REEDY LiPo Batteries Safety Instructions

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNINGS

You must read these safety instructions and warnings carefully before charging or using your Reedy Lithium Polymer (LiPo) battery. Failure to read the following instructions may result in property damage, personal injury, and/or loss of life. Please retain this document for future reference.
LiPo batteries store a large amount of energy and should be treated with extreme caution. LiPo batteries, when not properly used, may burst and ignite. Failure to comply with these instructions will void all warranties and may result in property damage, personal injury, and/or loss of life. Associated Electrics Inc, its distributors, or its retailers assume no liability for failure to comply with these safety instructions and warnings. By purchasing this LiPo battery, the buyer assumes all risks associated with its use. If you do not agree to assume all risks, return the battery to the point of purchase before use.

General Guidelines and Warnings

1. Stop using or charging the battery immediately if the battery becomes or appears damaged, gives off an odor, becomes discolored or deformed, starts to balloon or swell, leaks exceeds a temperature of 160°F (71°C), or if any other abnormality is detected. Disconnect the battery and observe it in a safe area outside of any building or vehicle and away from any combustible materials. These abnormalities may cause the battery to leak, and the reaction with air may cause the chemical materials inside to ignite. Because delayed chemical reactions may occur (a battery can still ignite even after 10 minutes), you should continue observing the battery for at least 15 minutes as a safety precaution.
2. Only charge LiPo batteries with chargers specifically designed to charge LiPo batteries. NEVER use a NiMH or NiCd charger! Failure to use a proper charger might cause a fire resulting in personal injury and/or property damage. Some LiPo chargers on the market may have technical deficiencies which may result in incorrect charging or charging at an improper rate. It is your responsibility to determine that your charger works properly.
3. Always balance charge batteries using the charger’s balance charging option. Otherwise, an unbalanced cell may become overcharged. This will reduce the life of the battery, and possibly cause a fire which could result in personal injury and property damage.
4. Never leave a battery unattended while charging. During the entire process of charging your LiPo battery, you must constantly observe and monitor the charging process so that you can quickly react to any problems that may occur and to be certain that the battery is being charged properly.
5. Do not discharge a LiPo battery at a rate exceeding the maximum continuous discharge current specified for it. Otherwise, the battery will overheat and result in battery deterioration, bursting, ballooning, or possibly causing a fire or explosion.
6. Never store or charge the battery inside your car or in extreme temperatures. Extreme temperatures might ignite the battery and cause fire.
7. Store the battery in a location inaccessible to children. Be sure that children do not remove the battery from the charger or model.
8. Use high-quality battery connectors. Using connectors that do not fit tightly into the battery socket may result in overheating and melting of the battery case. Remove the connectors from the battery after EVERY use and during storage. Failure to do so will result in plug fatigue resulting in a bad connection and possible case melting. Replace connectors frequently
   to preserve good connections.

Handling and Caring for Your Li-Po Battery

1. Never disassemble, modify, puncture, mechanically shock, or short circuit the battery. Leakage, smoke emission, ignition, explosion, or fire, which may result in personal injury and property damage, can occur.
2. Never remove the battery from its protective plastic case.
3. Short circuits may cause fire and injury! If you plan to cut the battery’s terminal wires, you must cut each wire individually, making sure the wires not to touch each other. Otherwise, a short circuit may occur and potentially cause a fire. If you accidentally cause the battery to short circuit, place it in a safe space and observe it for at least 15 minutes. The battery may swell or possibly catch fire during this time. Additionally, the powerful electric current may cause severe injuries if the battery leads come in contact with rings or jewelry.
4. Dispose of used or damaged LiPo batteries at your local Hazardous Waste Facility or Recycling Center.

 Charging Process and Precautions

1. Never leave a battery unattended while charging. Only charge LiPo batteries with chargers specifically designed to charge LiPo batteries. NEVER use a NiMH or NiCd charger. Battery temperatures should not be allowed to fall below 32°F (0°C) or exceed 113°F (45°C).

2. Always charge the battery in an isolated safe area away from any flammable/combustible materials. Never charge a LiPo battery on a wooden workbench, inside an automobile, or on any flammable surface. Charge LiPo batteries on a concrete surface where there are no flammable objects within 10 feet (3 meters) of the charging area.

3. Always charge your LiPo battery in a fireproof container.

4. Always remove your LiPo battery from your model while charging. Remove the battery from you model and allow it to cool to ambient temperature before re-charging.

5. Check the voltage of the pack or cells before charging. Do not attempt to charge any pack if the open voltage is lower than the Lowest Open Voltage (Please refer to Chart 1).
   Check the voltage of each cell before charging via the balance connector. If the voltage of any cell is less than 3.0V/cell, remove it from service, and dispose of it properly.

