I have a question on short circuits and battery failure and the protection you get in the different mods. This is my understanding of how it works: Something like the Vamo or the Sid have inbuilt protection and shut down in the event of a short from the battery, an ego battery has a simple circuit board which will stop it working in the event of a short, but other mods like the Smoktech Bolt have only simple wiring (is it wiring?) and no circuit board. The wiring works to complete the circuit when you press a button and that is all. Now I understand that there are safety checks that need to be carried out if you own a mechanical mod, why are these checks not necessary with something like the bolt? Is it that the wires would burn out in the event of a short circuit from the battery and would stop the device working? Or am I completely muddled? Can anyone clarify?
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Yes, a mechanical is a very simple device
Put in the battery and push the button, circuit is closed and the current will flow, as long as that button is pushed it keeps pushing!
There are several things that can be done, they sell a "fuse" that will pop if a short is detected
OR
A device that has the electronic circuitry of an APV built into it, using a shorter battery this device turns a simple every day (and usually dirt cheap) mechanical mod into a set it and forget it APV, there are many modules, the most common I can remember off the top of my head is the kick, kick2 there are more...others will let you know
Protected batteries have those devices usually included in the battery UNDER the wrapper, however they put them there because those type batteries are usually for low current applications, the IMR batteries are usually unprotected and have different chemistry and can push a WHOLE lot more current but suffer loss of capacity based upon their designs...if you are using normal resistance heads this shouldn't be an issue, but sub ohmers (guys that use coils less than 1 ohm) current capacity of the battery is PARAMOUNT! Most protection is for "external" shorts anyway, push a Li Ion battery too hard and it can cause an internal short, once that happens and things heat up beyond the point of no return and thermal runaway happens and the battery usually vents or has a "controlled explosion"
On mechanical..well..without proper education and knowing the limits of your gear...they CAN become literal hand grenades
Put in the battery and push the button, circuit is closed and the current will flow, as long as that button is pushed it keeps pushing!
There are several things that can be done, they sell a "fuse" that will pop if a short is detected
OR
A device that has the electronic circuitry of an APV built into it, using a shorter battery this device turns a simple every day (and usually dirt cheap) mechanical mod into a set it and forget it APV, there are many modules, the most common I can remember off the top of my head is the kick, kick2 there are more...others will let you know
Protected batteries have those devices usually included in the battery UNDER the wrapper, however they put them there because those type batteries are usually for low current applications, the IMR batteries are usually unprotected and have different chemistry and can push a WHOLE lot more current but suffer loss of capacity based upon their designs...if you are using normal resistance heads this shouldn't be an issue, but sub ohmers (guys that use coils less than 1 ohm) current capacity of the battery is PARAMOUNT! Most protection is for "external" shorts anyway, push a Li Ion battery too hard and it can cause an internal short, once that happens and things heat up beyond the point of no return and thermal runaway happens and the battery usually vents or has a "controlled explosion"
On mechanical..well..without proper education and knowing the limits of your gear...they CAN become literal hand grenades
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Regulated mods, or those that have a micro-computer to allow variable voltage, have built-in protection and will shut the mod down in several circumstances. Protection against hard shorts from the battery, the atomizer, or the switch. Timed auto cutoff for the fire switch. On/off option. Mod cutoff for an over-drained battery. Limits on amperage draw.
A truly mechanical mod has no electrical components. Only a mechanical firing button and direct battery connection to the atomizer connector. Vent holes for release of gases from a venting battery should be present, as well as a collapsable hot spring which attempts to slow down a failing battery about to go into thermal runaway. The USER is the safety protection who must use smart & safe battery habits to recognize signs of an over stressed battery (heat from the mod, firing switch, or the battery, or a collapsed hot spring).
For the above reasons, a regulated mod is far safer for a new vapor to use until they have educated themselves in the ways of advanced vaping, understanding different battery chemistries and battery limits, knowing the basics of Ohm's Law, etc. For as simple as they are in construction, a mechanical mod represents more of a challenge to use safely.
A mechanical mod should always use a Vape Safe Fuse. IMR batteries are currently considered to be a safer battery to use over protected NCR/ICR batteries in both regulated and mechanical mods. A Kick (a regulator drop in processor used on top of a battery) used in a mechanical mod not only turns it into a variable voltage mod, but also offers protective circuitry like the regulated mods have.
Below are links to important safety resources to assist novice vapors to learn the basics of battery and mod safety.
Vape Safe Mod Fuse
Mechanical Mod Proper Usage Guide
Battery Basics for Mods: IMR or Protected?
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/ecf-library/129569-rechargeable-batteries.html
Images of failed mod batteries which have gone into thermal runaway
A truly mechanical mod has no electrical components. Only a mechanical firing button and direct battery connection to the atomizer connector. Vent holes for release of gases from a venting battery should be present, as well as a collapsable hot spring which attempts to slow down a failing battery about to go into thermal runaway. The USER is the safety protection who must use smart & safe battery habits to recognize signs of an over stressed battery (heat from the mod, firing switch, or the battery, or a collapsed hot spring).
