There are a few common causes of vape explosions: loose batteries touching metal objects, sub-ohming without doing the proper calculations, etc.
Why do vape devices explode?
Most vape explosions are due to human error. From not following a manufacturer’s instructions to low-quality vaping equipment, explosions are easily avoided by using your common sense. In this concise guide, we show you how to take precautions with your vape device and avoid being on the wrong end of a nasty bang!
What are the most common causes of vaping battery accidents?
The most common causes of vaping battery accidents can be grouped together as user error. In fact, most “e-cigarette explosions” don’t even involve an e-cig. A large majority of “vaping explosions” are in reality caused by loose batteries carried in pants pockets, not by vaping devices at all.
Can you blow up while vaping?
Obviously this is something that lots of vapers are concerned about, so I’ve created a handy-dandy list of things that will cause you to blow up while vaping so that you don’t have to read about your own explosion incident on VaporVanity one of these days. You may blow a hole in your face while vaping with a mechanical mod if….
What happened to the man who vape device exploded in his face?
This battery explosion went viral, reaching millions of people in a matter of days. Mr. Hall claimed that he was vaping in his bathroom (an odd choice of venue, really) when his vape device blew up in his face. The end result was seven lost teeth, damage to the sink, and scorching marks on the bathroom wall.
What can cause a vape to explode?
If a battery is to overheat, whether it is inside the vape or electronic cigarette device or on a charging device, it is able to create a chain reaction that can lead to leakage of a liquid that is superheated, explosion, or ignition.
Can Vapes explode out of nowhere?
Any brand or type of vape pen with a lithium-ion battery could theoretically explode in use. If there is a defect with the battery or if the device is used incorrectly, such as using the wrong charger or getting the battery wet, it could lead to a fire and explosion.
Is it common for Vapes to blow up?
Although these incidents appear uncommon, vape fires and explosions are dangerous to the person using the vaping product and others around them. There may be added dangers, for example, if a vape battery catches fire or explodes near flammable gasses or liquids, such as oxygen, propane, or gasoline.
How likely is it for a vape to explode?
However, one thing users never think about is the possibility of their vaporizer exploding. This is because explosions of this nature are extraordinarily rare. Battery University estimates that about 1 in 10 million lithium-ion batteries will explode.
How do I know if my vape is going to explode?
If an atomizer draws more current than a battery can safely provide, and there is no electronic cutoff in the device, the battery can overheat and go into thermal runaway. That can cause a fire, or—if the battery can't easily vent the heat—an explosion.
How many vapes have exploded?
Between January 2009 and December 31, 2016, 195 separate incidents of explosion and fire involving an electronic cigarette were reported by the U.S. media. These incidents resulted in 133 acute injuries.
Will my vape explode if I drop it in water?
Accidentally dropping your e cigarette or vape mod A rupture to the battery can occur as a result of this pressure. The battery, container, or both can then fail. This can cause overheating or an explosion.
Do vapes explode in heat?
Heat can affect a variety of the components inside the e-cigarette, including the plastic parts of the cartomizer. Melting, bulging and ceasing to work altogether can occur when extreme heat conditions are present. Although rare, heat could potential cause the device to catch fire or even explode.
Can vapes explode in your face?
THURSDAY, June 20, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- A vape pen exploded in the face of 17-year-old Nevada boy, breaking his jaw and requiring multiple surgeries to repair the damage, according to a case report in the latest New England Journal of Medicine.
Can vapes start fires?
Fires or explosions caused by e-cigarettes are rare. Twenty-five separate incidents of explosion and fire involving an e-cigarette were reported in the United States media be- tween 2009 and August 2014. Nine injuries and no deaths were associated with these 25 incidents. Two of the injuries were serious burns.
What happens if a vape overheats?
Don't panic! Your vape getting hot is almost certainly nothing to worry about. Remember, vapes are specifically designed to manipulate heat: the battery supplies energy to the coil and the coil converts a part of that energy into heat, the result being a stream of vapour sent through the drip tip for you to inhale.
Is it OK to charge vape with USB?
Most USB outputs are fine to charge your vape, specifically USB outputs from computers, TVs, game consoles or car chargers. These sources are good at regulating the voltage supplied and limiting the current that can be drawn by the vape.
How many vape explosions have occurred in the last couple of years?
However, in the last couple of years, there were 250 vape-related explosions reported (not an exact number since most vapers don’t report these incidents, knowing that they are either fully responsible for the explosion or the explosion didn’t injure anyone). That’s 0.001% – hardly an overwhelming number!
Where was the e-cigarette found?
After dousing the flames, firefighters found the remains of an e-cigarette on the bed-side table.
What happened to Ricardo Jiminez?
Ricardo Jiminez, New York USA. Mr. Jiminez suffered second-degree burns to his thigh and hand after two batteries vented in his pocket while he was driving. This 24-year old EMT was carrying around a couple of spares, unaware of what could happen should they rub off against one another.
Where did Terrence Johnson get his heat?
Terrence Johnson, Calgary Canada. While leaving a restaurant with his wife, Mr. Johnson noticed heat erupting in his groin region. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a warm, fuzzy feeling a man who’s just treated his wife to an expensive meal sometimes gets – it was, in fact, a venting battery.
Can vaping explode?
