Exploding Flashlights.

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franco b
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Post by franco b » Tue. Apr. 17, 2018 3:57 pm

Received an email from a flashlight supply house with some cautions.

With the very high output of some lights it seems alkaline batteries run at high output can release a gas that corrodes aluminum flashlight bodies quickly. The advice is to run at lower output if demand is for a long period.

Lithium batteries can explode if drained too quickly. One man, holding the light in his mouth while working under the hood of his car had the light explode. The injuries eventually killed him. Another man had the same thing happen, but survived with badly burned mouth and tongue. A great danger is if a dead battery is inadvertantly put in a two cell light with a fully charged battery. the full battery discharges into the dead battery and can overheat and explode.

General advice is to not run at full output for long periods. I would avoid lithium batteries altogether.


 
rberq
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Post by rberq » Tue. Apr. 17, 2018 4:46 pm

Scary about the LI batteries. We have all probably seen YouTube videos of them bursting into flame.

I had a small travel alarm clock powered by one AA alkaline battery. When I took it on a trip the airline people somehow knew it was there, opened my checked luggage, removed the battery and left it sitting beside the clock. I thought they were nuts, but a couple years later something inside the clock short circuited and the battery got VERY hot to the touch in a very short time. Guess they weren't nuts after all.

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