Oops - I shorted out a 48V/400Ah Lifepo4 battery

weirded · Dec 20, 2023

This was back in 2021 - I managed to short out a LifePo4 pack (before my coffee kicked in). This happened in the process of dismantling a LifePo4 48V/400Ah battery in order to replace it with another battery. I didn't think about the fact that the pack was still live while unscrewing the nuts off the terminal block. Thankfully I was wearing eye protection and gloves (which caught fire). The black on my finger is mostly from the burning glove).

All I got was a small blister from the burning glove. Good reminder to use insulated tools around these batteries...

Will Prowse · Dec 20, 2023

Oh man I had a black thumb a couple months ago from shorting out a huge 48V battery just like you did!! Not fun! I was wearing gloves and eye protection as well. Glad you are ok! Dead shorts are no joke.

jimf909 · Dec 24, 2023

Dang. Thanks for sharing. I'm finally getting to the point of always using ppe and feel fortunate that I didn't disable myself when not using the gear.

k490 · Dec 25, 2023

Put some heat Shink over the tools only the ends are exposed. You contacted right in the middle would have protected that.

weirded · Dec 25, 2023

k490 said:
Put some heat Shink over the tools only the ends are exposed. You contacted right in the middle would have protected that.

Yes, that's what I did afterwards

ricardocello · Dec 25, 2023

Still a usable ratcheting and open-ended 1/2” wrench!
Just hide the evidence.

Culchee · Dec 25, 2023

weirded said:
This was back in 2021 - I managed to short out a LifePo4 pack (before my coffee kicked in). This happened in the process of dismantling a LifePo4 48V/400Ah battery in order to replace it with another battery. I didn't think about the fact that the pack was still live while unscrewing the nuts off the terminal block. Thankfully I was wearing eye protection and gloves (which caught fire). The black on my finger is mostly from the burning glove).

All I got was a small blister from the burning glove. Good reminder to use insulated tools around these batteries...

View attachment 184228 View attachment 184229

Glad you posted this... I think a sign saying SAFETY...SAFETY...SAFETY should be hung up in our workshops,garages,basements etc..thanks for reminding me ..?

Fezzik · Dec 25, 2023

Buy insulated tools. WIHA and Knipex both make great tools, almost all in insulated versions! You might need those fingers in the future!

weirded · Dec 26, 2023

Fezzik said:
Buy insulated tools. WIHA and Knipex both make great tools, almost all in insulated versions! You might need those fingers in the future!

I’ll check out the factory outlet next time I’m back in Germany but I can’t justify the retail prices personally for very occasional use. Different if I were an electrician by profession.

k490 · Dec 26, 2023

My in-law wedding band hit body of a car he was turning a box end wrench on the positive side of a car battery. It melted a nice scar into his finger I heard this happens lot. I can see how it could happen most car batteries are near the fender that gold ring conducts very easily.

Brett V · Dec 26, 2023

k490 said:
My in-law wedding band hit body of a car he was turning a box end wrench on the positive side of a car battery. It melted a nice scar into his finger I heard this happens lot I can see how it could happen most car batteries are near the fender that gold ring conducts very easily.

I've been in the electronics field my whole life. When I first started, an old timer told me to ditch the ring and my metal watch band.

Rednecktek · Dec 26, 2023

Pro Tip: Don't do that!

Also, my tag line...

Osmethne · Dec 27, 2023

This is why I hate assembling these things. World's highest risk game of Operation.

I'm not even finalizing the connects without eye protection, ear protection and a fifth of gin.

Daddy Tanuki · Dec 27, 2023

Osmethne said:
This is why I hate assembling these things. World's highest risk game of Operation.

I'm not even finalizing the connects without eye protection, ear protection and a fifth of gin.

it was good until the bottle of courage! ha ha ha

Nobodybusiness · Dec 27, 2023

weirded said:
This was back in 2021 - I managed to short out a LifePo4 pack (before my coffee kicked in). This happened in the process of dismantling a LifePo4 48V/400Ah battery in order to replace it with another battery. I didn't think about the fact that the pack was still live while unscrewing the nuts off the terminal block. Thankfully I was wearing eye protection and gloves (which caught fire). The black on my finger is mostly from the burning glove).

All I got was a small blister from the burning glove. Good reminder to use insulated tools around these batteries...

View attachment 184228 View attachment 184229

Ouch.

I think we have all done that to some extent or another.

One of the reason why I use short combination wrenches and tape them all the way down.

Vigo · Dec 29, 2023

Last year i shorted out a 48v lead acid pack with a tool and explosively launched the vent caps right past my face. Everything missed me but my hat got discolored from the acid spray (even though i rinsed it right away).

Over my career i feel ive done an uncommonly good job not breaking much, but as a teacher when i start to talk about ‘what not to do’ it occurs to me that ive messed up pretty much everything at least once. Just, minorly! Ive been lucky.

k490 · Jan 1, 2024

Were all human and we will mess up what PPE can we wear to protect ourselves. Obviously, safety glasses but is that enough when you're working with a high current. Above I'm reading gloves caught fire are those the right gloves?

weirded · Jan 1, 2024

k490 said:
Were all human and we will mess up what PPE can we wear to protect ourselves. Obviously, safety glasses but is that enough when you're working with a high current. Above I'm reading gloves caught fire are those the right gloves?

They were probably not. There are specific gloves for electrical work. But… they were what I had and they 100% helped protect my hands. The little blister was gone after two days.

Ellcon123 · Jan 2, 2024

k490 said:
My in-law wedding band hit body of a car he was turning a box end wrench on the positive side of a car battery. It melted a nice scar into his finger I heard this happens lot. I can see how it could happen most car batteries are near the fender that gold ring conducts very easily.

Why you always connect +ve first! Don't make the rest of the car a ground until the end. Same with connecting jumper cables.

weirded · Jan 3, 2024

Ellcon123 said:
Why you always connect +ve first! Don't make the rest of the car a ground until the end. Same with connecting jumper cables.

This happened dismantling the system. So the starting point was everything connected. This was literally the very first lug I undid (my intent was to defuse the rest of the system by disconnecting the cells).

Oops - I shorted out a 48V/400Ah Lifepo4 battery

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