiPo for disposal is to use a resistive load, such as one or two taillight batteries in series.

awesome episode. thanks a lot. Like other people who are commenting, I always balance charge all my 2s+ lipo's. I only use the charge setting for 1s lipo batteries.

...will it blend?.... ...ah....wrong RU-vid channel ;) ...but, seriously, it's good to see a well known player in the rc scene promoting awareness and safety message. Well done guys, really glad I subbed to your channel.

I‘m starting to get back in the hobby again after a 25 year break and can‘t get around lipos if I want to fly. I’m freaked out by the thought of a fire. I live in an apartment and have no outside area to charge or store my batteries, nor a garage. My only hope is to not make mistakes and hope an ammocan holds up. I guess you have to be brave in this new world... :D This Vid was very helpful, thanks.

New to the hobby fantastic advice well done lads thank you 😊

This is awesome with CC turned on haha. "Chewed Asian, I passed up the game"

Appreciate this info, I keep all of mine in 50 caliber animal cans with the rubber seal out of the lid I like the bunker idea

Great video guys, good tips! Lipo fires certainly ARE real, had one myself.

Thank you for the video about battery charging safely

great vid with great ideas

the sand is the best idea. as long as your in the room (and you should be), you can deal with the situation.

Better to be safe than sorry, i only use 2s 3s and 4s lipos atm and i always balance charge, i also keep my lipos at storage voltage so they are less likely to puff, i keep mine in a metal toolbox, i like the idea of those cinder blocks, especially for storing lipos and keeping them segregated so if one goes up, they all dont go up. Great vid guys :-)

thanks guys like always great video and great info on battery charging

Well, personally, I think that the best lipo bunker is something like an Outdoor Barrel Charcoal Grill with Side Table and wheels (that costs less than a hundred bucks). And the key word here is outdoor, outside - or at least, a balcony. Another important aspect is that you will have fire and smoke isolation (by just closing the barrel), because you can choose to place the grill with nothing nearby... you can open and close the barrel... and some even have a small chimney that will direct the smoke (that you can add more tubes to make the smoke go much higher). Definitely you guys should try that out and perhaps make a good video about this option, putting some old lipos on fire to see the results.

Good, informative video. I like new guy Alex...good matchup with you, Scott B.

Great PSA for lipos!

I have noticed with great interest that there is a Park Zone Sukhoi SU-29MM behind you. Will you guys do a video specifically on that RC aircraft soon? I have heard many great things about it, and since you guys are amazing at reviewing RC planes, I thought it would be likely.

Two words excellent video

Make sure to remove the black rubber seal from the top of the ammo can so it won't catch fire and it could also build up pressure in the can and cause it to explode. If you use a ammo can or other metal container make sure to set it on something that won't catch fire like wood or plastic or line it with sheetrock or cement board.

nice video, thanks a lot, gives a lot of ideas how to bild one and is definitely an very important topic to take care if you are in this hobby.

God forbid, God forbid, God forbid

Very helpful! I love the ideas! Keep it up! Would charging lipos in a glass mason jar with a metal lid that has a small hole cut in the top to run the leads to the charger?

Now I know what to do in case of a fire. Thanks!

May thanks! Would it work to fill small amp case with sand? Other than being heavy, you could put several batteries in there at once. One battery issue might not set off the others, at least that's the theory...

so, I have a few one cell lipos, I was wondering if I still need to store, and watch my batteries charging? they don't have balance plugs, so are they safer than other lipos?

Could one store and/or charge LiPo batteries in an old casserole with a lid on it to contain any flames or heat within it?

You guys are awesome

Thanks for the tips :)

I got one of the ordinary plastic euroboxes, inside are freezer bags filled with extinguisher granule. Here in Europe the brand ist called "Extover" or "Fireballs". Basically "foam glass balls" that are melting at high temperatures, drawing energy from the fire and extinguishes it. Costs around 50€ and I got a storage with a passive fire extinguisher.

Very good tip thank you

I saw a test where with these ammo cans the fire did more damage with the seal in the lid, when the seal was removed not as much damage

Get long leads for your charger. That way you won't hurt your charger. Make sure you have proper gauge wires. You can also use pots and pan with heavy lids or put stuff on top of the lids. You can put a ceramic or corning glass plate/bowl inside too. Thanks for get Video!

Great setup! My only tip is a bag of sand on top, in the unfortunate event it will smother fire when the bag rips.

Am i safe keeping 20 lipo batteries together in a sealed ammo case? They are all 1 cell, and are under 500mAh, and have individual slots in a lump of foam, so i assume they are reasonably safe, but does my ammo case need a vent to stop it blowing up? I like the cinder block charging bunker idea, that looks safe, I'm just worried about my ammo case going off like a grenade if something happens to one of my sleeping batteries, also thinking it will shoot flames out if i cut a vent in it, so need some advice...

