P4P battery fell in water

[Ben01]

Hi guys,

Just after a bit of advice - I crashed my drone into a tree last week and it immediately ejected my battery. Whilst my drone luckily got hooked in a tree branch the battery fell into the edge of a swamp below.

It was stood upright with probably the bottom 1/3 submerged. My immediate thought was to bin it but I took it home and left it out to dry thinking I will box frame it as a momento from my first ever crash.

A week later, I thought for sure it would be dead but when I press the button on top all four green lights come on(I crashed not long after takeoff) and to be honest there is no external signs of water damage at all.

Question is - do I even take a chance at putting this in my drone?? Should I try charge it first and see if it starts smoking (lol) or just bin it and become used to using 2 batteries for now??

 

[With The Birds]

I would pull the case apart and have a look inside. If it was fresh water and there is no mud inside it I wouldn’t be concerned about it.

 

[wa5tef]

Interesting! If it was mine, I’d make sure all water was out. Then don’t charge it yet but power up the drone with it and hover at a safe spot ,low, and over soft ground and observe. If it flies about the normal time with no issues. I’d assume it was ok. But that’s how I’d ha sleep it. I’d hate for anyone to take that advice and lose a drone so be your own judge.
Interesting post

Jim
Wa5TEF

 

[John Locke]

Just to be sure, put it in rice over the weekend, then test at low altitude for a couple flights to validate the integrity of the battery. If no anomalies appear I'd mark the battery to keep track of it, closely monitoring the voltage differentials on every flight for a while.

 

[With The Birds]

Just to be sure, put it in rice over the weekend, then test at low altitude for a couple flights to validate the integrity of the battery. If no anomalies appear I'd mark the battery to keep track of it, closely monitoring the voltage differentials on every flight for a while.

You are better to leave it out in the open than stick it in rice- the whole rice story is an old wives tale.

 

[Florida Drone Supply]

Dispose of the battery properly and replace it. Doing this could save you money in the long run.

 

[John Locke]

You are better to leave it out in the open than stick it in rice- the whole rice story is an old wives tale.

Leaving in the open takes longer, but that will likely work, but still test for integrity. You can also use cat litter, it works a little better than rice, or oatmeal if you have no instant rice.

 

[With The Birds]

Leaving in the open takes longer, but that will likely work, but still test for integrity. You can also use cat litter, it works a little better than rice, or oatmeal if you have no instant rice.

Cat litter is good- there is no substitute for airflow however, participatory dehumidified air. The outlet of an aircon unit is ideal.

 

[Ben01]

Cheers guys - like I said it has been a week since it happened and I’ve had it in a nice dry warm house that whole time now so might just leave it a bit longer.

I’ve given it a good shake and can’t hear any evidence of water inside so seems like it might be all good.

 

[With The Birds]

Cheers guys - like I said it has been a week since it happened and I’ve had it in a nice dry warm house that whole time now so might just leave it a bit longer.

I’ve given it a good shake and can’t hear any evidence of water inside so seems like it might be all good.

I would still open it up and have a good look at the smart board. The boards are coated but I would still like to make sure nothing found it’s way inside for peace of mind. The battery performance is critical for obvious reasons.