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

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BigBaby

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I had a battery turn nuke in my pocket a few months ago. I accidentally ended up with a spare battery in the same pocket as my truck keys. Everything got so hot that I thought I was being electrocuted at first and then when I realized what was going on it was all I could to to get everything out of my 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.

I bet I can make one explode, I can make anything explode.
 

Lord Vaako

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Yeah he got his bagel lol. It burned a big hole in my pocket and left a little red mark on my leg but that was it. My finger had a blister from the hot plastic for couple days - that was the worst of it. It could've been a lot worse...seems to be a common theme from everyone else here that had it happen. I normally don't keep an extra battery in my pocket at all, I was just half awake and grabbed it quick instead of changing it. A single Panasonic 18650 battery is plenty strong to last an entire day of vaping at 4.2-4.4v. I don't know what's up with the site though. I emailed Sal and he didn't respond back yet. He usually gets back to me right away. He might be on vacation or something. I kind of felt like a fool with his pants on fire, then thought I should post something somewhere so new people don't get hurt.
 

LeoRex

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Knowing the charge and the max output of those 18650 IMRs... and adding to the fact that most (all?) IMRs do not have any protection circuits... the only place those batteries are kept is a) charger b) my Vamo and c) the cardboard box that they came in.

Last thing I want is a 4 amp timebomb sitting next to my giblets. :)
 

Heavyrocker

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Dec 14, 2012
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I had a battery turn nuke in my pocket a few months ago. I accidentally ended up with a spare battery in the same pocket as my truck keys. Everything got so hot that I thought I was being electrocuted at first and then when I realized what was going on it was all I could to to get everything out of my pocket.






I bet I can make one explode, I can make anything explode.

^^
I wouldnt be advertising this too much.
 

evgeny131

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Apr 5, 2013
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thx!!! important subject....i was fiddling with noble's nuts trying to fix the center post leak (common to many noble 1 hybrids)...thought i found a great solution, put everything back together and fired away....NOTHING... fired a few more times....NOTHING...took the top cap off to examine the wick/coil and fired away...lol...NOTHING....
suddenly had to drop the mod on the table because the aluminum tube was scorching hot- could barely get the poor aw out in time....
it was scorching hot...
moral of the story for me- took real life experience to recognize a dead short, the unreal stupidity of firing the switch a dozen times when there is absolutely NOTHING happening with the wick/coil....
the aw survived and lives happily back in the noble 1 again....i consider myself pretty lucky.....
 
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Lord Vaako

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Wow that's crazy. There should be a sticky in the new member forum or somewhere warning people. Even people who know about high drain batteries can simply forget.

Did you know: These batteries are so powerful, they're exactly the same batteries that power laptops, cordless drills, and other power tools? Those battery packs just have multiple flat top 18650 "cells" inside of them...same exact battery. The "high drain" simulates a power outlet.

Also, I just came back to this thread to let the folks know who what's going on with Orbtronic. I just talked to Sal and he's in Europe on a trip. Anyone looking for inventory should go here: Fluid Vapor - Quitting is a battle.....Choose your weapon wisely! I'm not affiliated with either company, just ended up becoming friends with Sal. Fluidvaper sells his batteries and has the 2900 mah 18650 Panasonics.
 

Hoosier

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Any battery can do much the same. My oldest son had detention in high school because his change, keys, and Ni-CAD batteries all connected in his pocket during class. He wasn't punished for putting metal and batteries together is his pocket, he was punished for leaping out of his chair while the teacher was talking and screaming, "I'M ON FIRE!!"

School administrators, being what they are, didn't really care why he was jumping up and screaming during class and couldn't let such a disruption occur without a penalty. He still has trouble laughing about it even 10 years later, but he's lucky, the rest of his family has no such trouble.
 
as long as we are copping to our slip ups...

When rebuilding an RBA, may be a good idea to take the battery out or at least lock the button (nearly hurt myself today being stupid)

&

a couple weeks ago I was dismantling about 10 used heads for rebuild, about half way through I started feeling really nauseated and started developing a really bad headache. "hmm, what did I eat today"; I said to myself. Oh well, only a few more used heads to dismantle... "I should have worn gloves to do this"

yes, I am old enough to know better, yes I should probably have adult supervision when I work on these things. I'm usually really diligent about paying attention to what I am doing. Just goes to show how easy it is to take this technology for granted when you have been around it long enough.

I feel much better getting those off my chest, feel free to point and laugh all my friends already did.
 
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