How to avoid a vape explosion

Vape explosions have always been a pretty hot topic in the media and I mean who doesn’t love a good story about a college kid’s backpack exploding in the middle of a lecture. But, the coverage of such events has invoked some wildly inaccurate misconceptions of vaping and has not done anything to help the image of the vape community.

So, here we are, defending our honor and sharing with you all how to not bring shame upon the vape community.

Spoiler Alert: it’s the battery that explodes not the vape

That’s right. It’s not the device that explodes, it is the battery and the improper use, care, quality, and type of battery that results in an explosion.

So what causes vape explosions?

• User error with batteries

How can you avoid a vape explosion?

• Read this blog
• Share this with all of your friends
• Learn battery safety
• Practice battery safety

Battery Safety

• Storage
• Wrapping
• Inappropriate batteries
• And other weird battery things people do

Storage

Proper storage of your batteries is critical in preventing a vape explosion. One great way to ensure you are doing this properly is to google how to store the kind of vape batteries you have. Also, leaving them loose in your pocket, purse, backpack or car is dangerous. Because of what your batteries are made up of, it is possible for them to react to loose change in your pocket or other items you have them around. Many retailers sell special battery carry cases so you may safely store your batteries as well.

Wrapping

Using 18650 batteries with a worn wrap is dangerous. This is because the entire body of the battery is a negative terminal. Without a proper wrap, your 18650 could short and cause a very embarrassing and in some cases harmful, vape explosion.

It is actually a really easy DIY process that will ensure you and everyone around you safe. You’ll need a hair dryer or anything else that can heat and seal, a ruler, hobby knife and wrap. You’ll want to cut the wrap 30 mm wide when flat. Use the ruler to measure the length of your battery and the length you’ll need to wrap it. You’ll of course need to remove the old wrap before you add the new one. Pretty common sense, but you know, can’t be too careful.  There are plenty of detailed instructions on YouTube.

Inappropriate Batteries

Listen, google is your friend. It will tell you exactly what kind of batteries you need for your build. Check many sources and do your homework. Having the appropriate batteries will help ensure you do not go up in flames in a vape explosion. Batteries have a threshold for the amps they can supply. So, when you build low-resistance coils or even with mechanical mods you need to know which batteries will be able to keep up. If the atomizer setup you are utilizing uses more amperage than the battery is able to put out, your battery will overheat and go into thermal runaway. Without being able to breathe, the battery will overheat and explode.

Other weird things people do

Although the previously mentioned methods of screwing up are the most common, there are other weird things people do that cause shame and vape explosions. Such as vaping while charging, buying fake batteries, improper charging, creating builds when they have no clue what they are doing, thinking it’s cool to sub-ohm without understanding the safety, etc.

Here’s a little recap

• If you’re on the go, carry your batteries in a carrying case.
• Re-wrap old batteries
• Buy batteries from a trusted source
• Certain brands and battery types work better in a sub-ohm setup
• Read, learn, and study!