For the above reasons, a regulated mod is far safer for a new vapor to use until they have educated themselves in the ways of advanced vaping, understanding different battery chemistries and battery limits, knowing the basics of Ohm's Law, etc. For as simple as they are in construction, a mechanical mod represents more of a challenge to use safely.
A mechanical mod should always use a Vape Safe Fuse. IMR batteries are currently considered to be a safer battery to use over protected NCR/ICR batteries in both regulated and mechanical mods. A Kick (a regulator drop in processor used on top of a battery) used in a mechanical mod not only turns it into a variable voltage mod, but also offers protective circuitry like the regulated mods have.
Below are links to important safety resources to assist novice vapors to learn the basics of battery and mod safety.
Vape Safe Mod Fuse
Mechanical Mod Proper Usage Guide
Battery Basics for Mods: IMR or Protected?
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/ecf-library/129569-rechargeable-batteries.html
Images of failed mod batteries which have gone into thermal runaway
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Thanks for that, am still not clear on why something like the Smoktech Bolt, which presumably has no circuit board, is not as potentially dangerous as a mechanical mod, and why they do not require similar safety checks (checking for shorts etc). I have a Bolt and other similar PVs, which is why I am asking this specifically
never said they don't "need" em, they just don't "have" em
Baditude to the rescue!
Baditude to the rescue!
The Bolt is considered a mechanical mod. It doesn't have a computer. Consider it and treat it as a mechanical mod.
If you are using a mechanical mod, you need protected batteries that contain a protection module that will shut down current flow either by electronic means or a mechanical switch, like a fuse. IMR's are more friendly than standard Li-ion, but IMR will eventually fail in a short circuit condition even though they can take much more heat and overload than a standard Li-ion.
If it's mechanical, you need a fuse circuit in the battery for protection or IMR batteries that can take deep cycle loads without self destructing. Electronic mods sense the over current and shutdown the flow path within the control circuits. As was said in previous posts, a mechanical mod is one where the battery is inline with a switch and the output is connected to the atomizer socket directly. Push the switch and current flows.
You can buy batteries with protection circuits that will shut down current flow before you hit the danger zone. They are usually referred to as Li-ion protected batteries.
If it's mechanical, you need a fuse circuit in the battery for protection or IMR batteries that can take deep cycle loads without self destructing. Electronic mods sense the over current and shutdown the flow path within the control circuits. As was said in previous posts, a mechanical mod is one where the battery is inline with a switch and the output is connected to the atomizer socket directly. Push the switch and current flows.
You can buy batteries with protection circuits that will shut down current flow before you hit the danger zone. They are usually referred to as Li-ion protected batteries.
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I see, so I have protected batteries and a vapesafe fuse. I test the voltage of my batteries out of the charger using a multimeter anyway. However I am not sure how to check the Bolt itself for shorts (I read that is also required with mechanical mods), I now will probably not use this PV. I had been using it, not realising it needed to be treated as a mechanical mod, it's only several months later that it occurred to me, from reading on the forums, that there could be safety issues with using it straight out of the box, since I didn't have any electrical knowledge. Some might think I am a noodle head for not researching but I think there is the potential that people could buy these things not realising- I'm quite risk averse and I did. I've stumbled across lots of the safety information accidentally, I think that these PVs need to come with basic information for users, it's a bit crazy that they don't. Has all been very informative thanks for replies.
Unfortunately, there are B&Ms out there that will sell anything to someone who is new to vaping. They don't care about safety, nor do they care that the individual may not know anything about battery safety.
Online stores are a different animal altogether as there's really no easy way to determine the user's experience.
It's one of the reasons why ECF exists. To educate folks and prevent accidents that would put vaping in a very poor light.
Online stores are a different animal altogether as there's really no easy way to determine the user's experience.
It's one of the reasons why ECF exists. To educate folks and prevent accidents that would put vaping in a very poor light.
Yes I contacted Smoktech and they have told me that the spring is designed to collapse in the event of a short, they also recommend using the vapesafe fuse, trouble is I didn't know about vapesafe fuses, til a couple of months after I bought the Bolt. I was actually regularly using 3 semi mechanical mods, not realising.
The sacrificial spring is a good and simple way to ensure safety in a mechanical mod. The battery spring is designed to become soft with high amperage loads and that lets it relax and allow the battery to move down out of the circuit. It's actually an ingenious and effective way to ensure peace of mind in a mech mod.
Look around at the variable voltage and wattage mods. They all sense shorts and will give you an indication if a short occurs. When you get the indication it has already protected you from battery failure. They even sense the resistive load and will immediately let you know if your atomizer coil is too low for use and will cause high current loads.
that was very imformative, thanks! I didnt understand the difference between mechanical and regulated
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