A Mod tragedy I think everyone should know about ...

[Nikkita6]

A friend here on ECF just sent me a copy of this thread, and I felt it was a good idea to post it here in Canada for the sake of mod users here that may not be aware of this very Tragic and unfortunate story.

The recent story begins on page 4 of this thread, a few posts down ...
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/announcements-rules/76078-exploding-mods-current-situation.html#post5146201[/url]
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/puresmoker/79545-so-discussion-exploding-batteries-4.html
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...4690-protected-batteries-vs-imr-safety-4.html

 

[Toronto_Mike]

Wow! Thanks for sharing this Nikki. Makes you think. My prayers are with the guy in ICU.

 

[Song]

I recently got a story from a client of mine saying telling me a old 510 battery overdischarged ( not from me btw) on him and pretty much refused to cut off, the battery ended up overheating so much he had to throw it out and it melted a big chunk or snow or something like that. It something i think that can happen to any batteries, altho the shotting the head of the mod into someone face is definetely something to worry about. At least a overheating battery gives u some warning, same goes for mods with vent holes or press fitting bottom caps, one without those definitely feels like a bomb to me.

 

[Switched]

What I believe is more tragic than the provided links is folks not taking the time to educate themselves wrt the use and safe use of batteries. This problems further exacerbates itself with the lack of experience of vapers searching for Nirvana in a mod uneducated, especially with using a mod at 6V. These statements are not callous, they are simply reality.

A thermal run away occurs with a dead short, and there is a significant amount of time for reaction, if you know what is occurring and what to do about it. The first thing folks need to do when a device is working and then not, take off the atty or carto and meter it. Do not repeatedly fire the button in an attempt to make it work.

If the device gets warm, break the contact e.g unscrew the cap. Once the contact is broken the run away stops.

BTW it is not only mods that fail, you can get the same results with a reg 510 or KR8 battery.

... and we should all take the time to read Basic to Advanced Battery Information from Battery University or the layman's version http://vapcentral.blogspot.com/2010/08/battery-faq.html

There is a wealth of information on ECF should folks seek their answers in the appropriate sub-forums e.g if you want to mix liquids, then get acquainted with the DIY sub forum and ask questions there. There is a ton of wealth and experts there, vice asking Qs in this sub, where the responses at times leave a lot to be desired

 

[Ms. Creant]

Is the prodigy a device that will operate with the battery inserted in either orientation?

It's very important to orient the batts with the positive up and negative to ground in any metal mod as if a minute abrasion in the plastic shrink wrap allows the metal casing of the battery to contact the metal case of the mod that is positive grounded, it could be bad.

 

[Nikkita6]

Wow! Thanks for sharing this Nikki. Makes you think. My prayers are with the guy in ICU.

Oh no problem! My heart really, really felt for this man and his wife .... I was shaking after reading it because I can't imagine having to endure what this man is going through right now, and I also pray that not only does he successfully make it through this, but that he will not be psychologically scarred by this for the rest of his life.

 

[Toronto_Mike]

It was an absolute freak accident. You always want to blame someone & I think they need to blame the government. If our government agencys would just do what they're suppose to - this knda thing may have been prevented. All electronic devices need to be tested & approved by UL or CSA for safety. Because of the bans & hundreds of different varieties of mods & batteries being pumped out of China, no ecig part will ever the light of day in a labratory, anytime soon. It's a lesson to all of us & buy mods & the correct batts from vendors we know & trust. To pay $5 extra for an eGo battery is some insurance. It's not to say that a good quality battery can't explode but the odds are a bit better with the "well knowns". For personal reasons, this is why I would buy a Provari over a Lavatube. It's double the cost but you can't put a price on safety & quality. Just my humble opinion.

 

[teabagger]

Yea I have never seen a smashed up G.M on the side of the road, only honda'a and lada's

 

[Toronto_Mike]

Yea I have never seen a smashed up G.M on the side of the road, only honda'a and lada's

?????????????????

 

[Concat]

Wow... scary. My thoughts go out to this guy.

