TP4056 Heating Issue with 18650 Batteries – Need Advice on BMS and Cooling Solutions

[Khushit Shah]

Hello everyone,

I'm using the TP4056 charging module with my 18650 ICR18650 20C currently, and I noticed it overheats when charging. This, I realize is relatively common, though I'm not sure of the best solution to make sure everything works safety-wise, especially considering that sometimes I need to use 1 or 2 batteries depending on the projects' power requirements (e.g., Arduino projects).

Here are my questions: Is there really any need to add a heatsink onto the TP4056, or is there another way of managing the heat? Would I benefit by adding a BMS with my current 1-2 battery setup, or would the TP4056 be able to do the task with proper cooling? If I do need a BMS does anyone recommend 3 different options for the following configurations: Per 1 battery
For 2 batteries
With 3 batteries
Any advice on how to handle these 18650 batteries safely, especially when higher power applications are involved wherein stability is a standing point, would be much appreciated. In advance, thank you for helping me out!

Best,
Khushit Shah