The problem is you don't know
for sure what chemistry they are sir_puffs_alot. Being unbranded it's very easy for more than one manufacturer to be making these and there might also be re-wrapped really cheap cells out there that look just like the real thing.
I put together a post on the low
cost of good batteries a little while ago. You might be surprised how little difference battery cost makes over the life of a battery.
In that post I include a video of how a ICR battery handles a short.
Here's the link. Fast forward to about 3:20 to where the action starts. Please have a look and ask yourself if this risk is worth it. That venting is not the worst of it either. If the vent holes in your mod are not big enough to handle the expanding gas fast enough or if they get clogged by the battery deteriorating, the mod will effectively become a pipe bomb. IMO this is the worst scenario in vaping.
Have a look also at the
ECF Sub-Ohm Advisory. The following is quoted from there. Keep in mind that a hard short can happen in any mechanical mod, or even in your pocket if the battery is not placed in a battery case.
"Modern batteries are extremely safe compared to those we used to have. If a genuine IMR or hybrid rechargeable cell is destroyed by sub-ohming or some kind of fault, then what appears to happen is that it melts down without any significant out-gassing. The gas generation is the danger factor as it can lead to an explosion, if it takes place in a sealed device. A hot APV does not appear to be a significant danger except in some sort of fire-risk situation (maybe in a gas station, or on an old foam couch/sofa).
What is certainly an issue, though, is if a counterfeit battery is used by mistake; or if someone deliberately uses an ICR (regular Li-ion) cell instead of the modern type of safer-chemistry cell. In that case there could be a significant outgas risk in the event of a battery failure, which translates to risk for an explosive event.
- Please make sure to use genuine IMR or hybrid cells from a reputable source, and DO NOT USE regular Li-ion cells (ICR) for heavy-duty applications like this.
- The use of a sealed metal tube for a high-power application using lithium ion cells in front of the face is an intrinsically bad idea. Gas vents are a good idea, and the bigger the better - in case the wrong battery is used. This applies even more if batteries are stacked (placed in series) as the risk is multiplied up."