I just experienced a short myself. I was trying out my DCT for the first time on my Black Beauty. It wasn't working, so I took out the battery and the + terminal was very hot. I tried a different DC carto and it was fine. In the trash went the other one.

I had an Ego do a similar thing, though that was my own fault. I dismantled the battery and it shorted soon after. At least then the wires melted and the short stopped.

Makes me think I need to drill a vent hole in my BB... Either way I'll definitely remember to dismantle and analyse every time my PV won't fire.

What are "Lifepos" batteries? Lithium ion iron phosphate? Are those AW IMRs?

 

[kanadiankat]

It was an absolute freak accident. You always want to blame someone & I think they need to blame the government. If our government agencys would just do what they're suppose to - this knda thing may have been prevented. All electronic devices need to be tested & approved by UL or CSA for safety. Because of the bans & hundreds of different varieties of mods & batteries being pumped out of China, no ecig part will ever the light of day in a labratory, anytime soon. It's a lesson to all of us & buy mods & the correct batts from vendors we know & trust. To pay $5 extra for an eGo battery is some insurance. It's not to say that a good quality battery can't explode but the odds are a bit better with the "well knowns". For personal reasons, this is why I would buy a Provari over a Lavatube. It's double the cost but you can't put a price on safety & quality. Just my humble opinion.

...it's not a bad opinion. Safety is a concern with all electronics and battery operated devices though - regardless of where the batteries originate.

Most of the main/major manufacturers in China do have the necessary certs. While there may indeed be fake certs, it's worth noting that China manufactures a large number of the batteries and chargers that grace the market. Japan was the main manufacturer until recently for high end lithium ions but the Tsunami put them behind and China has taken over a good portion.


One point of disagreement - you wrote ...."no ecig part will ever see the light of day in a labratory, anytime soon"....

ECITA in the UK (and more recently in the EU) have conducted and continue to test ecig batteries and chargers coming out of China.


The certs given to electronics are not what guarantees against failure or issues.

• Remember the exploding Dell Laptop? That one had international certifications.
• The crash of a UPS cargo plane out of Dubai is being attributed to a car battery explosion (definitely certified).
• In November, an iphone exploded on an Australian airline (and Apple certainly has the certs).

Exploding batteries are rare - but they do occur.

I think it's horrible what happened to this guy mentioned in the forum and I hope he will be okay.

Vapers need to practise caution when something seems wrong - like a battery that's overheating, too hot to touch, has smoke coming out of it, or is behaving in any way that's irregular. If this happens - remove your battery to a completely safe place (like inside a closable metal tool box) and keep it there until you can get advice on how to safely dispose of it.

Most importantly with Mods - protected batteries are absolutely essential. No short cuts, no bargain basement deals, no cheapskating. Buy the right ones all the time, every time and still - don't use if there appears to be a problem.

 

[theWayISshut]

Most importantly with Mods - protected batteries are absolutely essential.

I keep seeing this message, but I haven't seen any e-cig vendor selling unprotected batteries.

 

[kanadiankat]

I keep seeing this message, but I haven't seen any e-cig vendor selling unprotected batteries.

Yet - they are available and people purchase them.

Batteries are available everywhere. Responsible vendors will only sell protected ones from reliable manufacturers - true - but how many people do you hear of every day who go bargain hunting overseas to get something at half the price?

 

[Switched]

It was an absolute freak accident. You always want to blame someone & I think they need to blame the government. If our government agencys would just do what they're suppose to - this knda thing may have been prevented. All electronic devices need to be tested & approved by UL or CSA for safety. Because of the bans & hundreds of different varieties of mods & batteries being pumped out of China, no ecig part will ever the light of day in a labratory, anytime soon. It's a lesson to all of us & buy mods & the correct batts from vendors we know & trust. To pay $5 extra for an eGo battery is some insurance. It's not to say that a good quality battery can't explode but the odds are a bit better with the "well knowns". For personal reasons, this is why I would buy a Provari over a Lavatube. It's double the cost but you can't put a price on safety & quality. Just my humble opinion.

