REPLACING the rechargeable batteries on a cordless telephone can be an explosive experience, as one man discovered recently.
Electrical appliances supplier Huang Pei Fu, 63, replaced the batteries of his cordless telephone twice.
Both times the batteries burst, reported Lianhe Wanbao.
Luckily for him, he wasn't using the telephone at the time.
Mr Huang had bought rechargeable batteries for his cordless phone from an electronics shop.
He said he inserted the batteries, which cost $9, and left the cordless phone on the cradle to charge.
About three hours later, he heard a sound, like a tiny explosion or something breaking.
'I thought it was a rat in the house and it had broken some of my things, so I didn't bother,' said Mr Huang in Hokkien.
The next day, he found the phone cover and the rechargeable batteries on the floor. The batteries were badly burnt.
Said Mr Huang: 'I was shocked. Luckily, no one was using the telephone. Otherwise, they could have been hurt.'
He said he had changed batteries on this phone without problems before.
He returned to the shop and managed to get a new set of batteries for free when he showed them the destroyed batteries.
But after he inserted the batteries into the same cordless phone and tried to recharge, the batteries burst again.
This time, there was a smell of burnt plastic and a 5cm crack on the telephone.
PHONE DAMAGED
Mr Huang said that the phone, which he bought for about $100 some 10 years ago, could no longer be used.
He said: 'I've been using these cordless telephones for a few years and have never encountered any problems. I've also charged batteries before without problems.'
He again returned to the shop but this time they would not replace the batteries for free.
A shop worker told him he had inserted the batteries wrongly.
Said Mr Huang: 'I've been in the electrical business for the last 40 years. How could I have replaced the batteries wrongly?'
When contacted, the shop owner, Mr Zhu Hui De, said the phone had burst because the batteries were inserted wrongly.
Mr Zhu said there are three things to note when replacing rechargeable batteries for cordless telephones.
The battery voltage has to conform to the manufacturer's specifications, the battery size must be correct and the batteries must be inserted the right way.
To be safe, it's best to ask the shop to replace the batteries, he said.
Mr Zhu said that he knew that the batteries had been inserted wrongly, when he met Mr Huang.
He said he wanted to tell Mr Huang the right way to do so, but Mr Huang said he knew how to do it.
Mr Zhu said he had refused to replace the batteries for free the second time because Mr Huang had kicked up a big fuss.
Said Mr Zhu: 'I wouldn't mind replacing the batteries or refunding the money if he had a receipt.
'But he was rude to me, banged on my table and threatened to call the police. That scared away some of my customers.'
