Charging Torch Incident: What Could Have Gone Wrong?

asswipe on 20/01/2025 - 14:10
Last edited 20/01/2025 - 17:05 by 2 other users

Hello everyone, I'm reaching out to share an alarming incident I experienced today with my Sofrin IF22A torch, which could have ended in a fire or explosion. I hope you can help me figure out what might have caused this.

Here's what happened: I smelled a fairly strong burning smell then noticed smoke coming from the torch's type C charging port. I had been using the supplied 21700 Sofrin battery. I was using a HUNDA 300W USB C desktop charger (specifically the 100W port) I recently bought from Amazon. To my surprise, it came with a HEYMIX cable included, which has a built-in display showing the watts being drawn. I've been using this charger and cable combo for a few weeks without any issues. The torch typically charged at 10W (as shown on cable display), and once fully charged, it showed 0W. It has been in the charger for about three days, and it had been left unattended part that time.

Both the cable and the charger are still operating as normal. (Yes, I tested them, but I'm hesitant to continue using them.) The torch is fried of course.

I also wanted to get your insights on what component is responsible for preventing the device from overcharging. Is it the charger, or is it a chip in the torch?

I know I am likely at fault or partly. You are welcome to rip into me in the comments. I want to learn from others experiences so that I can be more careful moving forward. Maybe I shouldn’t have kept it in the charger for that long. I was under the impression that she’ll be right because it was showing 0w. Maybe I shouldn’t have left it unattended.

I suspect the torch is at fault, which worries me because I also own a sofrin head torch which I frequently use night fishing.

Thanks in advance for your responses!

Link to the charger:

Link to the torch:

Edit: Thanks all for your responses.

Here are some images for those curious:
https://ibb.co/RDNvxxt - you can see the smoke in this pic. (Yes I took a pic before I dealt with it lol)
https://ibb.co/sv2LScG
https://ibb.co/nn7Y93C

Poll Options expired

  • 4
    1. The HUNDA 300W USB C Charger
  • 3
    2. The HEYMIX Cable
  • 51
    3. The Sofrin IF22A Torch
  • 0
    4. The 21700 Sofrin Battery
  • 53
    5. User Error. (Shouldn’t leave these devices in the charger for that long)
  • 1
    6. Other (please specify in comments)
Electrical & Electronics Sofirn Torch

Comments

  • Gdsamp on 20/01/2025 - 14:16
    +5

    Conventional OzB Wisdom would suggest HEYMIX = Fire …..

    • Gunnar on 20/01/2025 - 15:45
      +4

      Heymix cable and a torch that’s been in a charger unattended for three days is just natural selection

      • Jackson on 22/01/2025 - 14:02
        +4

        I don't normally want to tag other others first comment, but I feel I need to due to the rampant amounts of victim blaming behaviour here. The device absolutely should not catch fire despite being plugged in. If this was an Apple, Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft or any other name brand device, it would be absolutely unacceptable that it should catch fire ever. I get that these are cheap brands, but this is nothing but either poor design or faulty

      • ATTS on 23/01/2025 - 10:05

        What is heymix cable? Is it a fast charging cable? Or brand ? If it brand what other brand is good? I think ugreen wqs popular on amazon

    • AeymothSky on 22/01/2025 - 21:41

      what is actually the story of heymix

      I own a heymix gan charger along with a

      heymix 8 port powerboard thingy which also has 2 usb type c + 2 type a charging ports.

      It's just one swtich to turn all 8 ports on /off

      I have not had an issue with it but yeah ive seen for months and months people talking about not trusting heymix so I probably won't buy from em again but yeah ive not had n issue.

    • supersabroso on 22/01/2025 - 22:59

      This is like people with EVs catching fire when charging. The problem is fast charging, batteries don't like to be fast charged, this causes a waste of electricity as it is turned into heat. This excessive heat causes strain on the battery shortening it's lifespan at best, at worst, it will burn and explode. The standard charging rate for torches should be around 15W, not 100W or 300W, don't fast charge or over charge your devices and you'll be just fine.

