Spicy Mechs

[Violetti Usva]

I don't know if this counts but I made a very stupid mistake a few days ago.

Put a build on my latest Reload clone, 0.17 ohms. What wasn't safe was that this clone has the posts even closer to the cap than the others I've used so despite clipping the wires as close as possible they still touched the cap. Every other time I have built anything I have measured it with the cap on just to be sure but for some reason didn't do so this time.

It was pitch black outside when I went to vape it, fortunately, so the second I pressed the button I could see a red glow and got the sensation of a dry hit but with next to no vapor. Immediately I stopped and started unscrewing the switch in case it was venting - I know there are vent holes on the mech but they're tiny...from where I was standing I knew that worst comes to worst I could drop it forward and it would land in the garden 3m below and I'd rather lose a battery than a mech too. It didn't vent at all, although the metal around one of the airflow holes lost its purple coating. Pressed the tiny bit of excess wire into the screw and its perfectly safe now, lesson learned...


EDIT: Baditude, why did the battery explode with a resistance of 2 ohms? That's below the CDR of every battery I have ever seen...am I missing something?

EDIT 2: I guess overdischarging it has something to do with it? I thought that overdischarging a battery could prevent recharging/reduce the cell's lifespan, I didn't realise it could cause venting. I recharge my batteries around 3.5-3.8V (depending on the build and when I notice its not hitting as hard as it should)

 

[N_vj5497]

I reckon any mech scared the user counts haha. I threw my cricket a few times cuz the original button would stick i bad. It was always ok though

 

[Ben85]

Never vented a battery and never had any dodgy moments with any mech. Buy the right gear, keep it well maintained and build safely and there is no need for near misses or dramas.

 

[Baditude]

EDIT: Baditude, why did the battery explode with a resistance of 2 ohms? That's below the CDR of every battery I have ever seen...am I missing something?

EDIT 2: I guess overdischarging it has something to do with it? I thought that overdischarging a battery could prevent recharging/reduce the cell's lifespan, I didn't realise it could cause venting. I recharge my batteries around 3.5-3.8V (depending on the build and when I notice its not hitting as hard as it should)

Yes, continuous depression of the fire button caused the battery to over discharge. Continuous pressure on the fire button caused the battery to overheat and it went into thermal runaway.

"What happens if our regulated mod autofires or our mechanical mod's button gets stuck on or accidentally pressed in our pocket? If we have set up our mod with a low resistance coil that forces us to only rely on a battery's pulse rating, we could be in big trouble. We could easily overheat the battery, causing it to vent or perhaps even burst." Battery pulse ratings are useless! | E-Cigarette Forum

Description of "venting" and "thermal runaway" here by Mooch:

• Li-Ion Battery Chemistries - What are the differences in their safety?

This is why it is so important to have a mech which has a locking mechanism to disable the fire button, or at the very least a recessed fire button to help prevent an accidental firing of the button when the mod is transported in a pocket or purse.

If your mech has neither, remove the battery and place it in a plastic battery case before transporting it in your pocket. Otherwise, never carry your mech in a pocket, purse, or carrying bag.

 

[crammit442]

While I don't think there should be a rule or law that REQUIRES a locking switch on mods, mechs in particular, I personally VERY MUCH prefer having an easy to engage switch lock on my mechs. I also agree with you about using plastic battery cases to carry spare cells. Whenever I fly, I remove my battery from the mod and put it and any others in cases so I can easily demonstrate to security that there isn't any possibility of having a live device that could potentially cause any hazard.
Charles