510 Battery MELTDOWN

[Jim N]

I bought a 510 Disposable E-cig Kit a few weeks ago from madvapes (box says its a Q electronic cigarette). I charged the battery using the supplied USB charger about 3 or 4 times. Tonight my battery spontaneously combusted while sitting vertically (tip up) in the corner of my office desk. I heard a hissing sound from the other room and entered my office with a cloud of smoke surrounding my e-cig and spewing from the LED end. Like an idiot, I grabbed it and burned my finger and thumb. I dropped it on the carpet and burned that too. Quickly scooted it onto a newspaper and burned that also. Finally made it to the stainless steel sink. The 510-T atomiizer now makes any tank taste like burnt plastic and batteries. Good thing I was not carrying it in my pocket at the time of meltdown.

My question is this: Is there a safe e-cig that won't empty my wallet or meltdown in my pocket? I'm afraid to hold the other one I have, let alone put it in my pocket.

 

[juicejunky]

Wow, sorry you burnt your hand but glad you caught it in time.


I think there is always a risk with any lithium battery, but with quality manufacturers and safe charging procedures the risk in less. Get a volt meter to check them before and after charging as an extra precaution. For all the people vaping here, there have been very few stories of problems.

Joye, Volt, V4L, etc. are all well know brands. Maybe those disposables aren't supposed to be charged that many times, once the carto is gone they expect you to toss them. I know nothing about Q ecigs, but you should report it to Madvapes in case it is a bad batch or something.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Jim N]

Thanks for the reply, Juicejunky. The box says the battery can be charged at least 8 times. I really would like to get a safe e-cig because I was down to a couple analogs a day (especially since I found a good menthol extract).

 

[Wiping]

Ego - Twist!

 

[Buggs5347]

Oh, wow! I hope you are okay.

I've only been a member here for a very short time and this is the 3rd post I've read of someone mentioning a battery go wonkers and burn them. I also read a post stating that you should make sure you stow and possibly charge them within something noncombustible - I believe a cakepan was mentioned and someone else linked to a special bag you could purchase to place your batteries in when charging. With that doggone short ego charging cable it's pretty hard to do wherever I have an outlet, but, I think I need to rearrange appliances on my counter to do just that.

 

[juicejunky]

Most of the forum suppliers including Madvapes sell quality stuff but as with any manufacturing bad stuff slips through quality control. I'd stay away from disposables for that reason, plus they are pretty expensive to use long term.

Is the cigarette size important to you? Where and how often do you vape? There are the KR808s if you insist on cig size. Try Vapor4life.com or smokelessimage.comfor good prices on popular Kr808s. They have higher voltage than the 510 batteries and some are regulated voltage.

Joye eGos (cigar size) or Rivas are better for 510s because the battery lasts longer. Try Goodprophets.com, cignot.com, liberty-flights.com

Personally I use bottom feeders from reosmods.com Grand and Minis, but I have been vaping for a while and mostly vape at home or in my car. They have a 510 fitting. Tanks on mods are also very popular. Keep reading there are so many options, but it's all what your style and needs are. If the disposable makes you happy, you'll be thrilled with any of upgrades available.


I've been away from mini size ecigs for too long to know what the latest technology and brands offer. Hopefully others will chime in with better advice.








I

 

[Figgy]

If this is the kit you're talking about, they specify 3 charges:

A complete 510 disposable automatic e-cig with Blue LED. 8 second draw cutoff. If you reach the 8 second cutoff, the led will flash 3 times and then there is a 10 second wait before the e-cig is usable again. Approximately 1-2 hours of intermittent use between charges. 2 hour recharge time. The batteries are rated for 3 charges but you may get more. Some people have reported extended use while others have reported the rated # of charges. The atomizer is compatible with other 510 models.

However, that is no excuse for combusting. I would expect from the description for it to just not function well, not hold a charge, not become downright dangerous.

Well hopefully it was enough for you to decide if you liked vaping or not. I definitely will echo juicejunky on this one: let MadVapes know and consider a brand with a good quality record. You'll pay a few bucks more but you'll get more vape time and way more charges before you have to replace them.

 

[Spacelace]

I started out with an Ego-T and had no problems with it at all, I would highly recommend this option.

 

[Jim N]

Wiping: I'm trying to look up the eGo Twist. I like the short circuit protection and not too expensive. I'm totally confused on "variable voltage" and still can't find information if it's manual or automatic.

Buggs5347: I wasn't charging the battery when it flared up. I had taken a couple puffs about 10 minutes prior to the incident. It was just sitting there propped in the corner of my desk.