      • eug on 23/01/2025 - 01:03

        This excessive heat causes strain on the battery shortening it's lifespan at best, at worst, it will burn and explode.

        This is a little misleading. While fast charging may or may not shorten battery lifespan, it will not cause an EV battery to burn and explode. That is just FUD.

        The standard charging rate for torches should be around 15W, not 100W or 300W, don't fast charge or over charge your devices and you'll be just fine.

        The charge rate is determined by the charging circuitry in the torch. You can connect the torch to a 10,000W power supply and it'll only draw what it needs, 10W in this case. It will also stop charging when the battery is full. Leaving a device plugged in constantly will not overcharge it, but keeping the cell at a high SoC will shorten the lifespan.

  • jv on 20/01/2025 - 14:21
    +8

    it came with a HEYMIX cable included

    🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
    🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
    🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

  • fantombloo on 20/01/2025 - 14:49
    +5

    Inconclusive and mostly speculative without more comprehensive info.

    OP: start with posting photos, preferably with internals / opened cases on clearly damaged items.

    • eug on 20/01/2025 - 15:03

      Agreed - there is not enough information provided.

    • Loopholio on 21/01/2025 - 14:28

      Yep this. We can't see anything useful in the current photos.

  • neoleo on 20/01/2025 - 15:08
    -5

    I suspect incompatible charger as the torch spec is 5V 3A = 15 watts. Maybe better with small phone charger.

    From the spec I read, the charger has output voltage 20V ??? Maybe that's why the torch became too hot because of increased temperature from charging with the charger.

    • eug on 20/01/2025 - 15:10
      +13

      Devices only draw what they need so amps isn't a concern. Neither is voltage - the USB PD spec requires the connected device to request the voltage it needs. The port provides no voltage until the connected device requests a specific voltage.

      • mertn on 22/01/2025 - 15:30
        -2

        The charger provides 5 volts until another voltage is requested. 5 volts is enough to kill that battery.

        • eug on 22/01/2025 - 15:38
          +1

          The charger provides 5 volts until another voltage is requested.

          That only applies to Type A ports with standards like QC. The charger OP used only has Type C ports.

          To get plain old 5V, the USB PD spec requires a 5.1k resistor between the CC pin and ground.

  • neoleo on 20/01/2025 - 15:27
    +1

    It has been in the charger for about three days, and it had been left unattended part that time.

    I think this was one of the cause of the torch incident. Overcharging too long. I never have problem with overnight charging with any of my phones in my life.

    "it is possible for the protection circuit in either the battery or flashlight to fail. If this were to happen then your product would be damaged or worse."
    https://help.fenix-store.com/en-US/can-i-leave-my-rechargeab…

    Other answers from google AI overview to avoid overcharging:
    * Use the right cables: Use the cables that are designed for the device you are charging.
    * Plug directly into a wall outlet: Avoid plugging devices into power strips or overloading an outlet.
    * Unplug when full: Unplug the device once it is fully charged.
    * Avoid overnight charging: Don't leave devices charging overnight, especially on surfaces that can build up heat.
    * Use a smart charger: A smart charger uses a microprocessor to regulate the charging process and prevent overcharging.
    * Use the right charger: Use the charger that is designed for the device you are charging.

    • rumblytangara on 20/01/2025 - 19:41
      +7

      I think this was one of the cause of the torch incident. Overcharging too long

      Wut? The 'charging too long' is from the Nickle days where there was a constant trickle charge or the intelligence was built into the charger. With lithiums, unless you are playing with bare naked cells in general the device controls the charging and shuts it down after the battery is considered full.

