Since the beginnings of vaping and its rise in popularity as a reliable nicotine substitute, the media have relayed all sorts of sensationalist stories about electronic cigarettes exploding.
However, accidents related to electronic cigarette explosions are extremely rare, even less so if you avoid unreliable devices. Statistically speaking, you're more likely to be struck by lightning than your box or mod to mysteriously catch fire.
Once you get over the hyped-up news story, and that you try to understand what really happened, you quickly realise that it isn't the electronic cigarette in itself that caused the problem, but rather the Lithium-ion battery inside it. Let's unravel the truth from the lies, shall we?
Why are the media so interested in this?
As we said above, the media love to report any accident linked to the use of an electronic cigarette, as well as any vaping incident in general.
The resounding success of e-cigarettes as a means of quitting smoking has made it a credible alternative to the more traditional tobacco substitutes. Nowadays, more than 10 million Europeans use them. Of course, it's much more dramatic to say 'Panic in the supermarket caused by an exploding e-cigarette!', rather than declaring that in fact 99% of electronic cigarettes work properly and are perfectly safe.
Without going into too much detail, it's important that you understand why these electronic cigarette explosions occur, even if they're incredibly rare, so that you can avoid them too.
A battery can explode
You must remember that it's never the device itself that blows up, but rather the battery that powers it.
It isn't only in vaping that batteries cause problems, it could happen with any battery-powered device. Smartphones, tablets, and all sorts of objects use them.
Electronic cigarette batteries are generally of the Lithium-Ion type, which can explode if they malfunction, notably when their temperature reaches 100°C. In comparison, mobile phones or e-cigarettes with a built-in battery use Lipo batteries, which are protected by an electronic circuit, as they're much more unstable than Li-Ons.
Whatever the case, it only takes a single electronic failure for a battery to overcharge, possibly causing it to ignite or degas afterwards.
These accidents are very rare though, as manufacturers make sure to install various circuit breakers and protections in their devices so you don't get injured.
Batteries and electronic cigarettes
As we said earlier, electronic cigarettes can use two types of batteries:
- Removable batteries, of the Lithium-Ion type
- Built-in batteries, of the Li-Po type
E-cigarettes with built-in batteries
When we talk about 'built-in' or 'integrated' batteries, it implies that they cannot be removed from the electronic cigarette. The user cannot access them. Therefore, there's no risk of mishandling or tampering with the battery. In this case, if your battery happens to explode, it's because it was faulty from the start.
There's not much you can do unfortunately. Rest assured that this kind of defect is incredibly rare, thanks to the manufacturers' quality control and the vaping devices' safety features.
Electronic cigarettes with removable batteries
Most of the electronic cigarette explosions relayed by the media concern devices that use removable batteries. As is the case with built-in battery devices, it isn't the e-cigarette itself that explodes, but the battery.
Li-ion e-cigarette batteries are most often of the 18650 format, which means they're 18mm in diameter and 65mm high. Nowadays, vape kits also use 20700 and 21700 batteries, which are becoming more and more widespread. Many products have batteries in them, so why wouldn't you trust these ones?
As a side note, Li-Ion batteries are much more stable than their Li-Po counterparts, which are found in mobile phones for example. They are sturdier, they can withstand higher temperatures, and they're designed to work together, welded inside a casing.
However, with electronic cigarettes it's different. Their batteries work in the same way than the ones you use in your TV's remote control. But an e-cigarette's battery has much more power than any other common battery.
That's why if you carry one in your pocket next to your keys, change, or any other metallic object, it can cause a short-circuit. Indeed, the metallic object will create a contact between the battery's poles, resulting in an important discharge that will cause the battery to heat right away. It'll then reach its ignition point in just a few seconds and thus explode.
This shows that it isn't the vaping device that causes the explosion. It's all due to a battery being stored and carried in an unsafely manner. Not everyone is aware of this potential danger, mainly because an e-cig battery looks just like any ordinary battery. Like most domestic accidents, it's ignorance or carelessness that are the cause behind e-cigarette explosions, so they're very simple to avoid.
How to prevent a battery explosion
Now that you know almost every e-cig accident is caused by an improper battery transport, it's important that you follow a few basic rules to avoid them.
The 3 golden rules of batteries:
- Always keep your batteries away from heat sources.
- Never use a battery whose protective wrapping is damaged, torn, or absent.
- Always store your removable batteries in an appropriate case.
If your vape kit uses removable batteries, you'll have to purchase a carrying case if you want to store them safely. They're available on our website in many sizes, all at less than 2 €!
Furthermore, we recommend you use an external battery charger with all the required electronic protections, so that you can charge your batteries without deteriorating them, as well as guarantee your safety!
Finally, we remind you that 'mechanical mods' are for the most experienced vapers only, as you have to fully understand Ohm's law to use them. For any electronic cigarette, the atomizer coil must match the battery's specifications, in particular in regards to the latter's discharge capacity, so that the voltage is properly managed, even when using the 'pulse' mode.
The issue with mechanical mods is that they don't have any electronic protections. Indeed, the atomizer's connector is directly in contact with the battery. It's up to the vaper to be careful and meticulously maintain his kit, in order to prevent any accidents or mishaps.
More information on the subject
- Are electronic cigarettes dangerous for your health?