How my high drain 18650 battery exploded...a warning to all

[Lord Vaako]

As embarrassing as this is, I've decided to post this so others don't make the same mistake I did.

Early Sunday morning I ran out to grab my 4 year old a bagel. I threw my Provari in my pocket, then started heading for the door. I then remembered that I vaped a lot the night before and didn't want the battery to die on me while I drove. So I turned around and quickly pulled a fully charged spare out of my charger and threw it in my pocket. I got in my car and dropped my keys in my cup holder.

When I got to the bagel place, I picked up my keys and put them in my pocket - the same pocket that my loose spare battery was in. This was all it took. My keys landed in such a way that they completed the positive to negative connection - shorting the battery.

As I stood in line half awake, I started feeling something . First I thought I got stung, then I thought I was on fire. I still had no idea what was going on so I put my hand in my pocket and instantly burned my finger. Luckily it wasn't that bad. The plastic melted from the outside all over my keys. Then I heard and felt a slight "pop". I grabbed some napkins and pulled out everything quickly - here's what the battery looked like:



The battery is a 3.7v 2250mAh 18650 Hybrid IMR made by Panasonic and sold by Orbtronic.

Later I emailed Sal at Orbtronic. I knew right away that this was my fault, but figured that he'd want to hear the story. Sal's a great guy. He said I was lucky that it happened to me with the Panasonic vs. the red AW batteries that I'm sure many people who bought a Provari have. He sent me back this video showing how hot the AW's get during a short.

Callies Kustoms IMR Battery and AW short circuit observations - YouTube

Be careful is all I can say. I know that the Panasonic's have protection built in, but I don't know about others. I've heard that the "no name brand" batteries that come with a lot of devices these days don't have protection. They're made in China as cheaply as possible. What I did is about as dumb as sticking your finger in an electrical outlet, but I don't think many people realize it can happen so easily. I surely didn't intend for this to happen and didn't realize how hot a high drain battery can get.

 

[crxess]

Been there.......Years ago. That is why I use a plastic battery case. Holds 2 18650 or 4 18350's.

Always wise to protect the contacts of any battery, be it e-cig/ flashlight or Car/etc. Car Batteries make a really big boom.

 

[Steam Turbine]

Yeah... Battery case! Very cheap, very important. Thanks for sharing, great example. Good thing you had an imr instead of an unprotected icr (meaning KABOOM in your pocket)

ps: i might be wrong but I don't think that they are protected batteries. IMR's are safer chemistry meaning that they will become very hot instead exploding.

 

[vinna]

Lol i always trow then in my pocket thanks for the heads up lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

 

[grandmato5]

Glad everything turned out ok. Thanks for sharing. Its important to let those that aren't aware know how easily this can happen and also important to remind those of us that know but sometimes forget how easily something like this can happen.

 

[Lord Vaako]

Yeah I think Steam Turbine might be right about the protection vs. safer chemistry. Orbtronic has other batteries they sell with protection and they look like they have a different metal bottom.

A case is the best idea but it's so easy to forget. They don't really tell people on the websites that sell vaping devices in neon lights how easily this could happen or to toss your batteries that came with it for an upgrade. With so many people vaping now, we'll have many more upgrading to something that takes a larger high drain battery or batteries. I doubt anyone like that will know.

I personally think that having multiple incidents of those cheap blue batteries explode on people could really screw us all as vapers in the long run by way of increased government regulations or lawsuits against a favorite vendor. Let's hope it doesn't happen.

 

[Huffelpuff]

I had one do the same thing in my purse. Threw an amr 18650 in my pocketbook and forgot to take it out. A week or so later, in the middle of Acme, I started to smell burning plastic. No explosion but a loud hiss. I didn't get burned at all, but did find a new respect for how I store and carry my batteries.

 

[Dougiestyle]

As a new vaper, I learned that pocket change and batteries are bad when mixed in a pocket, mkay.

I think this is a lesson that new vapers may or may not experience that creates a new observation of battery safety.

 

[Dougiestyle]

As a new vaper, I learned that pocket change and batteries are bad when mixed in a pocket, mkay.

I think this is a lesson that new vapers may or may not experience that creates a new observation of battery safety.

 

[eratikmind]

This is an important reminder to all.

- Andy

 

[K-Woodz]

I had a big ego twist battery start smoking and sizzling on me at 6 in the morning on the 405 freeway...

I could smell something, and being half asleep, i started sniffing, trying to figure out what it was. While doing so, i reached for the twist with a kanger on it. When i turned my head to take a rip, the mod was smoking out of the bezel around the button. I could feel it heating up and expanding in my hand. Not knowing what to do in that very groggy moment, I sacrificed my entire battery and tank to the 405 freeway.

The really scary thing is, i didnt do anything to bring this on. I hadn't even used the mod yet that morning. Im glad i picked it up when i did and not later, because the thing might have blown up in my face, possibly causing me to lose control of my car.

 

[minimalsaint]

So..... Did your kid get the bagel?

 

[bruiser]

What's up with Orbtronics? Was going to order some batteries, but they seem to be out of just about everything, especially the batteries I wanted.

 

[PuffnStuff]

I find it commendable that you are willing to swallow a little pride and admit to a silly slip like this in order to provide a warning/reminder lesson to the community. Thank you (and everyone else that fessed up to doing similar) for that.

 

[vang0gh]

Thanks for sharing the story. It's a good reminder to everyone (myself included) not to become complacent with the safety aspects of vaping.

 

[Steam Turbine]

I find it commendable that you are willing to swallow a little pride and admit to a silly slip like this in order to provide a warning/reminder lesson to the community. Thank you (and everyone else that fessed up to doing similar) for that.

Agree 100%

 

[Thrasher]

Yeah... Battery case! Very cheap, very important. Thanks for sharing, great example. Good thing you had an imr instead of an unprotected icr (meaning KABOOM in your pocket)

ps: i might be wrong but I don't think that they are protected batteries. IMR's are safer chemistry meaning that they will become very hot instead exploding.

you are correct, on top of that that panasonic is a hybrid chemistry that has shown to have a safer overdischarge and less chance of explosion an actual protected battery would(should) have shut down preventing the short from continuing.

 

[Visus]

15 yrs old-- 20 so years ago, extra batts for walkman, lots of busfare change in pocket, learned it young. Thought to myself thats strange, I couldn't figure out why the quarter was so hot until later, the battery burned a hole in my pants inner pocket. I carried batts everyday so it was really strange. Thank goodness for house' fashion days of extra baggy girbaud jeans.

nice reminder OP..

 

[Visus]

Forgot to say you just found the mod of mods keyrings are usually made of kanthal wire lol

 

[sachavaca]

the plastic tube sold for keeping matches dry works very good for 18000 series batteries , found in the camping section of store