      • Boioioioi on 22/01/2025 - 10:55
        +1

        Yeah, if you overcharged a lithium you'd explode

  • AwesomeAndrew on 20/01/2025 - 15:32
    +2

    Each component has it's own responsibility to protect against faults. The charger needs to protect from short circuits in the cable and the device drawing too much power, and also is responsible for delivering the right voltage. The torch is responsible for charging the battery with the right voltage and currents, and stopping the charge once the battery is full. Usually torches use protected batteries, which are responsible for preventing over charge, over discharge, over current / chort circuit and over temperature.

    Any of these components could have failed and caused the smoke, but the most likely curlprit is the torch. More information would be helpful, such as posting photos of the damaged internals, and also the testing methodology you used on the charger to confirm proper functionality.

    • Hangryuman on 22/01/2025 - 14:06
      +1

      advice from fire authorities I saw was that lithium fires are mostly from damage e.g. if the torch was dropped/damaged? or got wet - triggered electrical shorts leading to a cascading overheating event - or maybe low-quality incompatible chargers or devices lacking built-in safety system hardware or software because they were built to a low price and they skipped quality

      • thanatos350 on 23/01/2025 - 01:15

        What is the point of a torch that can't be dropped or wet?

        • Muppet Detector on 24/01/2025 - 09:50

          You point it forwards so you don't have to walk in the dark.

  • neoleo on 20/01/2025 - 15:37
    +1

    Which surface was it on when it happened? Metal surface? Wood? Etc.

    One sure way to make any rechargeable products become very hot is charging on the bed, under the cushion/pillow 🥵

    • asswipe on 20/01/2025 - 17:05

      Wooden desk

  • Duckie2hh on 20/01/2025 - 15:40

    It has been in the charger for about three days, and it had been left unattended part that time.

    lolololololol

  • bargaino on 20/01/2025 - 15:49
    +6

    To clarify: your USB "charger" is just a fixed-voltage power supply. All the charging brains is inside your torch.

    The torch charging electronics has failed, and released the magic smoke. Could be a design or manufacturing fault.

    It has been in the charger for about three days,

    This is a bad idea for any li-ion device, but especially anything from Aliexpress.
    In theory, the battery manager should not overcharge the cell, but shit happens.
    Avoid charging when you are asleep or not in the house.

    • asswipe on 20/01/2025 - 17:15
      +2

      Thank you for this response. I was soo lucky that I was right next to it when it started failing and not sleeping in bed (located near to my desk where it was in the charger)

      • Hangryuman on 22/01/2025 - 14:08

        but hey - did the torch light up - as designed ? Still doing its job !??

        just like a candle - in the wind - there went my place of residence

        how do you make a cat go woof ! - petrol, match, woof !

        how do make a dog go miaow - toss it off a tall building - miaaooww !

  • Protractor on 20/01/2025 - 16:17
    -5

    TLDR
    OP using a bespoke charging system and components which did not come with the unit?

    Lucky you didn't burn the house down.

    • eug on 20/01/2025 - 16:44
      +14

      No. The charger is built into the torch. The torch simply requires a standard USB power supply which OP used.

      That is the entire point of the EU mandating Type C sockets on devices - it is so you can use your existing USB power supply.

      USB power supplies are often called USB chargers because to the general public, a USB power supply will charge a device… so they just call it a charger. It's really a power supply.

      • drfuzzy on 21/01/2025 - 20:56

        You'd be surprised that the USB standard is not so standard when you really dig into it

        • eug on 21/01/2025 - 21:35

          It gets more complicated with high-powered devices like laptops and fast-charging phones, but these low-powered devices that only need to charge a single cell at standard speed would typically only request 5V which is very standard.

      • Hangryuman on 22/01/2025 - 14:10
        +1

        'they just call it a charger. It's really a power supply'

        fanks for that … I lurned sumpfink today

      • kiitos on 23/01/2025 - 17:57
        +1

        Thanks for pointing out that terminology, that's helpful

  • playerzer2 on 20/01/2025 - 16:32
    +1

    Need MS Paint diagram of charging setup

    • jv on 20/01/2025 - 16:37
      -1

      🎨

    • asswipe on 20/01/2025 - 17:06

      I have now edited the post to include images

  • misfitt1911 on 20/01/2025 - 18:57
    +1

    Glad to know there was no fire.

