Assessing the condition of a battery is not easy. It is always a good idea to treat a used battery as if it were dangerous.
Identification
You can identify a potentially dangerous battery by things like:
- The battery shows dents, cracks, crazing
- The battery shows soot or other signs of burning
- The battery is bulging
- The battery becomes burning hot during charging
- The battery takes an unusually long time to charge or does not charge at all
- The battery capacity of the device is significantly lower than normal (battery capacity is an indication of how much energy the battery can store and how long the device can operate before it needs to be recharged)
- The battery has been connected to a faulty device
- The battery has been short-circuited
- The battery is making strange noises
If any of these conditions are met, treat the battery as if it were dangerous.
Clear signs of imminent danger include the following:
- The battery is hot
- The battery smells strange
- The battery is leaking or hissing
- Smoke or steam is coming from the battery.
What to do?
In this case, follow the instructions for putting out a battery fire.
If possible, ask the battery importer about the history of the battery. If you are unsure whether the battery is dangerous, act as if it were!
