Batteries, Again, Be Careful

[ChristianBart]

I use a GGTS and use 2-3.0v LiFePO4 750mAh Tenergy batteries. Last night I charged my batteries, which are only a few days old, and used for only about a half hour. This morning while sitting at my desk, I noticed my GGTS was not firing, and I almost dropped it because it got hot really, really fast. I opened it up and the batteries were too hot to hold. I am throwing them away, just another instance that needs to be posted so people are aware and careful with their devices and batteries. I feel fortunate that nothing worse happened. Just be careful everyone. Happy Cautious vaping!

 

[Wafflestomper]

Just out of curiosity, what atomizer were you using?

 

[Switched]

FWIW Life PO4 batteries are unprotected. They are said to be safer, but are they really. They use a different chemistry than Litium Ion, but IMHO, an unprotected battery is an unprotected battery.

 

[beecee]

The RCR123A?

 

[Daz 7401]

Glad you are OK Christian that could have been nasty. I an no expert but I did read that if you have different voltage levels in each battery current can flow between them causing problems. I use Li-Po's in model helicopters and charge them in a fire proof bag because they are temperamental. As others on this forum I keep me e-cig batteries in pairs and don't leave them installed when I am not using my e-cig. You can never be to careful.  

 

[emonty]

good that you are ok!!! My opinion: only use protected batties when operating in pairs!

 

[ChristianBart]

I was using a carto, and I do believe THAT was the problem. But beware that malfunctions in cartos could cause problems with batteries. This is speculation, but I put in new batteries and they got hot and carto didn't fire. Changed carto after the batts cooled and everything okay. Just posting this so people are cautious and now I know one bad part can cause others to fail. No problems since initial post after correcting problem carto.

 

[grimmer255]

I'm glad to hear nothing bad happen... I stopped using cartos because of how they are built internally. With regular atties the positive and negative are seperated and will not touch. In cartos there is very little room with separation and if these two touch it can cause a feed back to the bateries...not a good thing. In other words over heated batteries.

 

[ChristianBart]

I'm glad to hear nothing bad happen... I stopped using cartos because of how they are built internally. With regular atties the positive and negative are seperated and will not touch. In cartos there is very little room with separation and if these two touch it can cause a feed back to the bateries...not a good thing. In other words over heated batteries.

That is what I believe happened. But the cartos are really convenient, so I will just be careful when I get a no hit and not keep pressing the switch down which will over-heat batts. Thanks for the info though. I just don't want anyone getting hurt, that is why I love reading and am glad people post these types of threads. Knowledge is key, so share your experiences and opinions.

 

[Switched]

I am glad things turned out for the better and no one got hurt with the experience. I am also glad that folks post their misfortunes so accidents can be prevented in the future.

My understanding is that a protected battery's circuit board would have clipped the electrical connection preventing the occurrence that you described, whether it was the carto's fault or an atty, because a carto is nothing more than an atty wearing pyjamas.

 

[vapn]

Yes the Tenergy 750s are LiFePO4 and they are NOT protected with a PCB but they are not supposed to explode like regular LiIons do. Just heat up and possibly leak. This sounds like pure equipment failure and not user error. Glad you are AOK....

 

[imeothanasis]

no worries about safety guys, fuse for GGTS is almost ready

 

[5cardstud]

I've never had a problem with cartos, thats all I use. but batteries are a different story. It seems like lately I've had nothing but trouble with batteries. Even the battery in my car went kaput. I'm thinking about making a really good power supply I can mount on my belt and run a 5 volt passthrough every where I go.

 

[Debbie]

Thanks for the heads-up. At least they didn't explode, which is safer than some other batteries are. Glad you're ok.

Debbie

 

[imeothanasis]

My batteries are getting hot often christian. That means that we have issues with atomizers and batteries. The GGTS fuse will solve this problem permanently. I also want to say that we have more shorts than we thought. My fuse on my GGTS is shorted at least 1 time per day. I dont change the spring because usually they are small shorts so the spring is still working but its shrinked. I pull it again and it works fine but if a big short happens then we are totally protected and the spring is melted and lose contact before the batteries get hot.

I am happy that you are ok friend

 

[Mactavish]

Well, since they did not explode, your experience is actually a plus for the LIFEPO4 chemistry. I have six of them, use them in pairs, that's how I do my 6.0 HV vaping, on both HV attys, and more often, like right now, on a cartomizer. I often start a new "pre-filled" store bought carto at 3.7 volts, but soon find not much punch, and then switch to 6 volts, where they perform much stronger. The new one I just measured the OHMS at approx 3.0 ohms. I match my LIFEPO4's using the ZBT MBT-1 battery under load tester, as I have described in a few threads here. When I notice decreased performance I take them out of my GGTS and then read the voltage, just to see. Since I mark all my batteries I can match them, and yes there are times, one of the batteries used in a pair, is at a much lower voltage, which can lead to problems, but one of the smartest things to do, is NOT drain any of your rechargables down too low. Since I have a bunch, I tend to swap em out faster and NOT push them. Glad to hear they performed as advertised under what appears to have been a "short circuit" someplace and did not hurt you or cause a fire.

 

[Lisaf01]

I second everything that Mactavish just said.
I've been really impressed with these Tenergy LiFePO4s and have been using them almost exclusively since they arrived.
Their chemistry is supposed to prevent them from exploding in the same way as standard li-ions do and I think as they are branded by an American company (taking into account the way your legal system works over there), we can trust their claims a lot more than we can the Chinese ones.

Remember people, a PCB doesn't guarantee that your Li-Ion batts won't explode, it's just supposed to cut them out if they over-charge or discharge beyond certain parameters. What happens if you're relying on a PCB that doesn't kick in or isn't even there as advertised?

At least for now, LiFePOs have got the be the safest batts we've got. (IMHO)