Hi BLF!
Today I absently inserted a (Manker) 14500 battery in inverted position in my Manker E11: “+” to towards the tail cap and “-” towards the driver. After some minutes I touched the flashlight and it was astonishingly hot, almost unbearable to touch or grab.
Nonetheless, I managed to remove the tail cap and to take the battery out. To cool it down I put it outside the window as I also didn’t know if it could explode. The plastic outside the battery melt a bit with the heat… (Imgur: The magic of the Internet / Imgur: The magic of the Internet )
After some minutes I went to see it and it was cooler, but I felt a strange smell on it. It was leaking on the top so I left it outside so the toxic smell didn’t stay inside the house. (hard to see but this is where it leaked Imgur: The magic of the Internet )
With this situation I learned that the Manker E11 has NO reverse polarity protection.
In the flashlight manual it says “Note: pls put the anode (+) towards flashlight head, flashlight won’t work once battery reverse” (http://imgur.com/pUQcLKr).
However, it never says something like“Caution: No reverse polarity protection; risk of overheating and/or exploding”!
I would never blame Manker for my mistake, but a warning should have been made in the manual, I would have been more careful. People are at risk with this kind of “unprotection”!! Especially being a stock light, that is made to be used with Li-ion batteries.
So, my advice for Manker (or any manufacturer…), please make your lights with reverse polarity protection or, at least, mention it on the manual.
And…I’ve also noticed that it doesn’t have Low Voltage Protection… Oh well… :person_facepalming:
I also learned that Li-ion batteries are not a toy. Still, I’ll continue to use them, as this was my first episode bad with this type of battery, I am normally careful with them, and also because my lights need them as well.
Still, I have 3 questions, bearing in mind this episode:
- Do Li-ion protected batteries avoid this kind of overheating (and/or explosion) when we put them in inverted position in lights that don’t have that reverse polarity protection?
2) Although the Manker E11 can’t be used with protected 14500 batteries… :person_facepalming: … can you recommend me, please,
a) good protected 14500 batteries
b) good unprotected batteries?
3) Do Ni-MH batteries avoid this kind of overheating (and/or explosion) when we put them in inverted position in lights that don’t have that reverse polarity protection?
Thanks in advance for your answers! :+1:
I love the Manker E11, it is my most used light, but those who own it, please don’t get distracted when inserting the battery !!
Best regards!!