In Depth with Dan: Answering viewer questions about lithium-ion batteries after Chapel Hill house fire
>> THE CHEVY.
>> I GOT A LOT OF GREAT E-MAILS
INTO THE IN-DEPTH MAILBAG THAT
REMIND YOU HOW MANY SMART AND
PASSIONATE PEOPLE WE HAVE TO
WATCH US HERE. AT 7 O'CLOCK ONE
EMAIL CAME IN AFTER A VIRAL
VIDEO. WE SHOWED THE DOG IN
CHAPEL HILL. THE CHEWED ON A
PORTABLE CHARGER INTO EXPLODED
INTO FLAMES AND NEARLY BURNED
DOWN THEIR ENTIRE HOUSE.
WHAT YOU SAW THERE WAS ANOTHER
CASE OF A LITHIUM ION BATTERY
EXPLODING INTO A FIREBALL.
NOW WE KNOW THAT THIS HAPPENS.
THE NEWS HAS COVERED THIS
BEFORE, BUT LOTS OF TIMES WHEN
PHONES OR LAPTOPS OR
E-CIGARETTES ARE THOSE SORTS
OF THINGS SPONTANEOUSLY
EXPLODE. WE'VE BEEN COVERING
THEM FOR YEARS. AND DESPITE
SEEING ALL OF THOSE STORIES,
I'M BETTING YOU SAY, WOW,
THAT'S SCARY. BUT WHAT ARE THE
ODDS? A LITTLE BETTER THEN YOU
MIGHT THINK.
3 WEEKS AGO, A GARAGE IN
CALABASH, NORTH CAROLINA CAUGHT
FIRE WHEN THE BATTERY EXPLODED
AND DESTROYED EVERYTHING INSIDE
THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE
THEN INTERVIEWED THE HOMEOWNER
AFTERWARD AS THEY WERE TRYING
TO DETERMINE THE COSTS.
>> YES, WE'RE IF I HAD THAT
BATTERIES IN THERE AND IT
DIDN'T OCCUR TO ME THAT I
LITHIUM BATTERIES.
BECAUSE EITHER FROM I GOT YOUR
YARD TOOLS, YOU KNOW, THE MAIN
ALLY KEPT THE ONE CHARGE ALL
THE TIME FOR 2 YEARS. THEY'VE
BEEN IN CHARGE EVERY DAY ALL
THE TIME. SO THEY'RE ALWAYS
AVAILABLE TO ME.
>> YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT
SUPPOSED TO DO THAT. JUST
SOMETHING THAT YOU KNEW.
YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO LEAVE
THOSE BATTERIES. JUST CHARGING
CONSTANTLY THAT THEY CAN FAIL
AND THEN EXPLODE YOUR POWER
TOOLS. YOUR LAWN MOWER E-BIKES
E-SCOOTERS CORDLESS VACUUM HAIR
CLIPPERS, TOOTHBRUSH KIDS,
TOYS, SPEAKERS, TABLETS,
LAPTOPS, PHONES, BUT DAN, WAIT
A MINUTE. THAT CAN'T BE TE'O.
I LEAVE MY PHONE CHARGING EVERY
NIGHT. EVERYBODY DOES THAT.
YOU SEE THESE ARE THINGS YOU
NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THESE
BATTERIES BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE
SOME ESTIMATES SAY THAT YOU
PROBABLY HAVE BETWEEN 30 AND 60
OF THEM IN YOUR HOME RIGHT NOW
AND THEY CAN ALL BURST INTO
FLAMES. THE QUESTION IS.
WHY DOES THAT HAPPEN? AND IT
TAKES ME BACK TO THE MAIL.