    I think it is also a good idea to connect the charger to a smart plug, which will allow you to set a timer.

  • yoho on 20/01/2025 - 21:25

    Great torch, I have a couple and have given a couple as present. With abundance of caution I will charge while WFH.

    • Roney on 21/01/2025 - 21:41

      Agreed. I've been using IL23 for 2 years now.

  • joshash on 21/01/2025 - 07:37

    Use a proper charger. Make sure your smoke alarms are all up to date and interconnected. Li batteries are no joke when it comes to fire risk.

  • OBEY YOUR MASTERS on 21/01/2025 - 07:43
    +1

    Bought one thanks.

  • WT on 21/01/2025 - 11:11
    +1

    I have this torch and other 18650/21700 type devices and I will only use the internal charger as a last resort

    Id rather a stand alone charger that can be used via USB from a reputable brand and a power bank that is also reputable. When im away I use an ozito charger on a battery pack

  • tin tin on 21/01/2025 - 11:13
    +1

    This is concerning but what I have always done might help mitigate the risk of fire - I only charge things whilst I'm at home, only charge in areas with a smoke alarm nearby, remove chargers once devices are charged, and try to avoid having too many cheap electronics with inbuilt batteries.

  • Navanod66 on 21/01/2025 - 13:16

    Invest in a smart charger if you have any 14500, 18650, 21700 etc. The built-in chargers on the torches are for a quick top-up and convenience, and may shorten the battery lifespan with repeated use.

    Leaving it to charge for 3 days, with a built-in charging circuit of a budget torchlight (it's a great thrower torch, but how much budget would there be left for the built-in charger?), and it's unprotected battery, likely resulted in constant trickle charging and eventual overcharge and overheating.

    Is the torch fried? Or the battery?

    • asswipe on 22/01/2025 - 17:45
      +1

      I think it’s just the torch.

      I usually use an external nitecore to charge the battery but this time I had decided to plug cos I was too lazy to unscrew the device I guess lol

      The battery was reading 4.09v

  • gyrex on 21/01/2025 - 14:17
    +4

    This is almost certainly a fault of the USB-C charge chip in the torch itself which allowed the cell to overcharge. With a reliable charge chip, leaving the torch plugged in is not an issue and the charge chip will prevent any current flow to the cell.

    Do you have a multimeter and can you check the voltage of the cell?

  • skillet on 21/01/2025 - 16:11
    +4

    A reviewer here tested a faulty IF22A that overcharged the battery to 4.86V which is extremely unsafe for Li based secondary cell.

    https://1lumen.com/review/sofirn-if22a/

    Get a separate battery charger with individual slot temperature sensor. Chargers from LiitoKala, Xtar and Nitecore are budget friendly and dependable.

    • Loopholio on 21/01/2025 - 17:19

      I thought Sofirn is a reputable brand. Maybe I should be taking the battery out of my SF-40A to charge. It does get very hot on it's high setting, but a mate who bought the same model doesn't do this. His also has USBC charging.

      I've never had an issue charging my SF-40A and I never leave it or any charging device unattended.

      • eug on 21/01/2025 - 18:51
        +1

        I thought Sofirn is a reputable brand.

        I've always thought they were a budget brand. Good bang for buck (ha). In my mind, Olight is one step above in terms of quality and price.

        • Caped Baldy on 22/01/2025 - 13:40

          Yeah, convoy, sofirn, and wurkkos are a bit more budget but good value. Off the top of my head, the slightly more premium brands include olight, zebralights, acebeam, skillhunt, emisar, noctigon, and maybe firefly lights.

