should you Toss a Leaking LifePo4?

Blueshift

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Or should u ride it until it stops working? The reason I ask is because I am afraid that the battery might be toxic if its leaking. I "think" i smell a sweet smell for years now and yet the battery still works and the red LED'S all go solid after a full charge. Could I be smelling the plastic shroud over the BMS heating up?

The battery is a bit over 6 years old.
 
Blueshift said:
Or should u ride it until it stops working? The reason I ask is because I am afraid that the battery might be toxic if its leaking. I "think" i smell a sweet smell for years now and yet the battery still works and the red LED'S all go solid after a full charge. Could I be smelling the plastic shroud over the BMS heating up?

The battery is a bit over 6 years old.

To be honest If it was me and ONLY because it's LiFe, I would keep using it.

Just charge and store it where it can't cause damage if things go pear shaped.
Have you tried stripping things back and taking a closer look to see what's going on it might be advisable?
 
I wouldn't worry about it too much. The contents of a LiFePo4 cell aren't particularly toxic. I mean, I wouldn't eat it. But I wouldn't worry about it. Nothing spectacular is going to happen.
 
dustNbone said:
I wouldn't worry about it too much. The contents of a LiFePo4 cell aren't particularly toxic. I mean, I wouldn't eat it. But I wouldn't worry about it. Nothing spectacular is going to happen.
'
I don't care so much about fire, but if its poisonous or carcinogenic; touching it or off gas inhalation, etc.
Yeah i skip on the eating it part, but things in micro doses can kill u, sometimes years later.
 
I've had a cylindrical lifepo4 that I shorted out catch on fire. The short cause a crack on the side of the can and I heard the pressure escaping and then the fire. I was able to put out the fire with water eventually but it did reflash a couple of times. It was one of the lifepo4 a123 2.3ah cells. Luckily none of its neighbors caught on fire.
I try to go to lifepo4 because they said it was safer then li-ion but firsthand expierence, lifepo4 will catch on fire just as well. My advice would be to retire it, the chemicals inside are flammable. I would be scared for a spark to set them off since they are exposed to the air.
If you don't put the fire out quickly it will spread to all the rest of the cells. When it goes off its like a blowtorch.
Lifepo4/li-ion are safe as long as the chemicals stay inside.
 
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