BACK IN THE VIEWER NAMED KELLY
FROM FUQUAY-VARINA. SHE SAID
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE N F AND
LEAD. THE NATIONAL FIRE
PREVENTION WEEK. WE HAVE TONS
OF MATERIALS TO SAFELY BY
CHARGE AND RECYCLE THESE
BATTERIES. SO THE NFPA IS THE
NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION
ASSOCIATION. THEY WORK WITH
FIRE OFFICIALS AND LAWMAKERS
ALL OVER THE COUNTRY TO KEEP
PEOPLE SAFE FROM FIRE. YOU
PROBABLY RECOGNIZE SPARKY THE
FIRE DOG.
>> THIS TECHNOLOGY CAN ABOUT IT
STARTED WITH SOUTH AND
TECHNOLOGY. THEY WANTED TO MAKE
A MORE PORTABLE AND THEN
SOMEBODY SAID, HEY, WHAT IF
WE MADE AN EVEN BIGGER? AND SO
WHAT HAPPENED WAS THAT
TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT HAPPENED
BEFORE THEY EVALUATED THE
DOWNSIDE
TO IT.
>> SO THE DOWNSIDE IS ON
DISPLAY ALMOST EVERY WEEK IN
THE NEWS. I'M BETTING YOU DON'T
REALLY NOTICE HOW OFTEN.
SO LET'S LOOK AT JUST THE LAST
5 DAYS. 100 FIREFIGHTERS FOUGHT
A FIRE AT A GM DESIGN STUDIO IN
PASADENA STARTED BY A LITHIUM
BATTERY. A BIKE SHOP IN NEW
YORK CAUGHT FIRE WHEN THE
BATTERY EXPLODED CAUSING THE
BUILDING TO ERUPT INTO FLAMES
AND A BATTERY EXPLODED IN AN
OVERHEAD BIN ON A FLIGHT FROM
CHINA TO SOUTH KOREA FORCING AN
EMERGENCY LANDING AND
EVACUATION COME TO THINK OF IT.
THE FAA JUST RECENTLY CHANGED
ITS GUIDANCE ON BATTERIES IN
CHECKED BAGS AFTER A PLANE IN
SOUTH KOREA BURNED TO THE
GROUND ON THE RUNWAY FROM A
BATTERY THAT EXPLODED IN A
SUITCASE IN THE CARGO AREA.
AGAIN, THE QUESTION IS, THOUGH,
WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN RIGHT TO
NOT EXPLODING ALL OVER YOUR
HOUSE RIGHT NOW? WHY TO SOME
OF THEM BLOW UP AND SOME DON'T.
WELL, A FEW REASONS FIRST AND
MAYBE THE BIGGEST THEY GET
DAMAGED OR THEY GET OLD 2
QUALITIES THAT CAN BE HARD TO
JUDGE ME. HOW DO YOU KNOW THE
BATTERY IS DAMAGED INSIDE HOW
YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S OLD?
THINK ABOUT YOUR POWER TOOLS,
THING ABOUT THE BEATING THAT
THEY TAKE. MAYBE A DROP, YOUR
DRILL OR FALLS OFF THE LADDER
IN THE BATTERY, HITS THE
PAVEMENT OR YOUR E BIKE OR
SCOOTER. LET'S SAY YOUR KID IS
IS ROUGH WITH IT. LANDED DOWN
THE PAVEMENT OR FALLS OVER IN
THE BATTERY CLAIMS OFF THE
CURB. YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE
THAT DRILL IN THAT SCOOTER
STILL WORK DOESN'T MEAN THE
BATTERY IS FINE.
>> BECAUSE THERE'S THIS LITTLE
TINY BEING IN THE MIDDLE OF A
LITHIUM-ION BATTERY CAUGHT A
SEPARATOR. IT'S LIKE THE SOUNDS
OF OUR HAIR SAYS LITTLE TINY
THING AND IT KEEPS THE IONS
LEGIT FROM GOING INTO THERMAL
RUNAWAY. THAT THING GETS
DAMAGED. IT CAUSES IT TO
OVERHEAT. AND IT BASICALLY
EXPLAINS.
>> THAT IS WHY SOMETIMES WE SEE
VIDEOS OF THESE BATTERIES JUST
EXPLODING IN AND SPITTING
FLAMES LIKE A FLAME THROWER.
