Someone else that doesn't know about battery safety

[Intervap]

Yes, this again.
Just before Christmas a friend called me in panic, saying her e-cig (el cheapo eGo) caught on fire last night. Melted her couch and shot sparks up the wall. No one was hurt and the fire didn't spread, thankfully.
First thing I asked was if it was on the charger all night. Of course it was, AND it was plugged into her ancient laptop. The battery was old too. Good lord...
She tried scaring me away but I explained to her all the facts...didn't help.
She got it from a tobacco shop a while back that apparently failed to tell her about battery safety. Partly her's and the vendor's fault.
I bought a lot of people eGos for Christmas and because of this I made sure I stressed the importance of taking care of batteries. Luckily everyone seemed to listen and didn't give the "it'll be okay" excuse.

 

[Truetopath]

Glad no one was hurt. Sometimes all we can do is educate.

 

[msgnyc]

In all honesty. I find it funny when people ask did you have it plugged in charging over night? Yes? Well there you go...

Sorry. That's usually when people charge devices with rechargable batteries. Over night while they are not using them. This way they are freshly charged for the next day -_-

 

[WileECoyote]

As long as the media doesn't find out, we will all be OK. Glad noone was hurt.

 

[p.opus]

That is tragic. However I feel that there should be some common sense regarding "battery safety" and being an alarmist.

Everyone that has a cellphone has a LiPO battery in it. Everyone who owns a laptop has a LiPo or LiIon battery in it.

My laptop at my desk at work is in a docking station so it literally lives on the charger. I think nothing of plugging in my cellphone and leaving it charging overnight.

I also have no issues plugging in my iTaste vv3 or MVP2 and charging them overnight.

Why?

Because my phone, my laptop, my MVP and my VV3 have intelligent charging circuitry built into the device that automatically shut off once the charge reaches a certain threshold.

The cheap eGo chargers do not.

Education is important. You need to know your equipment. Not all batteries and charging equipment is created equally

 

[RoseB]

Meh I try to go over safe charging as much as possible. It would be nice if more retailers or vendors would discourage usb charging, and just suggest using the wall chargers.

 

[catalinaflyer]

I'm far from an expert on this subject but even the cheapest of ego style chargers I have will switch to a green light and stop outputting power when it detects the battery at 4.2 volts. If the charger continued to charge beyond the set point then there was either something wrong with the battery/switch or the charger or both. I have experienced one charger failure where the battery was tightened too tight which damaged the circuit in the charger but it just refused to charge rather than overcharging.

No it's not the best idea to charge them all night but 75%+ of the people who own cell phones charge them all night, often right next to where they're sleeping and --NEWS FLASH-- cell phones contain lithium batteries with many having the LiPo variety which are much more volatile than the LiMn batteries we use for vaping.

Yes, the best solution is to charge them from a wall puck rather than a USB port while being observed and placed well away from anything flammable. However the reality is that the same people who plug their cell phones in at night will probably plug their e-cig battery in as well and probably right next to where they're sleeping.

 

[r77r7r]

Do not leave unattended while charging.


Print that ^^^ out on a labelmaker and put it on all kits you give to people.

 

[generic mutant]

The cheapy chargers and cheapy batteries both have cutoffs, don't they?

But they're still cheapy...

I don't trust Egos in the slightest, and always watch them when they're charging (I haven't got around to getting a biscuit tin for them... Really should).

I only buy the 'expensive' ones too. I imagine a lot of people buy them as cheap as they can from eBay.

Frankly I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often.

 

[RoseB]

The cheapy chargers and cheapy batteries both have cutoffs, don't they?

But they're still cheapy...

I don't trust Egos in the slightest, and always watch them when they're charging (I haven't got around to getting a biscuit tin for them... Really should).

I only buy the 'expensive' ones too. I imagine a lot of people buy them as cheap as they can from eBay.

Frankly I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often.

I've had quite a few cheapo eGo batteries. Never have had any serious problems. Then again I always order from ECF vendors, and always charge on the wall

 

[Underwhelmed]

Meh I try to go over safe charging as much as possible. It would be nice if more retailers or vendors would discourage usb charging, and just suggest using the wall chargers.

Or if the manufacturers would include it, or any instructions really, with the kits to begin with, especially the cheap e-go blister packed junk people who smoke seem to all be drawn to when they decide to try vaping.

 

[r77r7r]

From what I've read here over time it seems over-tightening rips the wires loose inside the chargers. Combine that with eliquid saturation, cheap chargers and cheap batteries.

Egos are the most sold battery also so the odds are there. I've only used egos since I've started and have zero issues. Altho I now use the passthroughs because I like to charge that way more. No wiping liquid off the battery and charger everytime.

 

[Racehorse]

Education is important.

When is the last time you received instructions with an ecig?

If everyone wants ecigs to become mainstream, and more acceptable......how about the sellers / vendors / manufacturers step up and provide some instructions?

If I owned a shop, I would type up a one page handout. I mean, if that is how I made my living.

You all DO realize that the large % of people who vape do not visit ECF or any other vaping forum? And they shouldn't have to, should they?

ecig sales projected to be many billions next year. $500 million in online sales this year or something.

 

[holy_handgrenade]

When is the last time you received instructions with an ecig?

If everyone wants ecigs to become mainstream, and more acceptable......how about the sellers / vendors / manufacturers step up and provide some instructions?

If I owned a shop, I would type up a one page handout. I mean, if that is how I made my living.

