We’ve recently read news from TheStar.com about a retired engineer’s powerbank burst into flames inside the glove compartment of his car. Thank God no one was harmed as he and his wife was out for lunch during the incident happened. It’s advised to not leave any electrical gadget or powerbank inside your vehicle as our hot Malaysian weather may trigger an explosion. Speaking of which, we’ve extracted information from MobilityArena.com on the 3 things that can make you powerbank explode:

1.) Poor Battery Quality
Batteries are the major components of power banks, infact that’s the most expensive part when you try to cost it individually. Most of the power banks in the market are made from Lithium-ion or Lithium-Polymer batteries, though the former is a cheaper option.

Manufacturers, (in a bid to keep prices down) tend to use the Lithium- ion batteries to save costs. In worst case scenarios, some manufacturers go to the extent of using recycled batteries. This increases the chances or likeliness of explosion at a later time.

2.) Wrong Circuit Design
It doesn’t just end with the quality of battery. The internal circuit design of a power bank is another likely cause of explosion. For a power bank a good circuit design entails the following:

• Power protection: A well-made power bank should have power protection. This is a mechanism that ensures that the battery stops charging once it has reached full capacity.
• Short circuit control: A good power bank should have it’s circuit fully insulated to prevent short circuit. (Short circuit means touching of wires)
• Temperature control: The ideal power bank should have a kind of temperature control such that once it hits a particular temperature; it shuts down to cool off.

If one or more of these are not built into the power bank, the chances of a likely explosion in the future are high.

3.) Improper or Wrong Usage
What can cause a power bank to explode could be traced to us – the users. How do you handle your power banks? Exposing power banks to high temperatures or humidity can lead to what can cause explosion. Overcharging of power banks is bad practice. Especially when it doesn’t have power protection like we explained above. Other bad practices include spilling water on it or leaving it near a heated area, like under the sun.

(Content and image source: The Star Online and Mobility Arena)