Originally Posted by
Smaug1
eBike fires are one of those things that are so trumped up. It takes a combination of things for it to happen: Wrong/bad charger + battery with no BMS (battery management system)
I've been KIND of keeping tabs on the situation, and I thought that FDNY had written some codes to the effect of: "Can charge one eBike per unit, and only 3rd party safety certified eBikes/batteries/chargers can be used." But then I think the building owners can make their own decision.
My house is wood-framed and carpeted; I just bring the battery in and charge it on the hearth. I figure if the charger's protection and battery's protections both fail, the hearth will happily absorb any flames emitted.
By the way, I'm a regulatory engineer with electronics background, and I've skimmed the standards for eBikes, batteries and chargers. They're quite comprehensive, it's just that 3rd party certification is expensive, so it drives costs up somewhat.
Fair enough, and thanks for your expertise. It's a 12-unit coop building, and since I don't have the expertise to say my bike and charger are safe, I'll go with people's feelings for now. When I start to get serious about an ebike, we will know more, and I'll have a stronger argument.
Not surprisingly, wood framed buildings of a certain size were not approved anymore after 1930. This is a landmarked building from 1917. It's a former warehouse.