Gryph0n
Contributor
I've read many reports of laptop batteries exploding, but I would usually think "It wouldn't happen to me". On at least one ocassion, I have myself been guilty of leaving the laptop for charging while going out. However an incident just happened yesterday that should make me far more cautious in the future.
Just yesterday, in one of the apartments in my complex, a couple left the laptop on sofa, with the charger on, and went out. While they were out, apparently the laptop melted/exploded, and caused a fire that burnt down the sofa and other furniture in the living room and threatened to explode the LPG cylinder in the kitchen.
Luckily the fire alarm went off, and the Fire Brigade dispatched 2 fire engines. The Fire Brigade was able to put out the fire before it became an inferno.
I wonder what it is with the chemistry of laptop batteries (typically Lithion-Ion nowadays) that makes them explode. On the other hand, haven't heard about UPS batteries (typically sealed lead acid) exploding.
A common thread I've noticed with these incidents is the batteries seemed to be fully charged, and were being fed either a trickle charge from the charger, or getting overcharged.
Just yesterday, in one of the apartments in my complex, a couple left the laptop on sofa, with the charger on, and went out. While they were out, apparently the laptop melted/exploded, and caused a fire that burnt down the sofa and other furniture in the living room and threatened to explode the LPG cylinder in the kitchen.
Luckily the fire alarm went off, and the Fire Brigade dispatched 2 fire engines. The Fire Brigade was able to put out the fire before it became an inferno.
I wonder what it is with the chemistry of laptop batteries (typically Lithion-Ion nowadays) that makes them explode. On the other hand, haven't heard about UPS batteries (typically sealed lead acid) exploding.
A common thread I've noticed with these incidents is the batteries seemed to be fully charged, and were being fed either a trickle charge from the charger, or getting overcharged.