best way to dispose a 6s

[ezhitz]

Hi
I have a 6S pack with one cell that crapped out and was wondering how to bring the other cells down to zero? I have had two other 4s packs
that did the same but was able to discharge with a 12v sealed beam car light but this pack is still over 20 volts. The charger will not do it because the one cell is so low and seems to go to zero under load and if I try to charge it will read as high as 7 volts. Time to try new packs.

[Fluid]

Over-discharging rapidly could cause a fire, not advised. Do what the manufacturers suggest instead, drop the pack into a bucket of water, add a couple handfulls of salt and wait a few days. Totally dead packs safely.


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[ezhitz]

Thanks Fluid that's what I was thinking. Bucket and salt already wasn't sure with voltage that high if it was safe to put it in like that.

[Peter A]

This is what I do. Discharge on charger to 3v per cell. Plug in a 24v turn lamp (soldering it onto it's own leads of course) and let the battery completely flatten slowly. When the bulb does not go anymore, cut the main battery wires and solder together to complete a total short, the battery cells will be down to around 0.1-2v by now so there is no power left. Cut off the balance leads. Next cut the pack apart and slice into the side of each cell with a sharp knife. Then place in a (plastic) bucket of salt water, usually about 1/2 kg of salt to 8 litres or so of water. Leave for a week or two. The cells will expand and swell up in the water and it makes a bit of a foam as the salt reacts with the battery cells. Afterwards they can go into the rubbish. Yep it is a bit of a process but I know that the battery is dodo dead and cannot cause a fire.
Obviously take care and caution where you put the battery to discharge and use gloves and eye protection when cutting open the cells.
Not to try and disagree with Fluid, but just dropping the battery into a bucket of salt water can result in the tabs on the cells corroding in the salt thereby giving a zero voltage on the leads but the cells could still contain enough energy to start a fire if punctured later, and so are not actually dead.
It is a shame that manufacturers are so shy on proper disposal at the end of life of their products and prefer to give shortcut methods rather than be more responsible to consumers and the environment etc.

[Luck as a Constant]

Bucket of salt water. Done

[TRUCKPULL]

Hi
I have a 6S pack with one cell that crapped out and was wondering how to bring the other cells down to zero? I have had two other 4s packs
that did the same but was able to discharge with a 12v sealed beam car light but this pack is still over 20 volts. The charger will not do it because the one cell is so low and seems to go to zero under load and if I try to charge it will read as high as 7 volts. Time to try new packs.

Jack

Have you tried to bring that low cell back up, by charging it by itself through the balance leads (1.75 AMP's max)??

Larry

[Bp9145]

You could also turn this into a 5 cell battery. . .just cut it open and remove the one bad cell and now you have a good 5S battery.

[ezhitz]

No I didnt try through the balance lead. I really don't have the need for a 5s pack.

[Fluid]

....Not to try and disagree with Fluid, but just dropping the battery into a bucket of salt water can result in the tabs on the cells corroding in the salt thereby giving a zero voltage on the leads but the cells could still contain enough energy to start a fire if punctured later, and so are not actually dead.
It is a shame that manufacturers are so shy on proper disposal at the end of life of their products and prefer to give shortcut methods rather than be more responsible to consumers and the environment etc.

Oh come on Peter, of course you are trying to disagree with me! And there is nothing wrong with that, I’m not always correct. But in truth I have to disagree with you on one point. The salt water is conductive so if the tabs get wet - and they will of course - they will short each other out through the brine, no need for any leads. I have done this several times and believe me, each cell is dead after a few days.

If I was a LiPo seller I would lose sleep worrying about some clumsy consumer cutting into a partially charged cell and pushing the knife through several cells by accident. Not a good thing...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=T9WYRC7A-48

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[Doby]

Hi Jack...I've left cell in plain old water (no salt) for a few week....they show 0 volts on any of the cells afterwards.

[ezhitz]

Thanks for all the answers I will just put it in some salt water and be done with it.

[Peter A]

Oh come on Peter, of course you are trying to disagree with me! And there is nothing wrong with that, I’m not always correct. But in truth I have to disagree with you on one point. The salt water is conductive so if the tabs get wet - and they will of course - they will short each other out through the brine, no need for any leads. I have done this several times and believe me, each cell is dead after a few days.

If I was a LiPo seller I would lose sleep worrying about some clumsy consumer cutting into a partially charged cell and pushing the knife through several cells by accident. Not a good thing...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=T9WYRC7A-48

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Well I wasn't trying start an argument with you Jay. I have just shared what I do to be sure the lipos are inert when disposed of. There is a difference between deliberately and carefully disposing of old lipos and stabbing something through a pack full of energy.

[kfxguy]

I shoot mine with a high power pellet rifle and enjoy the show. You’ll need a .22 long rifle to go through a 6s pack tho

[Bp9145]

I shoot mine with a high power pellet rifle and enjoy the show. You’ll need a .22 long rifle to go through a 6s pack tho

I like it . . .has to be fun. My boys always get a kick when I blow things up or something catches on fire on my boats accidentally or because of a bad setup or carelessness. Maybe from now on I'll use my old lipos for target practice and blow up or catch on fire for a nice show for my boys. . .maybe not. But I have disposed my lipos in a bucket of salt water and has worked for me. . .lipos completely dead with no residual power at all. . .ZERO ZILCH. ..and it's EASY. But to each his own I guess.

[Rumpelhardt]

I shot a 3s pack with a .223. Pretty disappointing actually. A puff of smoke, then it just sort of fizzled out.