With the heat wave gripping the northeast this past week, I learned a painful lesson on liquid expansion. I normally take my 3AA - 5 volt box mod with me on short errands around town, and left the mod with a freshly filled cartomizer in the console of my car while I stopped in the grocery store. Upon returning, I plucked the mod out of the cup holder and burned my fingers as I gripped the carto. The thing was smokin'!
Now, I hadn't shut the main switch off when I placed it there, because I rarely do. I lean the box against the side of the cup holder so the button doesn't touch anything.
I could hear the carto sizzling, and shut the main off and held the box up to one of the dash vents to blow cold air on it. When I got back on the road, the carto was cool to the touch, so I switched the box on, and I could hear that sizzling noise again, and I wasn't pressing the fire button at any time!
Sheesh!
When I got home I opened the box and saw the entire interior was coated with juice - bathing everything inside with it. I turned the main on again, and again the carto did the sizzle-shnizzle. Using paper towels and canned air, I cleaned out the interior and tried again - no sizzle. I'm figuring the switch shorted out with juice and fired the carto coil.
For one thing, I should have built this mod with a sealed battery connector, but was thinking I'd make a bottom feeder at a later date (when I learned how). I've since washed the whole thing out and blow-dried the interior and haven't had any more surprises, but I'm sure leery of this happening again.
BTW, the switch was a Madvapes round horn-button style as was all the parts of the mod.
I'm tellin' ya - that carto tube was HOT!!!
It would be safe to assume that leaving a PV in a hot car is not recommended.
Now, I hadn't shut the main switch off when I placed it there, because I rarely do. I lean the box against the side of the cup holder so the button doesn't touch anything.
I could hear the carto sizzling, and shut the main off and held the box up to one of the dash vents to blow cold air on it. When I got back on the road, the carto was cool to the touch, so I switched the box on, and I could hear that sizzling noise again, and I wasn't pressing the fire button at any time!
Sheesh!
When I got home I opened the box and saw the entire interior was coated with juice - bathing everything inside with it. I turned the main on again, and again the carto did the sizzle-shnizzle. Using paper towels and canned air, I cleaned out the interior and tried again - no sizzle. I'm figuring the switch shorted out with juice and fired the carto coil.
For one thing, I should have built this mod with a sealed battery connector, but was thinking I'd make a bottom feeder at a later date (when I learned how). I've since washed the whole thing out and blow-dried the interior and haven't had any more surprises, but I'm sure leery of this happening again.
BTW, the switch was a Madvapes round horn-button style as was all the parts of the mod.
I'm tellin' ya - that carto tube was HOT!!!
It would be safe to assume that leaving a PV in a hot car is not recommended.
