Oh I heard those were dangerous! They can explode! <sigh>

[bodrell]

Yesterday I had two separate people tell me that. I know this story got a lot of press back in February:
http://www.cspnet.com/news/tobacco/articles/update-was-exploding-e-cigarette-mod

Which is unfortunate - for one thing, apparently the guy was using a self-modified PV. But what people remember is "electronic cigarette, exploded in man's face, OMG" and that story is all over the web.

My response to both people (both of them smokers) was to say I was only aware of one case, that a sealed Li-ion battery like mine wasn't in danger of exploding randomly, that millions of people use PVs in complete safety, that SMOKING IS DANGEROUS AND KILLS PEOPLE, etc. Also - I just googled: cell phone batteries can and have overheated and exploded, killing at least one person and injuring hundreds over the years. I plan on this being part of my response to the next person who backs away from my PV and gravely informs me it could explode! I guess if it's a battery and conditions are right, it can blow up, no matter whether it's in a PV, cell phone, laptop, etc.

I've been reading some info on the CASAA website and blog... stacking batteries and some other practices can be risky, as many of us realise.
CASAA: Facts about 'exploding' e-cigarettes from ECF

I'd like a pithy, accurate answer though. How many actual, documented cases are there of exploding e-cigarettes/PVs?

 

[Jason McRoy]

That is interesting. I haven't had to deal with this issue yet. Most people I have run into have not mentioned that story, but I know it is all over the web. I did get the information about the guy this happened to and knew I would use the fact that he was using his mod incorrectly.

As an insurance claims adjuster, when it comes to product liability, the consumer cannot modify the product from the specifications given by that manufacturer. There are obvious reasons for that. A manufacturer cannot be held liable for improper use outside of their specs.

It's interesting that I could not easily find any other stories about this happening, although there must be some. It would be good to know, if those stories do exist, what the exact truth is. Did the person modify the product? Were they misusing it in some other way?

I am going to subscribe to this thread, it will be interesting to see what may be out there.

-Jason

 

[Bullette the Cowdog]

Yesterday I had two separate people tell me that. I know this story got a lot of press back in February:
http://www.cspnet.com/news/tobacco/articles/update-was-exploding-e-cigarette-mod

Which is unfortunate - for one thing, apparently the guy was using a self-modified PV. But what people remember is "electronic cigarette, exploded in man's face, OMG" and that story is all over the web.

My response to both people (both of them smokers) was to say I was only aware of one case, that a sealed Li-ion battery like mine wasn't in danger of exploding randomly, that millions of people use PVs in complete safety, that SMOKING IS DANGEROUS AND KILLS PEOPLE, etc. Also - I just googled: cell phone batteries can and have overheated and exploded, killing at least one person and injuring hundreds over the years. I plan on this being part of my response to the next person who backs away from my PV and gravely informs me it could explode! I guess if it's a battery and conditions are right, it can blow up, no matter whether it's in a PV, cell phone, laptop, etc.

I've been reading some info on the CASAA website and blog... stacking batteries and some other practices can be risky, as many of us realise.
CASAA: Facts about 'exploding' e-cigarettes from ECF

I'd like a pithy, accurate answer though. How many actual, documented cases are there of exploding e-cigarettes/PVs?

I'm sure we've all heard the comments about exploding batts. I know I surely have. My comment to them has been this:
"There are some people who like to do-it-yourself & modify these things. They make some very large vaping devices in their garage. Some of them don't know what they are doing & use the wrong batteries or stack unprotected batteries. My vapor comes from the factory & contains a protected battery. The news outlets don't report the whole story. "

 

[tj99959]

I'd like a pithy, accurate answer though. How many actual, documented cases are there of exploding e-cigarettes/PVs?

I remember seeing Roly post the "known" number a few months ago, but no doube I'd get it wrong if I said how many it was.
I believe he also listed them as charger failures or PV failures.

I would just point out that Murphys Law says a Chevy Volt will go thermal at some point. Wonder if that would make as big a stink in the news.

 

[Pappy]

This is the same sort of rationalization that is used by people who say:

"I heard someone died in a car crash because they were trapped by the seat belt"; or

"Motorcycle helmets are heavy and I heard about a guy whose neck snapped because he was wearing a helmet."

People can rationalize some reason not to use anything or do anything. If some smoker wants to rationalize away the benefits vs. risks of vaping, there's probably not much you can do to change their mind.

 

[Absintheur]

I ask people what they think would happen if they locked the throttle wide open in their car and poured in rocket fuel and then started it...that was basically what that idiot in Florida did. I explain e-cigs are like many things, safe when used as intended but dangerous when you don't know what you are doing and decide to mod them yourself and then use the wrong power source.