WELL, THEY'RE JUST SITTING
THERE ON THE SHELF DOING
NOTHING OR JUST SITTING IN WHY
WE SEE THEM BURST IN THE BACK
OF A TRASH TRUCK WHEN IT'S
COMPRESSING GARBAGE. THESE
GARBAGE TRUCK FIRES HAVE BECOME
A HUGE PROBLEM. WHICH REMINDS
ME DO NOT THROW THESE BATTERIES
IN THE TRASH OR RECYCLING.
THEY MUST BE DROPPED OFF AT
SPECIAL LOCATIONS. WHERE ARE
THEY THERE EVERYWHERE? JUST
GOOGLE IT. THERE'S ONE NEAR
YOUR HOUSE. TRUST ME. THE
SECOND REASON THEY FAIL,
THEY'RE CHEAP. YOU THINK YOU'RE
GETTING A DEAL? BUT WHAT YOU'RE
REALLY GETTING IS A BATTERY
THAT HASN'T PASSED
CERTIFICATION. SO LOOK FOR
THESE SYMBOLS RIGHT THERE IN IN
THE DESCRIPTION OF THE PRODUCT.
WHEN YOU'RE BUYING IT, YOU L
THAT'S ACTUALLY TESTED FOR
RIGHT HERE IN RTP ETL AND C
THAT WAY. YOU WILL AT LEAST
KNOW THAT THE BATTERY PASSED
SOME SORT OF SAFETY TESTING.
DON'T GO CHEAP WITH THOSE
CHARGERS EITHER. I KNOW THAT
CAN BE TEMPTING ONLINE. IF ONE
BREAKS YOU LOSE ONE. BUT IF YOU
USE A CHEAP CHARGER, IT CAN
CAUSE A CERTIFIED HEALTHY
BATTERY TO OVERHEAT AND EXPLODE
TO STICK WITH THE
RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE MANUAL
FOR CHARGING. DON'T GO GENERIC.
WHICH BRINGS ME TO THE 3RD
REASON SOMETIMES THEY JUST
EXPLODE ANYWAY. EVEN EVEN IF
YOU DID EVERYTHING YOU WERE
SUPPOSED TO DO, SOMETIMES THEY
WILL STILL EXPLODE.
I DON'T REMEMBER THE RECALLS
ON HOVERBOARDS A FEW YEARS AGO.
THAT WAS A MANUFACTURING ISSUE.
THOSE THINGS WERE BURSTING INTO
FLAMES UNDER THE CHRISTMAS TREE
OR WHEN SAMSUNG HAD TO RECALL
MILLIONS OF PHONES BECAUSE THEY
WERE BLOWING UP ALL OVER THE
PLANET.
IT ALMOST IT ALMOST MAKES YOU
WONDER IF WE SHOULD HAVE THESE
BATTERIES AT ALL. SCATTERED
THROUGHOUT OUR HOMES, WHICH
IS A REASONABLE THOUGHT THAT
THE EXPERTS ARE ALSO THINKING.
>> WHEN WE LAUNCHED THIS YEAR'S
FIRE PREVENTION WEEK, WE DID
CHARGE AND UP ARE TAKING
LITHIUM ION BATTERIES IN THE
HOME. AND I WENT TO THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT TO DELIVER SOME
STAFF. AND ONE OF THE
FIREFIGHTER SAYS WHY DIDN'T
YOU SAY DON'T USE LITHIUM-ION
BATTERIES? AND I SAID THE
REASON IS IT'S NOT ABOUT THAT.
IT'S ABOUT HOW DO WE USE THEM
SAFELY AND ASSESS R E S?
>> HEY, THANK YOU TO KELLY FOR
WATCHING E-MAILING AND GETTING
INVOLVED. YOU CAN DO THE SAME
EMAIL ME DAN AT WRAL DOT COM.
HELP US TO GUIDE THIS SEGMENT.