The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
Safety Handling With Your E-Cigarette
Photo courtesy of http://www.vapeicon.com/
With millions of users worldwide, there can be no doubt that vaping has not only created a new market niche but a new subculture in our society as well. Though, it is still facing strong headwinds in different countries due to claims that it is as detrimental to health as smoking ordinary tobacco cigarettes. But with several proofs from experts and health organizations that tell otherwise, the number of people who see vaping as a safer alternative to smoking continues to grow these days.
But if you are frequent to news sites lately, you will know that another issue continues to loom the vaping industry that even some of its users are struggling to resolve – e-cigarettes explosions. Although many say that only those who uses full-mech mods are at risks, there is no denying that safe vaping is a responsibility of each vaper.
In summary, here are the key pointers from the infographic below from Vape Icon which present to us eight simple yet actionable ways to avoid the risk of exploding e-cigarettes today.
Only buy from legitimate vendors.
Avoid overheating your atomizer.
Keep your device away from water.
Only use charger provided by the manufacturer.
Avoid overcharging your device.
Use safe chemistry batteries if you are using a full-mechanical
Don’t stack multiple batteries.
Understand what thermal runaway is.
Make your vaping experience as safe and enjoyable as possible. To learn more about this topic, check out the infographic below.
No matter how cheap they are, you need to avoid buying uncontrolled builds from illegitimate e-cigarette makers. Aside from the fact that these homemade devices use cheap materials, they may not also have the built-in safety mechanisms that a quality-controlled device has.
The best way to ensure your safety is to buy from a well-known brand that is made in America. Devices made in the United States need to stick to a certain standard to ensure that it can withstand certain thresholds.
While most of the e-cigarettes are made overseas, buying from American manufacturers ensues that you have a safe device that meets the highest quality standards.
2. AVOID OVERHEATING YOUR ATOMIZER
One of the few mistakes that first-time vapers commit is the pushing down the puff button too long. Experts say that the maximum time in pressing the button is only 5 seconds – and pressing it longer can lead to overheating of the atomizer.
Once you notice your atomizer is getting hotter than usual, immediately replace the cartomizer and set aside the one you are using to cool off, or better, just set the device down and give it a break for a while.
Make sure to place your device away from flammable materials to avoid fire in case your device explodes.
3. KEEP YOUR DEVICE AWAY FROM WATER
It’s a basic principle that an electronic circuit that comes into contact with water or any liquid can cause malfunction or worse, catch fire.
To extend the life of your device and avoid explosions, keep it away from any form of liquid.
A quick cleanup before you plug your device in can also be beneficial to get rid of any liquid buildups from the battery, terminal, and atomizer to avoid any short circuit and further extend battery life.
This might be a cliche, but using the standard charger provided by the manufacturer is one of the most effective ways to avoid any internal malfunctioning of your device.
In fact, a report from IEC revealed that 73% of the explosions happened while the e-cigarette was charging.
The other 27% of the explosion, on the other hand, was suspected to have happened because the device was previously overcharged, or used with an incorrect charger.
An incorrect charger likely supplies your device with the wrong voltage.
5. DON’T OVERCHARGE YOUR DEVICE
The batteries in e-cigarettes are very powerful compared to other electronic devices.
Overcharging can damage battery and can lead to overheating and eventually, explosion.
Make sure to read the instructions about the specified charging time and plugin your device when it is fully charged.
6. USE SAFE CHEMISTRY BATTERIES
Safe chemistry batteries aka IMR are high-discharge batteries that have a different composition to standard Li-Ion (Lithium Cobalt) batteries.
It has lower internal resistance and should be able to deliver higher current while maintaining capacity and avoiding thermal buildup.
Most VV/VW devices have already built-in safety circuits to shut down the device in the even of a battery malfunction, but if you’re using a mechanical mod, then an IMR battery is strongly recommended.
7. DON’T STACK MULTIPLE BATTERIES
Most e-cigarette mod explosions to date have involved tube mods with two batteries stacked in series.
Unlike VV/VW, these mechanical tube e-cigarette mods don’t have electronic circuit features which can prevent the explosion from the sudden surge of voltage.
Make sure that the mod has an inbuilt safety feature such as vent holes and end cap.
8. UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THERMAL RUNAWAY
According to Battery Research, thermal runaway is “A condition that is caused by a battery charging current or another process which produces more internal heat than the battery can dissipate.”
In e-cigarettes, this happens when the lithium-based batteries generate a high amount of heat, thus building up enough pressure to explode.
According to Ecigarette Reviewed, one of the reasons for this to happen is a short circuit.
To quote: “A low-resistance, high-current electronic shortcuts can be created by internal issues, such as a convergence of microscopic metallic particles in one place or even a tear in the membrane separating battery poles.”
Once the battery reaches a specific internal temperature (302°F for cobalt-cathode lithium batteries, 482°F for manganese-cathode lithium batteries), they become unstable and nothing can stop them from failing.
This case, however, is very unlikely to happen. But in case you feel a rapid increase of heat in the body of your device or spot a vent of gas in the battery cartridge, its best to put it in a safe place and stay away from it. Observe for a few minutes before you remove the battery from the mod.
![8 Tips to Avoid E-Cigarette Explosions [Infographic]](https://cdn.confessionsoftheprofessions.com/infographics/8-tips-to-avoid-e-cigarette-explosions-infographic.jpg)
![20 Foods To Promote Lung Health And 5 To Avoid [Infographic]](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHdpZHRoPSIyOCIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxNTAiIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCAyOCAxNTAiPjxyZWN0IHdpZHRoPSIxMDAlIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjEwMCUiIHN0eWxlPSJmaWxsOiNjZmQ0ZGI7ZmlsbC1vcGFjaXR5OiAwLjE7Ii8+PC9zdmc+ "20 Foods To Promote Lung Health And 5 To Avoid [Infographic]")
![How To Meet Deadlines: Effective Strategies and Mistakes To Avoid [Infographic]](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHdpZHRoPSIxNTAiIGhlaWdodD0iMTAwIiB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgMTUwIDEwMCI+PHJlY3Qgd2lkdGg9IjEwMCUiIGhlaWdodD0iMTAwJSIgc3R5bGU9ImZpbGw6I2NmZDRkYjtmaWxsLW9wYWNpdHk6IDAuMTsiLz48L3N2Zz4= "How To Meet Deadlines: Effective Strategies and Mistakes To Avoid [Infographic]")
![20 Foods To Promote Lung Health And 5 To Avoid [Infographic]](https://confessionsoftheprofessions.com/wp-content/uploads/media/2021/02/fruits-veggies-vitamins-scaled.jpg "20 Foods To Promote Lung Health And 5 To Avoid [Infographic]")
![How To Meet Deadlines: Effective Strategies and Mistakes To Avoid [Infographic]](https://confessionsoftheprofessions.com/wp-content/uploads/media/2021/11/getty-deadline.jpg "How To Meet Deadlines: Effective Strategies and Mistakes To Avoid [Infographic]")
