Another battery explodes

[Baldr]

I think every vape shop (online or B&M) should be selling Lipo charging bags. Every time I hear one of these stories, I think these should be common and every person vaping should be using them. Almost every time you hear of a battery exploding or venting or whatever, it's either on the charger or the first use after taking it off the charger. So charging in a safety bag, and then hitting the power button once, briefly, after taking it off the charger and *before* bringing it next to your face to vape would seem to greatly lower the risk.

ECF should be promoting these in their FAQ's. Vape shops should be selling them. And every vaper should be using them.

https://www.google.com/#q=lipo+battery+charging+bag

 

[WarHawk-AVG]

I think every vape shop (online or B&M) should be selling Lipo charging bags. Every time I hear one of these stories, I think these should be common and every person vaping should be using them. Almost every time you hear of a battery exploding or venting or whatever, it's either on the charger or the first use after taking it off the charger. So charging in a safety bag, and then hitting the power button once, briefly, after taking it off the charger and *before* bringing it next to your face to vape would seem to greatly lower the risk.

ECF should be promoting these in their FAQ's. Vape shops should be selling them. And every vaper should be using them.

https://www.google.com/#q=lipo+battery+charging+bag

How much do those cost? And how much would it increase the price of the products we purchase for vaping

I think a simple sheet of paper with instructions on proper use of the item would suffice, even throw in a few warnings too...education is the key, or we could just get more laws put on the books...yay

 

[Baldr]

A lipo charging bag runs from $6 on the low end to around $25 on the high end. Assuming you don't lose it, it should last forever - unless a battery goes BOOM inside it, in which case you'll want to replace it, and it won't bother you a bit to do so at that point.

Any battery can explode. The battery on your phone, the one in your car, etc. It happens from time to time. There are things you can do to lower the risk, and things you can do to raise the risk, but there is *always* a risk. Vapers do so much battery charging, it just makes sense to spend $10 on safety.

 

[bluecat]

This has been bugging me and probably unpopular. Still it needs to be stated.

Here is the link to Webster's dictionary on the word "explode".

Explode - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

I will quote the part that has been bugging me..

: to burst forth with sudden violence or noise from internal energy: as
a : to undergo a rapid chemical or nuclear reaction with the production of noise, heat, and violent expansion of gases <dynamite explodes>

Now it may have been a small explosion, but the battery did explode. You may want to call it venting... it is the same.

 

[OlDogNewTricks]

Seems somewhat foolish not to be charging batteries in a 'safe' container. I got a small bucket (like they use for table center displays), filled it with beach sand and throw my charging device in there when charging it. Don't know where she got the charger/batteries from, but it seems pretty fishy that she would have had a mismatch that's been working up until that particular day. Probably had several devices and wasn't paying attention. Finally, the television news has never exaggerated a story... 4 feet? Flames? Really?

 

[WarHawk-AVG]

A lipo charging bag runs from $6 on the low end to around $25 on the high end. Assuming you don't lose it, it should last forever - unless a battery goes BOOM inside it, in which case you'll want to replace it, and it won't bother you a bit to do so at that point.

Any battery can explode. The battery on your phone, the one in your car, etc. It happens from time to time. There are things you can do to lower the risk, and things you can do to raise the risk, but there is *always* a risk. Vapers do so much battery charging, it just makes sense to spend $10 on safety.

Exactly...and since Li Ion batteries are actually sealed and pressurized with mis-use alot of heat rupture or "venting" is a very likely possibility

That is the beauty and the danger of new technology...Li Ion packs so much more energy storage into it's batteries, the energy density of Li Ion compared to lead acid batteries or NiCD or NiMH batteries is incredible...BUT they CANNOT be treated like the before batteries (that do explode too)

The battery exploded if you look at the pics from the report is due to her plugging in a USB charger that is straight thru non regulated 5vdc directly onto a 4.2vdc eGo battery pack...as we all know .8vdc can drastically change the current/watts of a device, more current = more heat, more heat on a pressurized device = ?? Kablooey...that's right

 

[Coastal Cowboy]

This has been bugging me and probably unpopular. Still it needs to be stated.

Here is the link to Webster's dictionary on the word "explode".

Explode - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

I will quote the part that has been bugging me..

: to burst forth with sudden violence or noise from internal energy: as
a : to undergo a rapid chemical or nuclear reaction with the production of noise, heat, and violent expansion of gases <dynamite explodes>

Now it may have been a small explosion, but the battery did explode. You may want to call it venting... it is the same.

No, it is not.

If there had been an explosion causing walls to shake with a resounding KABOOM, then there would be nothing left of that battery compartment than the shrapnel dug from the flesh of the woman, the dogs and the guitars.

The battery did what it was supposed to do, and so did the battery compartment. Thank God no one was hurt.

