Battery Exposed to Water | Gen1Updated 5 months ago
Information on what to do if your Assist or Assist PLUS (Gen1) battery gets exposed to water.
Follow these instructions if you notice water inside your electronics box. The amount of water inside your box will determine what you should do first.
BATTERY IS EXPOSED TO MOISTURE (DROPLETS)
The most common reason for moisture exposure is due to humidity. Once you latch your electronics box and begin to use your device, the battery warms the air trapped inside creating moisture.
We encourage users to wipe their box before use to remove water or salt build up.
Over time, salty air inside the box can slightly corrode the battery terminals. Inspect your battery connections and if you see the gold pins have turned green, clean them with electrical terminal cleaner.
If you live in a high humidity area, to avoid moisture build up, you can place a fresh piece of tissue or paper towel inside the box before placing your battery down.
BATTERY BECOMES WET OR SUBMERGED
In the event that you drop your battery in the water, or large volumes of water enters your electronics box, you must STOP USING YOUR BATTERY and follow these steps:
Warning: DO NOT use or charge the battery until you hear back from us.
1. Inspect your electronics box and when safe to do so, unplug the battery, remove it from the box, and move it to an open area away from flammables.
Scenario 1: Submerged or considerable amount of water in the box: Rinse immediately with fresh water (this will help reduce the likelihood of adverse reactions) and you have to assume your battery is no longer fit for use and needs to be disposed of.
Scenario 2: Multiple teaspoons of water: This is a grey area, and it is difficult to determine the state of your battery.
If the glue and the heat shrink around the battery look intact, with no splits or visible defects, it is possible that your battery is fine, and needs to be cleaned and dried off. Please charge your battery in its lipo bag and monitor it diligently.
However, if there is any split or compromised outer heat shrink, you have to assume that water has gotten in. If there is any bubbling or hissing sounds, this indicates salt water has entered your battery and you will need to rinse it in fresh water immediately and then dispose of accordingly.
Note: If you are unsure, please remove the blue/black outer heat shrink and email photos to [email protected]
Scenario 3: Less than a teaspoon: If your battery has only been exposed to less than a teaspoon amount of salt water and there is no splits or compromised heat shrink, it is reasonable to assume that your battery is ok and should be dried off and charged in its lipo bag under strict supervision.
Note: This is an assumption, it is your responsibility to determine for yourself if you believe none of the defects or signs mentioned above are relevant to your situation.
TRANSPORTING YOUR BATTERY
Warning: Transporting a saltwater damaged battery can be extremely dangerous.
If you have to transport your battery home, place it inside its Lipo Guard Bag and place it in an area that is within arm's reach within your vehicle.
It is extremely important that you are vigilant in monitoring any change to your battery (i.e. bubbling, hissing or smoke).
Warning: Do not use or re-charge your battery until you have heard back from us!
BATTERY IS SPARKING OR SMOKING; or YOU DO NOT WANT TO TRY AND SAVE THE BATTERY
To render the battery inert, you will need to place the battery in a large plastic bucket, with fresh water and FULLY SUBMERGE the battery. This will slowly degrade the battery over time and make it safe to dispose of at your local battery depot.
By submerging the battery in FRESH WATER, this causes the cells to internally discharge, slowly destroying the battery chemistry over time. Being in a large volume of water also makes sure that any heat build-up and/or flames are contained.
You must then dispose of your battery following local restrictions for battery disposal.
To minimise the risk of your latches opening up in the surf, we have developed v2 latch protectors. You can purchase a set here.
Related Articles - Click to read:
Visual Inspection of the Electronics Box
Methods of Mounting Your Foil Drive Gen1 Electronics Box
Full Install for Gen1 Assist & Assist PLUS
Cleaning Your Foil Drive
To learn more, check out the other articles on our Help Centre which can be found under the 'Support' tab on the website.
As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to us at [email protected].
Happy Foil Driving!