Juicejunky: I'm not too concerned about "cigarette size" , but I don't want a boat anchor or giant bulge in my pocket. My main concerns are:
1) Short circuit protection (I'm a little scared now).
2) Enough charge to last the day (about 100 puffs).
3) I prefer manual to automatic.
4) I would like something to work with my 510 tanks, but I need to buy a new tank atomizer now, so I guess that's not that important.

 

[Dr. Phill]

Definitely agree with the eGo Twist. I've been through a whole lot of different e-cigs and that is by far my favorite. Although, I wouldn't expect ANY e-cig to do what yours did, a definite malfunction for sure, I'd contact Madvapes.

 

[rondasherrill]

Buggs5347: I wasn't charging the battery when it flared up. I had taken a couple puffs about 10 minutes prior to the incident. It was just sitting there propped in the corner of my desk.

The quote he was showing you is saying that those batteries are only rated to be recharged a total of 3 times, and after that they are trash, although you may get more life. As he said, either way combusting is unacceptable. The Twist is great. It's manual. VV just means you can make the vape warmer and produce more vapor if you like.

 

[Jim N]

My fingers are a little better now since I soaked them in ice water for about a half an hour, but I'm still emotionally frazzled (broke out the analogs again). I really liked vaping once I found a good menthol from ecigExpress. I afraid to put the 510 manual in my pocket and I got spoiled on the tanks vs cotton filled cartridges. I know this is probably an isolated incident and I like Madvapes service and prices, otherwise. I will contact them in the morning.

Thank you for the plethora of information. I guess I have to do a lot more research now. What a pain (pun intended).

 

[Jim N]

rondasherrill: Thanks for the info. I couldn't see where the button was for manual operation. If I understand your info on VV correctly, I don't have to match the voltage to the atomizer (which is what I thought). I'm mostly concerned now with safety (short circuit protection), size, and manual operation.

 

[Buggs5347]

Yeow, that is doubly scarey then, Jim.

The variable voltage twist is really nice. I don't ever use the high voltage - but it's nice to be able to adjust it. I think the max I've liked it is at 4.2 Some juices work or taste better on a little higher voltage, I'm finding.

 

[Jim N]

Follow-up (if anyone cares):

1) I contacted Madvapes the next morning. They offered to replace the unit or provide store credit. I obviously took the store credit (they have good liquid prices).

2) Followed the advice from above on my next PV. I purchased the Joye eGo-C, Type B kit from Cignot. In the kit I got the 650mAh eGo-C upgrade and the 1000mAh eGo-C Twist. They arrived yesterday and I am quite pleased with both Cignot's customer service and the eGo-C performance. I was surprised at the amount of vapor when you max the voltage on the Twist. The 1000mAh is really long, but it's nice to know I'll have extended power if I need it. I've been predominantly using the 650mAh since yesterday morning after the initial charge. Having 2 ml of liquid in the device is a big plus. sidenote: I chose menthol for the tank filling. It's a little minty, but not bad. It wasn't long before I put the contents of one of the tanks in an empty mixing bottle so I could enjoy my chocolate-coffee mix.

3) Theory on the defective 510: Having worked in electronics, I can't dismiss the malfunction without a cause. I believe the device never turned off (it was an automatic). I had vaped about 10-15 minutes prior and it probably stayed on until it got so hot and reached critical mass. The 510 I had was the cheapest 510 kit you could find ($10) and I had an previous issue with a defective battery. This is the best explanation I can imagine. Although my 510 manual is probably safe, I'll most likely give it to a friend who is interested in vaping (the eGo is SO MUCH BETTER).

 

[meli.]

I know it's not funny but I couldn't help laughing reading your initial post, just the way you put things..
It would have scared the life out of me too. Recently there have been many reports about batteries behaving badly. I never considered the dangers till now to be honest.
If you haven't already take a look at So...my freaking battery just caught on fire!!! Thread, a few posts below yours. Handy tips on battery charging and keeping safe.
I'm so sorry that it happened to you, and pleased you're ok.

 

[meli.]

Double Post

 

[chillywilly]

Damn dude...at least mine did it while it was on the charger. This is getting out of hand! Glad you are okay, I know the feeling of being scared and panicking lol

 

[rondasherrill]

Damn dude...at least mine did it while it was on the charger. This is getting out of hand! Glad you are okay, I know the feeling of being scared and panicking lol

One of the reasons I stopped using the little cig-a-like e-cigs is that even the tiniest little shard of something conductive getting in the connector will cause a meltdown like this. I had it happen to me twice. Both times, either in the battery, or in the charger, there would be some freakin microscopic peice of metal bridging the positive and ground in the connector.

 

[jeffjr464]

ive been hauling on the joyetech twist and upgrade batteries for a month solid, every minute or so they are reliable and solid, find a vivi nova tank, greatest thing for the twists around 4-4.2 volts