General Puffy Batteries

[KLA]

Took my 230S out yesterday morning and again this morning for the first time in almost 3 months. After a normal easy flight of about 3 or 4 minutes I landed and started to change batteries. The first thing I noticed was that the battery was unusually warm for such an easy flight. When I got it in my hand I could immediately feel that it was slightly puffed up a bit. So....to make a long story short, I guess it's time to get some new batteries. I have probably close to a hundred cycles on these batteries so I guess I got my money's worth.

 

[Smoggie]

You didn't leave them fully charged during that 3 months of storage by any chance?... If so mystery is solved!

 

[D.O.G.]

Took my 230S out yesterday morning and again this morning for the first time in almost 3 months. After a normal easy flight of about 3 or 4 minutes I landed and started to change batteries. The first thing I noticed was that the battery was unusually warm for such an easy flight. When I got it in my hand I could immediately feel that it was slightly puffed up a bit. So....to make a long story short, I guess it's time to get some new batteries. I have probably close to a hundred cycles on these batteries so I guess I got my money's worth.

You rather be safe then sorry if one of those batteries happen to catch fire in your home while charging or even when your flying your heli . You just never know. I would get new batteries and eliminate that chance.

 

[KLA]

Yep!!! I agree 100%. Especially as cheap as those batteries are. I got the NanoTech 11.1v, 850mah, 45C batteries from Hobbyking for around $9 each. It's been a while since I've ordered them so not sure if that price I just said was right or not but I know they were pretty inexpensive. And for that price it would be dumb to not replace them. Like I said, I guess I got my money's worth. Got somewhere around a hundred flights on them so I guess it's time.

 

[KLA]

Also, no, I didn't have the batteries charged for the period of down time. I charged them up yesterday morning just before I went out to fly and again this morning. Probably gonna put in an order at Hobbyking this coming weekend. Could also use some new servos for my 450 SE V2 so I'll just get them all at the same time.

 

[Tony]

Speaking of puffed batteries, I just puffed the crap out of a 2200 on a very mild flight lol. Thing looks like a balloon... Could be due to the fact that I crashed the crap out of my quad... Hey, it's sort of on topic .

 

[KLA]

That was exactly on topic. This is the first time that I have ended up with puffed batteries from such an easy flight. I was kinda shocked when I felt how puffy they were. I was thinking that maybe the warm weather had somethin to do with it.

 

[trainrider06]

I had one of my 6s 3000 mah's do that one time, it was flat as flat pre flight, after just hovering around checking the controls out I brought it in (luckily) to check something, and the dang battery was blown up like a pig that just went through a 50 gallon drum of slop! It was a Turnigy battery with very little cycles on it....just one of those things. I think I have one of my Turnigys getting ready to go on my 450 Pro too, noticed when I discharged it because I didn't use it that the cells were all over the place on it, like 3.78/3.86/3.90 I don't think that battery is gonna cut it anymore. may cycle it with a balance charge and then discharge see what it does....but sure will be keeping an eye on that one!

 

[Smoggie]

Keith,

Had you stored them fully charged?

Storing when fully charged causes the battery internal resistance to increase. When you come to use them again this high resistance causes voltage sag and overheating and puffing, which all fits with what you experienced.

 

[KLA]

No, they weren't stored fully charged, but they weren't exactly fully discharged either. The last time I flew the 230S, I landed when the timer went off, swapped batteries and flew til the timer went off again. When I was done flying I just put everything away. None of the 3 batteries went to LVC, but I didn't discharge them for storage either. Didn't plan on not flying the 230S for 3 months, that's just the way things worked out. But, like I said none of the 3 went to LVC but I didn't discharge them for storage either, and 2 of them started to puff up. I just figured it's time to replace them. I got close to a hundred cycles on them so I guess I'll have to put in an order at Hobbyking this weekend.

 

[Smoggie]

Oh well, that rules that idea out. For what it's worth I almost always store my batteries just as they come off the heli too. looks like you hit the nail on the head when you said they had just come to the end of their life. 100 cycles is probably pretty good for a mini size heli battery.

 

[KLA]

Yeah, that's what I figured. They are inexpensive enough that I can replace them pretty easily. I've been using the Turnigy NanoTech batteries from Hobbyking for my 230S and HK 250GT and really haven't had any problems with them. These are the first 2 that I've had puff up on me. For under $10 each I guess I can't complain about getting almost a hundred flights out of them.

 

[Stambo]

Looks like this has been answered pretty much.
Less than 10c per flight is pretty good in my books.

 

[KLA]

I guess that's one way of looking at it. 10 cents per flight isn't too bad at all.