 

[JulesXsmokr]

hey my toaster just went bang, I threw a wet towel on it to smother the flames on my toast, now the cabinets in the kitchen are all charred up. help help call the media - just another day in the life..........

 

[tj99959]

No, it is not.

If there had been an explosion causing walls to shake with a resounding KABOOM, then there would be nothing left of that battery compartment than the shrapnel dug from the flesh of the woman, the dogs and the guitars.

The battery did what it was supposed to do, and so did the battery compartment. Thank God no one was hurt.

An explosion is an explosion, there is no unit of measurement that's needed to be met in order to qualify. The bottom end of an eGo blows off so that there won't be "shrapnel dug from the flesh of the woman, the dogs and the guitars".

There was flame, there was heat, there was an expansion of gas, and there was noise, so just how wouldn't it qualify?!?

I'm still trying to figure out how she could have seen the 4ft flames shooting across the living room when she was in the kitchen mopping floors tho'.

 

[bluecat]

No, it is not.

If there had been an explosion causing walls to shake with a resounding KABOOM, then there would be nothing left of that battery compartment than the shrapnel dug from the flesh of the woman, the dogs and the guitars.

The battery did what it was supposed to do, and so did the battery compartment. Thank God no one was hurt.

Yes the battery did as it was supposed to.. Yes thankfully no one was hurt.

Did she state that there was a explosion and the walls shook? I'll be the first to admit I didn't watch the vid. I just read the piece.

All I saw was this.. ""It was like kaboom!, and I see this flame shooting across my living room," Wilkowski said."... I just gave the definition of explode from Mariam Webster. To me it sure does look like it exploded. I used to have bottle rocket fights with my friends in my youth.. Those things explode too.

Nowhere in the article do I see.. the walls shook as if "Shock and Awe" came to her living room.

 

[tearose50]

How about looking at it this way: If the hot gas and flame had not vented out the end of the battery and the bottom cap had not blown off as it is designed to do under thermal runway circumstances, there would have been an explosion of a different magnitude.

Thus, the battery vented is a more accurate term.

By the way, for APV owners, a big reason lMR's are safer chemistry is they are inclined to vent, and not as subject to exploding.

 

[WarHawk-AVG]

An explosion is an explosion, there is no unit of measurement that's needed to be met in order to qualify. The bottom end of an eGo blows off so that there won't be "shrapnel dug from the flesh of the woman, the dogs and the guitars".

There was flame, there was heat, there was an expansion of gas, and there was noise, so just how wouldn't it qualify?!?

I'm still trying to figure out how she could have seen the 4ft flames shooting across the living room when she was in the kitchen mopping floors tho'.

It was pandalerium!!! With all them new fandangled e-cigarette thangs

How about looking at it this way: If the hot gas and flame had not vented out the end of the battery and the bottom cap had not blown off as it is designed to do under thermal runway circumstances, there would have been an explosion of a different magnitude.

Thus, the battery vented is a more accurate term.

A big reason lMR's are safer chemistry is they are inclined to vent, and not as subject to exploding.

venting is a controlled "explosion"

uncontrolled release of pressure is what everone is afraid of! 8-o

 

[sawlight]

I guess I've "lived" a bit more than some of you!
I've seen 12v batteries explode while being charged. I've seen a 12v battery explode in a Jeep while it was sitting in a driveway 30 min after being driven, no charger, no short, just a shotgun blast and a big mess to clean up! Put in a new battery, all was fine!
I've had to swap out and charge forklift and side loader batteries, nothing fun about either one when you have 8 6v batteries wired in series!
I've been a flashaholic for years, I've seen the damage to a Surefire 9P flashlight when three mismatched CR123A's were used in it! Blew the tailcap off (Surefire doesn't use cheap materials mind you!) shot through a sheetrock then sheathed and sided wall and ended up about 40' away when it ran into a brick wall!
Go to Candle Power Forums sometime and read how much they preach about the safety and handling of RCR's! These guys are fanatical about the care and feeding of these batteries, and know the do's and don't's with them to a "T"! So much so, it took me years to get brave enough to even try them!
But I use them, I keep an eye on them and treat them with respect!
My point? YES, there is an inherent danger with these batteries! Look on youtube sometime at the laptop battery explosions, it's flat violent! There is a lot of stored energy in these batteries, RCR's or plain old off the shelf CR123a's, even the old 9 and 12v camera batteries! All a battery is is a storage device, once you attempt to utilize it in a rechargeable manner, you increase the risks involved with an already potent device.
Yes, they can be safe, yes they work well when taken care of. But when you turn BillyJoe JimBob off the street loose with them, with no education and minimal instructions, things like this will happen. I agree, it looks like she used/was provided with, the wrong charger, but she didn't seem like the type that had a Masters degree in anything, so she didn't know better. She should have been better educated, and if she was supplied with that charger in the kit, the vendor should be held accountable for this!
Why is the media jumping on this? E-cigs are a hot topic item right now, "Should we ban them because we don't know what's in them?" and "Are they really better than the real thing?" stirs up emotion, and that goes right in with the sensationalism the the media is after right now! I remember a couple years ago a lady going off on me about how unsafe they were after the home made stacked battery mod blew up in the users face. Somebody did something stupid, the media ran with it and planted in a lot of minds that it wasn't safe to vape anymore. Nothing more, nothing less, but it got the message out to those that wanted to hear it!
Sorry about the rant, but as this is a hot topic, expect to see a lot more of this in the future.