 

[jch419]

I read that person wasn't using protected LI batteries!

Anything used in an inappropriate fashion can be potentially harmful. Heck, cars are dangerous too especially if you don't buckle in and so is crossing the road, if you don't look both ways. For crying out loud, know what I mean. If users are careful and they are using the proper supplies, they can vape without worry.

But if someone is trying to be cheap, and sticks a couple non pcbs they scooped up @ Radio Shack-in their mod, they are asking for fireworks.

 

[iamtumus]

a fellow vaper told me this a few weeks ago.
i just told him anything can be dangerous if used wrong, he probably would have been hurt less if he used an m80 instead of an unprotected batt.

 

[DC2]

I'd like a pithy, accurate answer though. How many actual, documented cases are there of exploding e-cigarettes/PVs?

The only one qualified to answer this question is Rolygate.
Don't listen to any other answers you get unless they are quoting Rolygate.

I know there is a at least one VERY long thread around here where Rolygate talks about that.
If you are interested in going through that thread, let me know and I'll see if I can find it.

Otherwise, if you hold on, I imagine Rolygate might stop by at some point and say something in this thread.

 

[bodrell]

Bercause I have no life today I've been scouring teh interwebs for stories about exploding e-cigs. I have found a total of three news reports. The guy in Florida, who was using an unsafe, DIY battery set-up. Someone in Denver who was using batteries he bought at Radio Shack (by some accounts "approved", by other accounts not), and a woman who claims - but no proof shown - that one blew up in her hand while she was unpacking it.
I'm hardly finding convincing evidence that there's any danger at all using an unmodified, factory-made e-cig!

Denver man sues after a PV exploded - couldn't find a resolution to this story online though:
Courthouse News Service

Woman claims PV blew up in her hand, but this link suggests there's more to the story (ie, it may not have happened.)
Electronic cigarette explodes in Muskogee woman's hand - FOX23 News

EDIT: DC2, thanks. I may have found the thread you mention earlier today, but it was billionty-eleben pages long and I didn't read through the whole thing.
...well shoot I can't find that thread now.

 

[Butters78]

Bodrell I love the quote in the article you posted..

" They are put together by the consumer and usually are modified to produce a 'heavy-duty' nicotine burst"

Lmao heavy duty nicotine burst...

I'm going to write pbusardo and tell him he needs to add nicotine burst quality to his reviews. LOL

 

[arkador]

It was an unprotected mod. He used low drain batteries from radioshack, intended for use in a digital camera. He is currently suing the mod manufacturer as well as Radio Shack. His case is that that neither the mod or batteries contained proper warning.

There was a fully copy of the lawsuit in PDF format posted here about 2 months ago, it listed which mod, and which batteries. the mod was not customized, and was supposedly stock from the MFG.

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[Bullette the Cowdog]

It was an unprotected mod. He used low drain batteries from radioshack, intended for use in a digital camera. He is currently suing the mod manufacturer as well as Radio Shack. His case is that that neither the mod or batteries contained proper warning.

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 2

Oh...puleeeeeze! (face palm)

 

[Stosh]

I tried a few Google searches, to keep perspective....

exploding e-cigarette .... About 805,000 results

exploding electric toothbrush....About 53,800 results
exploding cell phone .... About 1,820,000 results
exploding flashlight .... About 9,570,000 results
exploding laptop .... About 4,760,000 results
exploding electric car .... About 517,000 results

One fun result...Chevy Volt fire explodes into federal investigation of electric car safety

 

[DC2]

Exploding golf cart... About 127,000 results

 

[bodrell]

Exploding squirrels: 1,430,000 results.

Actually putting the word "exploding" in front of pretty much any noun yields pages and pages of hits, many in bad taste. As it were.

 

[DC2]

http://www.autonews.com/article/20120508/OEM11/120509875

The suburban Houston area has approximately 50 golf cart fires a year, he said.
--Robert Baker, the chief fire inspector for Fort Bend County, Texas

 

[Jason McRoy]

I have literally been laughing out loud reading through this thread.

I realize it is potentially not a funny subject, but you guys are funny...

 

[Stosh]

This thread is like a review of the latest Darwin Awards....

It is a serious subject, and has been thoroughly covered by Rollygate in a previous thread.

Anything that uses a Li battery can be a problem if not handled, charged and maintained
properly. And thrown away if you suspect a problem any battery or device (e-cig or not)..

 

[awsum140]

Common sense and and researching what you are about to do are no longer in vogue. Just do it for the instant gratification and, if it goes wrong, you sue and get rich quick. What a country! If he thought he could power it with a small nuclear reactor I bet he'd sue for radiation poisoning when the tin foil shield didn't work as "adveritsed" by McGiver.