Sorry Mike, the government is not to blame here. No amount of regulation will cover the improper use of both Li Ion, Li Mn and Li Polymer batteries. They have been around for a long time and there have been many incidents with cell phones and RC products.

Wrt the delta between the LT and Provari, well let's just say that the LT has a better protection as it drops the voltage if it doesn't like what you put on it automatically, the Provari does not do this.

Provape came out and they categorically stated not to use atties lower than 2Ω. Yet folks insisted on using LRs on the Provari. Why anyone would use an LR on a VV or VW mod is beyond me.

So as long as people go against mfrs recommendation, I am afraid we will read more of these unfortunate incidents. I feel for the individual and his family, accidents do happen but in most cases are easily preventable.

 

[Switched]

?????????????????

IOW, even expensive batteries can fail. I had a AW IMR 14500 go ballistic on me while testing the 7mm run. Nothing happend! I took off the atty, disconnected the bottom connector and tossed the batt on the garage floor (rubber mat). All is well and battery is fine. I also own a MM which a lot of folks do not. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

 

[Switched]

Wow... scary. My thoughts go out to this guy.

I just experienced a short myself. I was trying out my DCT for the first time on my Black Beauty. It wasn't working, so I took out the battery and the + terminal was very hot. I tried a different DC carto and it was fine. In the trash went the other one.

I had an Ego do a similar thing, though that was my own fault. I dismantled the battery and it shorted soon after. At least then the wires melted and the short stopped.

Makes me think I need to drill a vent hole in my BB... Either way I'll definitely remember to dismantle and analyse every time my PV won't fire.

What are "Lifepos" batteries? Lithium ion iron phosphate? Are those AW IMRs?

Couldn't have said it better

 

[Switched]

...it's not a bad opinion. Safety is a concern with all electronics and battery operated devices though - regardless of where the batteries originate.

Most of the main/major manufacturers in China do have the necessary certs. While there may indeed be fake certs, it's worth noting that China manufactures a large number of the batteries and chargers that grace the market. Japan was the main manufacturer until recently for high end lithium ions but the Tsunami put them behind and China has taken over a good portion.


One point of disagreement - you wrote ...."no ecig part will ever see the light of day in a labratory, anytime soon"....

ECITA in the UK (and more recently in the EU) have conducted and continue to test ecig batteries and chargers coming out of China.


The certs given to electronics are not what guarantees against failure or issues.

• Remember the exploding Dell Laptop? That one had international certifications.
• The crash of a UPS cargo plane out of Dubai is being attributed to a car battery explosion (definitely certified).
• In November, an iphone exploded on an Australian airline (and Apple certainly has the certs).

Exploding batteries are rare - but they do occur.

I think it's horrible what happened to this guy mentioned in the forum and I hope he will be okay.

Vapers need to practise caution when something seems wrong - like a battery that's overheating, too hot to touch, has smoke coming out of it, or is behaving in any way that's irregular. If this happens - remove your battery to a completely safe place (like inside a closable metal tool box) and keep it there until you can get advice on how to safely dispose of it.

Most importantly with Mods - protected batteries are absolutely essential. No short cuts, no bargain basement deals, no cheapskating. Buy the right ones all the time, every time and still - don't use if there appears to be a problem.

^^ What Kat said ^^

 

[Switched]

I keep seeing this message, but I haven't seen any e-cig vendor selling unprotected batteries.

There are still some... as a mfr and soon to be vendor I can't say who. However, when in doubt e-mail vendor before purchase. A tell tale sign, they are cheaper than protected.

 

[Switched]

Yet - they are available and people purchase them.

Batteries are available everywhere. Responsible vendors will only sell protected ones from reliable manufacturers - true - but how many people do you hear of every day who go bargain hunting overseas to get something at half the price?

Bingo! Yuz doing good today

 

[andyman97]

My understanding was that the aw imrs don't have protection circuitry but are a safer cell chemistry than the ic liion protected. Either way, provape still recommends imr in the provari. I've read many places that you shouldn't stack batteries, either.

Hope that the guy this happened to comes out OK.