    • Jabba the Hutt on 21/01/2025 - 18:25
      +5

      Very interesting. Relevant part for the lazy:

      When the charge cycle was complete, I removed the cell and measured its voltage: it was at an alarming 4.86 volts. I’ve never had a lithium-ion battery go so high. I thought maybe this was a fluke so I discharged the battery and re-ran another charge cycle. It did the same thing. But I noticed that charging never really stopped. After the red charging light turned off, it continued charging at 0.6 watts. When I pulled the cell out, it measured 4.89 volts.

      After bringing this glaring issue to the attention of Sofirn, they quickly had my RMA the unit and sentme a new one.

      The charging on the second review unit was night-and-day different. The charging indicator worked exactly as expected the entire time. It blinked red as soon as I plugged it in and it switched to solid green as soon as charging was done. It also completely stopped drawing power, unlike the last unit.

  • gromit on 21/01/2025 - 17:22

    multiple fault, both the torch at fault for not preventing overcharge and the user for leaving it plugged in for extended periods.

  • 2025 on 22/01/2025 - 00:46

    The LedLenser P7R signature has a feature that can be enabled to turn the torch on when the power is cut if it’s connected to the charger. It’s kinda handy in a power outage at night to have the torch turn on automatically, lighting the room. Not sure if yours has anything similar, I’m just mentioning this to demonstrate that with some torches “leaving it plugged in for extended periods” does no harm and is actually a requirement for its advertised feature to work.

    • gromit on 22/01/2025 - 07:57

      It does no harm till a component inevitably fails. The LedLenser using Li-ion battery too, I am surprised they would recommend leaving it plugged in, wonder if that has any insurance or liability issues.

      • 2025 on 22/01/2025 - 09:06
        +1

        Ha doubt it, otherwise laptops would have warnings about leaving them plugged in.

        Which reminds me, these Li-Ion UPSs are never unplugged when they are charged, do I need to organise someone to do that?

        https://www.se.com/au/en/product/SMTL1500RMI3UC/apc-smartups…

      • eug on 22/01/2025 - 10:43
        +1

        It does no harm till a component inevitably fails.

        You can say that about anything. A heater works fine until it doesn't and burns the house down. A petrol car works fine until something fails and the engine catches fire.

        There are billions of devices in the world with lithium batteries so just like cars, there will be a number of seemingly-undamaged devices catching fire. But just like cars, because the number is so low, we all accept the risk. Look at how many people sleep with their phone charging next to them because it's their alarm, for example.

        I am surprised they would recommend leaving it plugged in, wonder if that has any insurance or liability issues.

        Dell laptops have an AC mode as they know there are plenty of people who use them as desktop replacements which sit permanently plugged in. Leaving devices with batteries plugged in isn't very uncommon.

        • 2025 on 22/01/2025 - 10:59
          +1

          Wait until he discovers that Li-ion batteries are allowed for emergency lighting and those green exit running man signs, those things are always on charge…

  • denzilac on 22/01/2025 - 12:05
    +1

    Be careful charging anything that goes through vibration or has been dropped multiple times. I don't treat my torch with care, things like tool batteries, bike batteries should also fall into this category. I charge such devices in my garage surrounded by brick or ensure they are of good quality if I ever charge them inside the house.

  • Dack Smith on 22/01/2025 - 12:33
    +2

    46 people found to be Solfrin bots on OzB

    • Loopholio on 22/01/2025 - 12:56
      +1

      What are you basing is on?
      Do you know of common venting issues with Solfrin?
      I bought mine because a deal was posted here on Ozbargain and many people said they are decent.

      • 2025 on 22/01/2025 - 14:05
        +1

        Pretty sure it’s a comment about people voting that it’s user error, despite the fact the user manual mentions nothing about keeping it on charge, and many devices with the same battery chemistry are continually connected to chargers everywhere around us.

        The Solfrin shills can’t possibly accept that the torch charging IC was faulty.

        • Loopholio on 22/01/2025 - 14:17

          Ah fair enough. I'll likely jump on the next Olight deal. My SF-40a seems fine but.. new better torch!

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