6. When selecting the cell count or voltage for charging purposes, select the cell count and voltage as it appears on the battery label. As a safety precaution, please confirm that the information printed on the battery or label is correct. (Please refer to Chart 1). Selecting the wrong cell count or charging voltage may cause fire.

7. Never charge the battery at a current exceeding 2C (2 x the capacity of the battery). A higher charge rate may cause fire.

8. Use the included charge lead (if applicable) for charging purposes only! DO NOT use the harness as a power adapter. Use of the charging harness as a power adapter may result in overheating of the battery connection resulting in melting of the plastic battery case.

Usage and Discharge Warnings

1. Check cell voltage after the first charge to verify that the voltage has not exceeded the maximum charge voltage (Please refer to Chart 1). Check the voltage of each cell via the balance connector to verify that the voltage of each cell has not exceeded the maximum value.
2. The discharge temperature range is between 32°F (0°C) and 113°F (45°C).
3. During discharging and handling the batteries, do not exceed 160°F (71°C). Otherwise, the battery may be damaged and a fire may result.
4. Do not discharge the battery at a higher current than the maximum continuous discharging current. A higher discharging current may cause overheating which will lead to ballooning, swelling, or possibly result in fire. For example, a 5000mAh battery with a designed maximum 35C discharge current must not have a continuous discharge rate or a load of more than 175 Amps. For longer cycle life, a continuous discharging current of 70%-80% of the designed maximum discharging current is acceptable and recommended.
5. Never discharge your Li-Po battery below the Lowest Discharge Voltage (Please refer to Chart 1). This may cause irreversible damage which will deteriorate battery performance and cycle life. An ESC with an adjustable low voltage cutoff is MANDATORY!

Chart 1

Battery Type| 1S
(single cell)| 2S
(2 cells in series)| 3S
(3 cells in series)| 4S
(4 cells in series)| 5S
(5 cells in series)| 6S
(6 cells in series)
---|---|---|---|---|---|---
Nominal Voltage (V)| 4.| | 4.| 7.| | 8.| 11.| | 11.| 15.| | 15.| 19.| | 19.0| 22.| | 23.
Lowest Open Voltage (V)| | 32| | | 64| | | 96| | | 13.| | | 16.0| | | 19.|
Maximum Charge Voltage (V)| 4.20| | 4.| 8.40| | 8.70| 12.60| | 13.| 16.80| | 17.40| 21.00| | 22.| 25.20| | 26.10
Lowest Discharge Voltage (V)| | 32| | | 64| | | 96| | | 13.| | | 16.0| | | 19.|

 Storage & Transportation

1. Always disconnect and remove LiPo batteries from your model when not in use. Store LiPo batteries in an airtight and flame-resistant container when not in use.
2. Store batteries in a location with low humidity, free from corrosive gas & combustible materials, within the temperature range of 14°F (-10°C) and 104°F (40°C). For best results, storage between from 41°F (5°C) and 77°F (25°C) is recommended.
3. Do not expose LiPo batteries to direct sunlight or leave them in a hot environment (inside an automobile in hot weather) for extended periods of time.
4. When batteries are transported in a vehicle, temperatures should be higher than 14°F (-10°C) but not over 140°F (60°C).
5. Storing LiPo batteries at temperatures higher than 170°F (76°C) for more than 2 hours may result in battery damage or possibly fire.
6. Higher cell voltage during storage will increase the self-discharge rate of the battery, which may lead to over-discharge and deteriorate battery performance. It is recommended that the battery remains at a lower voltage (about 3.8V/cell) throughout the period of storage. If the battery is to be stored for longer than one year, the user should charge the battery at least once per year to 3.8V/cell to prevent over-discharge.

Disposal

Dispose of used or damaged LiPo batteries at your local Hazardous Waste Facility or recycling center. LiPo batteries must be disposed of separately from household waste. LiPo
batteries must not be disposed of as unsorted municipal waste. Users must utilize the proper available facilities for the disposal and/or recycling of LiPo batteries. Customer participation in the proper disposal and recycling of LiPo batteries is important to minimize any potential negative effects of LiPo batteries on the environment and human health due to the nature of substances used in LiPo batteries.

 Warranty

Your battery is guaranteed to be free of manufacturer’s defects at the time of purchase. Batteries that have been mishandled, abused, or damaged by the user are not covered under warranty. Associated Electrics Inc. is not liable for any loss or damage, whether direct or indirect, incidental or consequential, or from any special situation, arising from the use, misuse, or abuse of this product.

Associated Electrics Inc.
26021 Commercentre Dr.
Lake Forest, CA 92630 USA
www.reedypower.com

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