3S LiPo Swelled?

[westerlycarrot9]

My friend took a look at his LiPo batteries today after some time and to his surprise the 3S LiPo he owns seems to have swelled. Is that a sign that the battery is dying? Placing the battery into the fridge seems to have helped a bit but not completely.

[durok]

Yes, that's not a good sign...

The battery's voltage must have dropped below the safe threshold during storage.

If he feels that he has to try charging it - charge it outside on a fireproof surface, preferably with the LiPo in a fireproof bag - and keep a chemical fire extinguisher handy just in case.

I personally would not charge it as new LiPo batteries have become so inexpensive now.

https://rogershobbycenter.com/lipoguide/

[Phins Fan]

Bring it to an outside shooting range and enjoy the show after it gets shot. A swelled lipo is never safe. Slight puffing maybe but not a full on swell

[stevefed]

copied from an email I got from SMC, FWIW...

Pretty much every Lithium cell will expand some under use some will do more then others. Normally there should be a gap in the case to allow for the natural expansion but some cells used in RC packs are at the maximum thickness so when they do expand they will push up against the case. This is nothing to worry about as long as the pack takes a normal charge and the cells are in balance.

I check my "puffy" cells with a Hyperion EOS sentry to make sure each cell in the pack is within spec, charge in a lipo bag at 1c, and they have been fine, but not pretty. that said, if I noticed one of the cells in say a 2 or 3s had failed, I would safely dispose the pack.

[stevefed]

i should mention puffy and swollen seem to be individual perception, something i think is puffy might be swollen to someone else. When I say puffy, i mean ever so slightly...not balloning up (swollen)- that would be bad in anyones eyes!