A vaping device is either a box with some circuitry or a metal tube with little else inside it. Saying that they, in and of themselves, can explode is pretty ridiculous. However, add a battery into the mix and you’re dealing with a completely different situation.
Loose batteries carried in pockets or purses
A large majority of “vaping explosions” are in reality caused by loose batteries carried in pants pockets, not by vaping devices at all. FDA Center for Tobacco Products researchers found that 77.3 percent of burns caused by vaping accidents were to the upper leg and lower trunk—the location of the hip pocket.
Mislabeled batteries and low-resistance coils
There is a limit to the amperage a device can draw from a battery, and those numbers may be exaggerated by battery manufacturers, wholesalers or distributors. Sometimes batteries are marked “30 amp,” for example, when the battery is only capable of handling 30 amps for a few seconds, rather than for continuous use.
Counterfeit, low-quality, and damaged batteries
Batteries are mass-produced and tested in the factory. Those that don’t meet the standards for direct sale to electronics manufacturers are sometimes sold to resellers, who rewrap them with different brand names and sell them for other uses. The best vaping batteries are the highest-quality ones from the major battery manufacturers.
Charging problems and best practices
It is possible to accidentally overcharge batteries, especially if you use a charger meant for a different kind of battery. If you use a charger intended for large, high-capacity batteries to charge a small vape pen, for example, it can create instability in the battery cell.
The Battery In Your E-Cigarette Is The Big Problem
Most e-cigarettes are powered by a lithium-ion battery, and that’s where the fire danger comes from. Lithium-ion batteries are found everywhere, from our cell phones to our cameras to our hybrid cars. When you puff on an e-cig, a battery powers the heating element that then turns the chemical solution in the canister into a vapor.
How You Can Minimize the Risk of an E-Cig Meltdown
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently said they will regulate vaping. Although the emphasis is on the ingredients and packaging, the FDA’s expanded authority includes “components and parts”, including “certain batteries.”
Is the FDA collecting information about vape explosions?
FDA is continuously collecting information about all the cases of vape explosions to be able to address the issue adequately . We encourage you to report any health hazard, related to a vape, including its explosion, following the link. Please provide the following information when filling in the form:
Is it safe to use a vape?
To use your vape safely, remember that proper handling is the key. If you buy a certified device from a verified vendor and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations carefully, it won’t be more dangerous than a cell phone or a laptop. In general, vaporizers are not dangerous as long the manufacturer, the seller and the user take all the needed precautions.
Can vapes explode when charging?
Data from FEMA suggests that up to 80% of vape explosions occur when the device is charging. If you charge your vape at night and fall asleep, you run the risk of allowing it to charge for several hours longer than necessary. This increases the chances of an overheated battery catching on fire.
Can a vaporizer be damaged by water?
When you expose your device to the sun, it also exposes the battery to excessive heat. As vaporizers are electronic devices, they are easily damaged by water. In fact, water damage can cause the sparks that lead to a fire. Make sure you store your device in a cool and dry place when not in use and clean it thoroughly between charging sessions.
Why do e-cigarettes catch fire?
What causes e-cigarettes to catch fire? Most vapes are powered by a lithium ion battery, and these are where the risk of fire comes from. When you take a drag on an e-cig, a battery powers the heating element, which turns the chemical solution – i.e. the e-liquid – into a vapour.
Can you leave an e-cigarette charging overnight?
Using any old charger that fits can result in short-circuits and overheating – and research from the US Fire Administration found that 80% of battery fires in the US took place while a device was charging. Don’t leave a device charging overnight.
Does vaping reduce the likelihood of fires?
Ensuring you vape with care – which includes not vaping like a smoker – will reduce the likelihood of fires and explosions drastically. You wouldn’t leave a lit cigarette lying around – don’t leave a vape switched on, or lying around with excess power surging through it, either.
Is lithium ion battery an explosion risk?
It’s important to remember that lithium ion batteries are found in all sorts of electronic devices, such as mobile phones, camera and hybrid cars – so it would be incorrect to assume that it’s just e-cigarettes that come with an explosion risk.
Is vaping dangerous?
This has led to people believing that vapes are unsafe as they’re a fire risk.
You are sub-ohming with a hybrid mechanical mod
Don’t do it. You probably shouldn’t even use a hybrid to begin with unless you’re a super duper vape nerd who just wants to try every type of vape there is, in which case you’ll probably have enough knowledge to not cause an explosion.
You are sub-ohming without checking your coils using a multimeter
Multimeters are not expensive and as a bonus, not only will you avoid blowing your face off, you’ll also get better performance since you won’t be guessing any more.
You overcharge your batteries
While it seems like almost every explosion is caused by dangerously low sub-ohm vaping, overcharging batteries can in rare cases also cause them to burst.
You let batteries touch each other or metal objects
Not totally relevant since this won’t cause your mod to explode in your face, but it will cause a fire, which can really suck if you put the batteries in your pocket with your keys or loose change.
How to prevent e-cigarette explosions?
To help prevent e-cigarette explosions, the FDA recommends that users: Buy vape devices with safety features such as vent holes and protection against overcharging. Replace e-cig batteries if they get damaged or wet. Keep loose batteries in a case to prevent contact with coins, keys or other metal objects in your pocket.
How many people were injured by e-cigarettes in 2016?
In October 2016, doctors at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle reported treating 15 patients with injuries from e-cigarette explosions over a nine-month span, according to a letter they published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
