We recently sat down with our in-house engineering team to learn why electronic cigarettes are exploding. Now, with the ever-increasing reports of exploding vaping devices circulating the news, we decided it was vital to revisit the issue and put together a list of the do’s and don’ts to help educate vapers about e-cig battery safety.
How To Be A Pro Vaper: Top Tips for Vaping Safely
First things first, it’s important to understand there are two different types of battery technologies used in vapor products: lithium polymer and lithium-ion. White Cloud exclusively uses lithium polymer batteries, and the good news is: they do not explode. By design, lithium polymer batteries are incapable of exploding; they can overheat and vent out, but they cannot explode. So, when you hear those news stories about exploding e-cigarette batteries, what you are hearing about specifically are lithium-ion batteries.
Even though White Cloud e-cig batteries do not posses the same risk of explosion, we still MUST express the extreme importance of battery safety to protect the integrity of the vaping industry and to secure our right to vape. When you see reports of exploding e-cigs in the news, there is usually no mention of why it happened, what type of vaping device was involved, and what, if any, adjustments were made to the device by the user. This results in a very negative perception of e-cigs in general as it contributes to the misinformed idea that all e-cigs are dangerous, despite the fact that the reported incidents could very well have been prevented.
A Vaper’s Guide to E-Cig Battery Safety
When it comes to any type of electronic device, there is always a risk of fires and explosions. This is really basic science: electricity creates heat and heat creates fire. This is why electronics always come with user manuals and a list of warnings. Luckily, manufactured electronics are usually carefully developed to reduce such risks and are run through safety tests before being put on the market. The same goes for electronic cigarettes; however, certain vaping devices allow for a high level of customization and, all but too often, inexperienced users are customizing their devices to deliver more power and more vapor without any knowledge in electrical engineering or how batteries work. These customizable vaping devices are known as “Mods” or Advanced Personal Vaporizers (APVs) and are almost always powered by the more dangerous lithium-ion batteries.
If you are using a lithium-ion powered device, there is no need to panic; however, you do need to do your due diligence to ensure that you are using your e-cigarette in a safe manner.
- Select the right battery. If you are using an e-cigarette that does not have a built-in battery, you will be required to buy your own. Do some research to make sure you get the right one. Do you know what battery ratings are? Do you understand milliamp hours or the difference between an ICR or IMR battery? No? Well then you got some work to do. Fear not though: there are ample resources online and you can always walk into a vape shop for some direction.
- Invest in a good charger. Your charger is no place to cut corners and investing in a smart charger is a great idea. A smart charger typically offers more safety features than a standard charger. Many lithium-ion battery failures are due to either overcharging or discharging, and a smart charger is a great defense against improperly charged batteries.
- Don’t mix chargers. While many newer style chargers are interchangeable due to their USB connections, they should still only be used to charge the specific devices they are intended for. Just because your e-cig charger fits into your smartphone’s AC adaptor doesn’t mean you should use it. There is a reason why electronics come with their own chargers: each charger is designed to deliver a certain level of electrical current. If the battery being charged is not capable of handling the level of current produced by the charger, this increases the risk of explosion, so it’s best to play it safe and only use chargers that are supplied with your vaping device or those recommended by the device manufacturer.
- Properly store your batteries. External forces can create a potentially dangerous situation for your batteries. Extreme temperatures are the enemy of lithium-ion batteries and should be avoided at all costs.
- Properly transport your batteries. As a vaper, you’ll probably want to carry extra batteries with you: Be sure to only carry them in a proper battery case. Loose batteries create a potential hazard. If your batteries come in contact with keys or any other bits of metal, it could complete a circuit between the positive and negative ends resulting in a possible catastrophic failure or explosion.
- Never use damaged batteries. If your battery appears damaged or if the wrapper around the battery is frayed or faulty, immediately discontinue use and properly recycle the battery.
These tips are by no means an exhaustive list of e-cig battery do’s and don’ts; but it’s a great place to start. There is a lot of science when it comes to e-cigarettes and their batteries, and if you choose to make vaping a part of your life, you owe it to yourself to understand how it all works.
Protecting Your Right To Vape
With the possibility of strict e-cig regulations coming down the line, we cannot express enough the importance of e-cig safety, along with being an ambassador for vaping. After all, most vapers love their e-cigs like Marie Antoinette loved cake; so as vapers, we must do everything we can to continue to eat cake…err to continue to vape!
