Wasabi battery bloat ?

I purchased the Wasabi twin-pack with charger for my T3i in April 2015, and have been using them without issue. I've used both the Canon charger and the Wasabi charger, never had a problem.

I was going to go for some night shots tonight. I'd had a Wasabi in the camera yesterday, and it had just gone 1/2 green to red, so I knew I needed to charge it. I put it on the charger this afternoon, and later inserted it into the camera. It didn't feel quite right going in, so I pulled the tab to release it, but it did NOT pop up. I thought maybe I had put it in backwards. Removed it with a little careful prying, but it was in correctly. I tried the other Wasabi and it inserted and removed just fine. I noticed that the first Wasabi felt a little thicker in the middle, and it "rocks" when placed on a hard flat surface.

Anyone had their Wasabi batteries bloat like that ? I'm guessing that battery is trash now. Are the Wasabis still trustworthy 3rd party batteries, or do I take the hit for a Canon ?

THis battery is trash. It might continue to work but it is also possible that other, worse things could happen as well. I would not trust it in my camera.

Sounds weird. I'm sure all mfg has had defects. I had a Canon battery go bad for no reason. I currently have 4 wasabi and 1 oem and have been using wasabi now on gopro, fuji, multiple canons, camcorder etc for over 4 years now no issues yet.

Yeah I'd dump that battery for sure.

I wasn't planning on using the bloated battery anymore I was looking for personal experience stories to help decide if I should get more of the brand.

I went to shop.usa.canon to check out the price of the LP -E8, and they are out of stock ? I'm hoping that it's just because they were on sale ($56 instead of $70 ) Yeah, there are better prices out there, even Best Buy since I can earn points. They wouldn't be discontinuing it, would they ? I don't know what all models use that size.

dixiedawn wrote in post #18427738
I wasn't planning on using the bloated battery anymore I was looking for personal experience stories to help decide if I should get more of the brand.

I went to shop.usa.canon to check out the price of the LP -E8, and they are out of stock ? I'm hoping that it's just because they were on sale ($56 instead of $70 ) Yeah, there are better prices out there, even Best Buy since I can earn points. They wouldn't be discontinuing it, would they ? I don't know what all models use that size.

Wasabi ("Blue Nook" in the USA) covers their batteries with a 3-year warranty so contact them. The importer can be found at https://www.bluenook.c​om/pages/wasabi-power. Scroll down for the contact information. I would hang on to the bad battery until you make contact just in case they want it back for some forensics.

I've never had a Wasabi fail like that but I read in another thread that Wasabi and other non-OEM batteries don't monitor the temperature while charging. If the battery developed a problem causing it to overheat, the charger wouldn't know to stop charging. This could lead to bloating or much much worse. Even though I've long used 3rd party batteries without issue, this omission of a critical safety feature has me re-thinking that.

mike_d wrote in post #18437562
I've never had a Wasabi fail like that but I read in another thread that Wasabi and other non-OEM batteries don't monitor the temperature while charging. If the battery developed a problem causing it to overheat, the charger wouldn't know to stop charging. This could lead to bloating or much much worse. Even though I've long used 3rd party batteries without issue, this omission of a critical safety feature has me re-thinking that.

Can you link to a source? If true, that would indeed be a reason to stick with OEM or at least change my charging methods, but I have to think that at least the big 3rd party manufacturers don't do that. I too have used 3rd party batteries for years without issue but if this is true, I will definitely keep a closer eye on charging them. Leaving them unattended overnight would be a bad idea.

gjl711 wrote in post #18437569
Can you link to a source? If true, that would indeed be a reason to stick with OEM or at least change my charging methods, but I have to think that at least the big 3rd party manufacturers don't do that. I too have used 3rd party batteries for years without issue but if this is true, I will definitely keep a closer eye on charging them. Leaving them unattended overnight would be a bad idea.

It was reported recently by Ascenta in the big battery thread sticky at the top of this forum.

https://photography-on-the.net …showthread.php?​p=18423373

gjl711 wrote in post #18437569
Can you link to a source? If true, that would indeed be a reason to stick with OEM or at least change my charging methods, but I have to think that at least the big 3rd party manufacturers don't do that. I too have used 3rd party batteries for years without issue but if this is true, I will definitely keep a closer eye on charging them. Leaving them unattended overnight would be a bad idea.

Good discussion of this at https://electronics.st​ackexchange.com …-3-pins-on-some-batteries.

I use and generally support 3rd party batteries. However, there may be a key difference between brands like STK, Wasabi, Evergizer, etc. as compared to Canon. That difference is the UL mark. As near as I can tell from a web search of images, the UL mark is only present on the Canon brand. It should be noted that Underwriters Laboratories is an independent 3rd party testing laboratory. Further, UL develops their own testing procedures to insure safety of the end product. They, meaning UL, is committed to protecting the integrity of the UL Mark and, by extension, protecting the individuals and communities that rely on UL. If you have a defective product bearing the UL "seal", there actually is a process by which you can report the defect. UL encourages this process to insure ongoing product safety. In contrast the "CE" mark is a legally required marking in the European Union (EU). It is usually a manufacturer’s self-declaration that the product complies with European laws and may not include assessment to safety requirements. Most products bearing the CE mark are not required to be third-party certified, are not subject to ongoing factory surveillance of production, and may not be compliant with applicable U.S. product safety standards. Draw your own conclusions but at least on the surface I suspect the UL mark may infer a product properly tested to comply with a specification that addresses safety.

"I have been using them for years and no problems" is almost meaningless. It does mean you have not had problems.

When your house burns to the ground, you will wish you had paid for batteries with a working temperature probe.
The temperature probe will not make the battery 100% safe but will be safer than without a probe.

"Vent with flame" is the risk with Lithium-ion cells. If you are lucky enough that the flame misses you and you are outdoors when your battery transforms into a flame thrower, some nasty stuff can penetrate your skin and put you in hospital.

I have third party batteries. I do understand I am increasing the risk of problems and could possibly end up in one of the situations I have just described. Small risk, but real risk.

It's very common for Radio Control hobbyists to bloat batteries and continue using them. It's also very common (and mandatory at many clubs / meetings) to use LiPo charging bags to address the vent with flame risk and the models spend the vast majority of the time far enough away from people that the risk is minimized. For a camera, I would stop using a bloated battery immediately and put it in a metal box, outside before disposing it.

This has happened to a cell phone battery that i left inside a car on a very hot day.