 

[thorn]

No batteries should go around exploding. I don't care what I am using the battery for I don't want it exploding when I charge it. Anyway, that is just my thoughts on that.

You can buy an electrolytic capacitor from any electronics shop. They do not come with instructions. But if you try to charge it the wrong way, it's going to explode. Even beginner electronics hobbyists do not know this until it happens. What responsibility does the electronics shop owner have for this situation? There's no way for the owner to know how the product will be used once it leaves his inventory. There are no news stories on this because the common man would not normally buy one of those without knowing how they are used. Electricity Safety is one of those topics that should be in the 'common sense class' in high school, oh wait, they still don't teach that yet.

 

[fourtytwo]

You can buy an electrolytic capacitor from any electronics shop. They do not come with instructions. But if you try to charge it the wrong way, it's going to explode. Even beginner electronics hobbyists do not know this until it happens. What responsibility does the electronics shop owner have for this situation? There's no way for the owner to know how the product will be used once it leaves his inventory. There are no news stories on this because the common man would not normally buy one of those without knowing how they are used. Electricity Safety is one of those topics that should be in the 'common sense class' in high school, oh wait, they still don't teach that yet.

Very true but I believe that the context is very important.
If someone goes into an electronics store and buys a cap, they are looking to make something with it. If someone buys a starter kit that is shrink wrapped, they should expect something that is some what safe to use as is.
In the first case, the buyer is looking for parts and some level of expertise, rightly or wrongly, can be assumed. In the second case, the buyer is is purchasing a consumer product and some level of safety should be assumed.

 

[BigBen2k]

Onto page 12...

There is nothing to fear from USB; these ports take care of themselves:
USB - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Most USB adapters stay within the limit of drawing 500 mA (@5v), and that's plenty for most e-cigs. I know of no adapters that "charge faster if more power is available".


Our e-cigs have cells that are stuffed inside a brass tube; as such, it is a battery, and other than a vent hole, this is a safe way to construct one. Because it is a battery, there is no need for a charging bag; the tube acts as protection. We should be using charging bags when charging cells, not batteries, because they are not contained in any way; a cell can fail uncontrollably, a battery will fail predictably.


Sadly, yahoo picked up this story, but the comments showed a better level of understanding (a bit surprising, since those comments are often pretty poor)


The real problem here is that there is no standard; it's possible to screw the wrong battery to the wrong charger. There's also a lot of cheap chargers that are missing some key protection circuits. BTW, no protection circuit can detect a damaged battery.

The only instructions the users should need (although most manufacturers now typically state "only use this charger with this battery"), is to treat the batteries with care, and not bang them around.

 

[TigerLadyTX]

I use mostly eGo and KGO batteries. Been using them for going on 2 years ago and I have not ever had one have issues while on a charger. Granted, I always use the wall charger and NOT a USB port, but I have not ever had one misbehave, (knock wood), in such a manner. Another thing I would like to point out - you don't hear/see sensationalized news reports on all of the fires begun by cigarette smoking and I am sure that there are at least 10,000 of those for every single e-cig battery spectacular fail.

~Tiger

 

[Nat79]

How much do those cost? And how much would it increase the price of the products we purchase for vaping

I think a simple sheet of paper with instructions on proper use of the item would suffice, even throw in a few warnings too...education is the key, or we could just get more laws put on the books...yay

would people on this site like to come up with a boiler plate info sheet?I'm pretty sure that the B&M/online vendors would have no problem distributing the info if as a industry/consumer group we could agree on what was and was not "safer practices".


Sent from my iPhone
and already breathing better

 

[Baldr]

Our e-cigs have cells that are stuffed inside a brass tube; as such, it is a battery, and other than a vent hole, this is a safe way to construct one. Because it is a battery, there is no need for a charging bag; the tube acts as protection. We should be using charging bags when charging cells, not batteries, because they are not contained in any way; a cell can fail uncontrollably, a battery will fail predictably.

When a battery fails, as the one in the article did, it vents flames. Anyone who doesn't believe that can look around on youtube - there are lots of examples where people intentionally made a battery fail on camera. And that's the reason for having a charging bag. Yes, the result is fairly predictable, but it isn't something you want happening in your house, and it's easy to lower the risk.

 

[BigBen2k]

There's no such thing as too safe

I'm comfortable without a bag, but I use other precautions. I know these cells too well.