Thanks for the information

I have a gens ace 2500 mah 11.1 volt . I left it unused for a few years and when i found it , it is slightly puffy . Should i recharge it and reuse it normally?

Good and informative video. Do DJI phantom 2 chargers balance the cells as they charge?

Nice Lumenier battery I saw there!

if you cut out the oxigen will it still burn or not? Like if I keep it in a air sealed box can it catch fire?

Hey Josh. I got a Floureon 4s 5.0 35C. Rotated my propstations 90 degrees and flipped them upside down so I could do run up tests and measure voltage and amperage draw for setting up my AMP. I've flown 3S before but flight time is only about 9 minutes. I just want to do aerial photography, not interested in stunts. Quad is an X 525, SunnySky 980KV motors spinning 12" props. After the battery drained down I shut it down. It was swelled a bit. I let it cool and now the charger says, "Low Voltage" and wont charge. Measured voltage is 11 volts. Any ideas?

I use a ammo can personally. I lined it with 2 layers of 1/2" drywall, which is surprisingly flame resistant. (seriously, try it out, I took a propane torch to the drywall for 1 minute, the paper on the torch side charred, but it treated to not catch fire, and the other side didnt even discolor, despite the torch side being orange hot where the flame was hitting it when I pulled the torch away) Also, I emphasize the point of the fumes being quite nasty. If youre charging in a garage (or any other closed space)and the smoke detector goes off and the garage is full of smoke, the first thing you should do is ventilate. Dont worry about the charger, or anything else, get the fumes out first.

i ended up doimg the ammo box charging station for 11 bucks but love this idea :)

is there a video for that beautiful green yak in the background???

Hey there... I have a quad and just today i ran it without a low voltage alarm... Till now i have run my batteries down to about 10.6v (ie...3s 2200mah pack) and they have still gotten a little puffy and today i ran it down to 9.6v by mistake... What are the chances my battery is going to give up on me ???

Great tips

Is there a maximum length for balance wires? I want to charge my battery inside an ammo can lined Hardiebacker.

Hi everyone. I just bought the E-Flight Apprentice S 15e. I'm looking for suggestions on a charger. Right now I have the one from the box that I have to connect to the car battery. I'm having a hard time finding the charger/power supply which would be good. I currently have 2 LiPo batteries.

All you need to remember: A- store them B-do not overcharge C-keep an eye on them D-don't overrun E- do not go over 3 cells.

I'm surprised you didn't mention thermal sensors.. I have a Triton 2 and it has a thermal sensor that you put on the battery and it shuts off the charger if the battery gets too hot.

Line the inside of your large ammo cans with another layer of protection. If kept inside weld a piece of muffler pipe to the can and cut out circle in the can. Drill a hole in the side of the building to the outside and run pipe thru it to the outside. Epoxy a piece of screen to the end of the pipe using rubber bands to old in place till epoxy drys. Keep seal on can if you vent outside so it doesn't leak smoke into the room

iam planning to go on a month-long vacation, but i have 3 LiPOs at home. 2 of them i never used and i have them for 7 months (i know its not good to buy some, not using them but my RC car keeps breaking). all of them are storage charged. can something bad happen with them? i will put them in my garage, i have nothing flammable there, but is it safe?

Does anyone know where I can get one of those charges to balance the battery or does it usually come with one?

hey guys would a xt60 spark resistor help prolong the life of my race drones flight controller or esc by chance? or is this a waste for race drones? I sometimes run 5s

I hope Flite Fest isn't until the 28th ;) I didn't take that Monday off! lol.

How do you guys recommend safely storing batteries? I currently use lipo sacks, but admittedly overpack them. It gets to be expensive to use 1 lipo sack for 2 or 3 lipos. Is it safe enough to store 4 to 6 in a single ammo can?

We just had a fire in our garage from charging without the balance function (first time doing this) and luckily we caught the fire before it spread to the structure. The fire melted our fire extinguisher that was above the charger so we had a hard time putting the fire out. You can see the lipo fire damage on my instagram @jacobboracca I will definably be building one of these. Thanks guys! Jacob Boracca

I only have 2, 4s 2600mh batteries and i bought some 2, $10 metal toolboxes and lined them, twice with scrap concrete sheeting, the 10mm type. store them seperately in the garage

I see a Parkzone Sukhoi 29mm 3D plane in the background! I want that plane SO bad so I'd love to see a video from you guys!!!!! hopefully you put the video out before the plane is released for sale!

One more idea for the battery bunker, a piece of the cement board between the charger and batteries would help protect it from fire.

What about how toxic the smoke is? Or was it mentioned in the video and I missed it?