Freaked Out!

[djenkins]

So Ive been vaping for over a year now. I started on Egos, then moved to ProVaris with simple dripping atomizers or ProTanks. Recently Ive started collecting mechanical mods mostly because I love the looks and the smaller form factor. I have no desire to do any sub-ohm vaping (although I do get curious at times).

I decided to get more used to building RBAs and RDAs and use them on my ProVaris until I felt comfortable that my builds were good, and that I was being safe. I have a Fluke multimeter that I use for other things, so its handy to have that around for checking my coils as well.

I use AW IMR batteries (all sizes) that I purchased from ProVape, and an XTAR battery charger.

I will admit that I don't fully understand Ohms law and some of the other mathematical stuff that goes into figuring out how much strain you are putting your batteries under.

When I build a coil, I usually use alligator clips on my multimeter to check the resistance before the actual wire is mounted on anything. If that looks good, I mount it on the deck, then use the multimeter to check it again. If that checks out OK, I either mount it to an Ohms checker, or check it with my ProVari. If all of that looks good, I finish building the atomizer and start using it.

Up until a few days ago, I hadn't used any of my mechs. I usually use coils that are between 2 and 2.5 ohms. I wanted to try something with a little less resistance though, so my latest coil is 1.4 ohms, and its on a Kayfun 3.1. I decided to use this on a Chi You, and it has been working great. The flavor and vapor production is really good, and the atomizer doesn't heat up too much.

However, today I read a few posts on battery safety by Baditude (thanks for making those by the way, they help out a ton!), and I freaked myself out. I started second guessing everything I did. I took the battery out (AW 18350), put it away and put my Kayfun on my ProVari. I would hate to imagine that battery exploding at work and me losing my job or a piece of my body.

Am I over thinking this? Am I being safe?

 

[bacc.vap]

Should be just fine at 1.4, no need to freak out as far as I can see. What info did you read to flare up the freakout?

 

[retired1]

AW IMRs are fine for mechs as long as you don't stress them to the point of failure. I use an AW IMR 18500 in my hybrid with coils coming in at around 1.2 ohms. I also generally remove the battery for charging before it gets down to 3.2v.

 

[Boiler]

Know the amp limits on your battery and use an ohm calculator to see how much amperage your pulling.

1.4 ohms at 4.2 volts is pulling 3 amps - should be well within the battery's spec*. Sub-ohmers are often pulling 10+ amps out their battery.

Ohm's Law Calculator

You can also get a small drop-in fuse like the Vapesafe, that will cut the power if there's a problem.

* AW 18350 - 6 amp continous draw.

 

[Stosh]

You're practicing safe vaping...that's a good thing... Use your fluke religiously, checking the coils and batteries, it will let you know if anything is out of specifications. Even checking your battery before putting it in your Provari or charger will let you know if everything is operating properly. Checking your coils before inserting them just makes good sense, you know what you can expect to end up with without a lot of experiment.

1.4 ohm is not an excessively low resistance but a 18650 rather than a 18350 would be better. If you're towing a small trailer, do you want a small 4 cylinder car or a V8 pick-up? Both might work, one with a little less strain on the equipment....

 

[djenkins]

Thanks for the responses, I feel better now heh heh.

I was reading the thread earlier "why get a mech". There was a lot of discussion in there about safe battery usage and I started questioning myself heh heh.

 

[cap269]

Ohm's Law simplified ---

Current (amps) = Voltage (volts) / Resistance (ohms). Power (watts) = volts^2 / ohms OR volts * amps.

For example, assume the battery voltage is 4.0 volts. For a 2 ohm coil, the current draw is 2 amps (4/2). For a 1 ohm coil, the current draw is 4 amps (4/1). For a 0.5 ohm coil, the current draw is 8 amps (4/0.5). For a 0.25 ohm coil, the current draw is 16 amps (4/0.25).

In other words,
If the resistance goes DOWN (at the same voltage), the current goes UP.
If the voltage goes UP (at the same resistance), the current also goes UP. (eg. turning up the volts on a mod without changing the coil)

This relates directly to battery safety, because each battery has a maximum rating (amperage that can be safely drawn from it). You really want to stay within 75% of the battery rating in order to prevent a catastrophe. Make sure the battery rating is sufficient to power the device safely. Know your coil resistance (use a meter!) and check battery ratings before firing your device. Regulated mods will not fire when the battery gets too low. Mech mods don't do this, so remove and recharge batteries before the voltage falls below 3.2 volts.

 

[Baditude]

All excellent advice given above thus far.

My intent is never to "freak" people out, but to only cause awareness to those who are uneducated to proper mod usage and to know their particular battery's limitations. Pushing a battery too hard can have catastrophic consequences. Sometimes it takes gory pictures of vented mod batteries to get the point across, because novices often take safety for granted.

You don't necessarily need to "know" Ohm's Law like an electrician does. Besides, I've seen so-called electricians use the wrong battery and using them past their limitations on ECF, so a diploma/certificate or years of experience in the trade means nothing in the world of vaping. I don't fully understand the formula's myself. But I do use the Ohm's Law Calculator to make certain the resistance of a coil will not push my battery past it's limits. That's all you need to know.

There's a list of recommended batteries in the below link, with the continuous discharge rate in amps listed for each one:

Battery Basics for Mods: IMR or Protected?

I always check my battery voltage daily. I always check the resistance of my home made coil before firing it the first time; resistance can somehow mysteriously change on it's own day to day.

I don't use my mechanical mods much any more. I prefer using my Provari's. I prefer taking advantage of the built-in safety circuitry, and am able to adjust the voltage to the specific flavor that I'm using. I build 2.0 ohm single coils with 30g Kanthal 6 - 7 wraps.

I'm such a stickler for safety when it comes to batteries and mods because I had a battery go into thermal runaway in a mechanical mod early in my vaping career, so it made a very strong impression on me.