As part of my determination to get the Bloog forum rocking again, I am going to start a few regular "columns".
The frist will be a weekly FAQ answer. Each week I will get an example from Gaz, our Customer Service representative, of one of the most frequently asked questions that he receives in his e-mail, and pass along the answer here.
This week's FAQ comes from Leslie, in Maine:
She writes, "I noticed you have "unsealed" automatic batteries on sale for 7.95 versus the "sealed" battery for 11.95. What is the difference between the two types of batteries?"
Our CS's stock answer is, "Thank you for your inquiry! The differences between the two battery types are as follows: our unsealed ($7.95) batteries have a tiny hole at the top end where the cartomizer attaches which was originally created to help maximize airflow. The e-cigarette market has begun moving towards the sealed battery design, which uses cutting edge technology to maximize airflow and eliminates the need for any openings. This protects the battery from liquid damage which in turn extends battery life expectancy. Once our stock runs out on the regular unsealed batteries, we will be making the permanent transition to sealed batteries, so it might be a good idea to start experimenting with the new design."
But I want to expand on that a little. First off, I want to point out that ALL automatic switch batteries HAVE to have airflow through the battery tube. It's the flow of air over the switch that activates it, whether it's a traditional mechanical switch, where the airflow moves a tiny filament or membrane, or a high quality acoustic switch like ours, which uses a microphone to detect the sound of the air flow. That means that automatic switch batteries, unlike manual batteries, cannot be truly sealed. There absolutely has to be airflow from the tip to the threads, and out through the cartomizer.
That means that the newer "sealed" design still has an air hole. It's just been moved from right on top, where any liquid that drips out of the cartomizer can flow right into the battery, to a more concealed and protected position, greatly reducing the likelihood that liquid will enter the battery, but not preventing it entirely.
For that reason I want to emphasize that I still DO NOT recommend that our customers fill their carts while still attached to the battery, even with the "sealed" batts. The new sealed posts reduce the likelihood of liquid damage, but can not prevent it entirely. So if you get overconfident because it is sealed and take risks you wouldn't have with the old unsealed design, like filling or dripping without removing the carto, you might actually INCREASE the chances that you will accidentally cause liquid damage.
(Psychologically, that's called the Pelzman Effect, the tendency for safety equipment like anti-lock brakes, as an example, to subconsciously increase risky behavior by drivers resulting in as many or even MORE accidents than without them.)
If you prefer to drip, or to refill without removing the carto from the batt, my recommendation would be to use a manual battery, because those can be, and are, actually sealed, with no airflow through the batt itself, and thus no route for liquid to enter the batt.
And, BTW, I am going to update the CS stock answer to reflect that from now on.
The frist will be a weekly FAQ answer. Each week I will get an example from Gaz, our Customer Service representative, of one of the most frequently asked questions that he receives in his e-mail, and pass along the answer here.
This week's FAQ comes from Leslie, in Maine:
She writes, "I noticed you have "unsealed" automatic batteries on sale for 7.95 versus the "sealed" battery for 11.95. What is the difference between the two types of batteries?"
Our CS's stock answer is, "Thank you for your inquiry! The differences between the two battery types are as follows: our unsealed ($7.95) batteries have a tiny hole at the top end where the cartomizer attaches which was originally created to help maximize airflow. The e-cigarette market has begun moving towards the sealed battery design, which uses cutting edge technology to maximize airflow and eliminates the need for any openings. This protects the battery from liquid damage which in turn extends battery life expectancy. Once our stock runs out on the regular unsealed batteries, we will be making the permanent transition to sealed batteries, so it might be a good idea to start experimenting with the new design."
But I want to expand on that a little. First off, I want to point out that ALL automatic switch batteries HAVE to have airflow through the battery tube. It's the flow of air over the switch that activates it, whether it's a traditional mechanical switch, where the airflow moves a tiny filament or membrane, or a high quality acoustic switch like ours, which uses a microphone to detect the sound of the air flow. That means that automatic switch batteries, unlike manual batteries, cannot be truly sealed. There absolutely has to be airflow from the tip to the threads, and out through the cartomizer.
That means that the newer "sealed" design still has an air hole. It's just been moved from right on top, where any liquid that drips out of the cartomizer can flow right into the battery, to a more concealed and protected position, greatly reducing the likelihood that liquid will enter the battery, but not preventing it entirely.
For that reason I want to emphasize that I still DO NOT recommend that our customers fill their carts while still attached to the battery, even with the "sealed" batts. The new sealed posts reduce the likelihood of liquid damage, but can not prevent it entirely. So if you get overconfident because it is sealed and take risks you wouldn't have with the old unsealed design, like filling or dripping without removing the carto, you might actually INCREASE the chances that you will accidentally cause liquid damage.
(Psychologically, that's called the Pelzman Effect, the tendency for safety equipment like anti-lock brakes, as an example, to subconsciously increase risky behavior by drivers resulting in as many or even MORE accidents than without them.)
If you prefer to drip, or to refill without removing the carto from the batt, my recommendation would be to use a manual battery, because those can be, and are, actually sealed, with no airflow through the batt itself, and thus no route for liquid to enter the batt.
And, BTW, I am going to update the CS stock answer to reflect that from now on.