You all DO realize that the large % of people who vape do not visit ECF or any other vaping forum? And they shouldn't have to, should they?

ecig sales projected to be many billions next year. $500 million in online sales this year or something.

not to sound too argumentative, but every piece of gear I've bought came with instructions or manual from the manufacturer. The exceptions being the stuff I bought that's hard to come by and is expensive; your average newbie isnt going to drop $200+ for a mech mod and then another $150 for a genesis or $100+ for Kayfun type device so in those cases I knew what I was in for.

As a newb, I sought out a vaping shop and they wouldnt let me leave after I did the purchase without showing me how to use it, stressing cautions about overcharging, overuse, and overtightening. And when I got my eVic; it came with a huge manual concerning usage and charging procedures.

That being said, I've seen plenty of convenience stores and smoke shops that have vape gear in them, but most of the clerks are utterly clueless.

If you're going to a smoke shop because that's where analogs are cheaper, you may be in for huge disappointment if you decide to go the e-cig route and grab an ego starter kit and fork over cash and no instructions, no manual, no warnings or anything.

 

[Sucker_dad]

not to sound too argumentative, but every piece of gear I've bought came with instructions or manual from the manufacturer. The exceptions being the stuff I bought that's hard to come by and is expensive; your average newbie isnt going to drop $200+ for a mech mod and then another $150 for a genesis or $100+ for Kayfun type device so in those cases I knew what I was in for.

As a newb, I sought out a vaping shop and they wouldnt let me leave after I did the purchase without showing me how to use it, stressing cautions about overcharging, overuse, and overtightening. And when I got my eVic; it came with a huge manual concerning usage and charging procedures.

That being said, I've seen plenty of convenience stores and smoke shops that have vape gear in them, but most of the clerks are utterly clueless.

If you're going to a smoke shop because that's where analogs are cheaper, you may be in for huge disappointment if you decide to go the e-cig route and grab an ego starter kit and fork over cash and no instructions, no manual, no warnings or anything.

I bought a joyetech Ego-T upgrade recently and there was not a bit of instructions in the package. A box with Joyetech's name and a sticker designating the color/model, the ego itself and a charger nothing else. I never realized the chargers do not have a cutoff until I saw it on here. I am making the change over to mechs and I have read extensivally about battery safety etc. For most that are just trying to quit smoking I'll bet exactly as stated, they use them all day and then plug them in at night without ever thinking about the battery not having a cutoff. I didn't.

 

[Underwhelmed]

Yeah, I'm calling BS, none of my vape gear, other than the MVP2 ever came with any instructions.

Edit-
ProVape has instructions, but only online.

 

[p.opus]

Everything I bought had instructions. Both MVP2's All three vv3's. Even my cheap eGo kit from the smoke shop.

 

[generic mutant]

It's interesting, isn't it... But it'll improve.

I bought a Cyclone / Cyclops atomiser for about £70 - not a cheap atomiser.

The cap is in two parts, which don't come apart (I think). I spent quite a while trying to pry them apart before I figured that out.

Annoyed me quite a lot, since I've no way of knowing if I damaged it. But hey, it works for now. How hard is it to put an exploded diagram on the back of the box, or a leaflet with pictures, so you don't even have to bother doing translations, inside?

I was half tempted to tear it apart in a vise and post it back; "Used as anyone would reasonably expect you should use it - i.e. that it comes apart to clean it. Refund please".

 

[generic mutant]

I bought a joyetech Ego-T upgrade recently and there was not a bit of instructions in the package. A box with Joyetech's name and a sticker designating the color/model, the ego itself and a charger nothing else. I never realized the chargers do not have a cutoff until I saw it on here. I am making the change over to mechs and I have read extensivally about battery safety etc. For most that are just trying to quit smoking I'll bet exactly as stated, they use them all day and then plug them in at night without ever thinking about the battery not having a cutoff. I didn't.

They're protected batteries, so they should stop charging. I thought the charger had some 'intelligence' as well, but who knows. I have read you can't safely use Ego / 510 kit chargers interchangeably, and that certainly isn't publicised enough if it's true (I own both, and had no idea).

Evidently something failed here though, because if both parts were dumb they'd be exploding left right and centre.

 

[vjc0628]

When is the last time you received instructions with an ecig?

If everyone wants ecigs to become mainstream, and more acceptable......how about the sellers / vendors / manufacturers step up and provide some instructions?

If I owned a shop, I would type up a one page handout. I mean, if that is how I made my living.

You all DO realize that the large % of people who vape do not visit ECF or any other vaping forum? And they shouldn't have to, should they?

ecig sales projected to be many billions next year. $500 million in online sales this year or something.

Thank you

I am so tiered of hearing people talk like everyone should know they need to know about battery safety when no buddy tells them
that it is just common sense

Everyone ive known charged cellphone overnight
when I bought my first ego's from local B&M they told me to charge it overnight on the computer
there were no instructions no warnings

I found out all I know from ECF
In fact seen a thread not to long ago
someone had battery in pocket exploded

and I thought man that could have been me had I not seen
a thread here on ECF before I got a mod
thet these batteries cant come in contact with metal

I use precautions with batteries because I seen info on ECF
had I not been on ECF I would not know these things

the B&M's really should inform and take responsibility
that's there business

in my business I am legally responsible to inform my clients
about the things they may not know
and I take the time to know all about the things involved with my products

Why do B&M's in this industry lack that