Exploding E-Cigarettes

[Bocefish]

I know a lot of people are using these and should be aware of the possibility. If you Google 'exploding E cigarette' there are several other instances of this happening.

http://www.click2houston.com/boy-burned ... index.html

Boy, 3, burned by exploding e-cigarette
Explosion set child's car seat on fire, caused first- and second-degree burns

Published On: Sep 23 2013 11:05:24 AM CDT Updated On: Sep 23 2013 10:09:52 AM CDT

Mount Pleasant, Utah (KSTU) -- A mother claims an exploding e-cigarette set her son's car seat on fire, causing first- and second-degree burns to the 3-year-old's body.

"Seeing your child on fire and hearing them scream 'Help me!' is pretty terrifying," Kinzie Barlow told Salt Lake City TV station KSTU.

Barlow was driving in Provo with her son, Khonor, on Friday when she noticed a strange smell.

"Then there was a big bang, and kind of a flash, and there's smoke everywhere," she said.

Barlow said her e-cigarette had exploded in its charger, shooting out a white-hot copper coil that bounced off the ceiling and landed in her son's car seat. She says the coil had burned through the fabric cover and melted the hard plastic, sending flames shooting up the little boy's body.

"He was screaming and saying, 'Mom, get me! Get me!," Barlow told KSTU.

She tried smothering the fire with her shirt sleeve, but that also caught fire, so she grabbed an iced coffee from the front seat and poured it on Khonor, dousing the flames.

Provo Fire Marshal Lynn Schofield said he has no doubt Barlow's White Rhino e-cigarette exploded, saying it's the second such incident in Provo.

He planned to call the Consumer Product Safety Commission on Monday.

As for Barlow, she told KSTU she will never buy another e-cigarette again.

 

[Jillybean]

I can only imagine being in that situation. That had to be absolutely terrifying as a mother. That is incredibly sad.

And sadly, the company will likely try to skirt liability and following up on this accident will be very rough on her. Hopefully I'm wrong. Hopefully the company accepts liability and covers all medical bills and pain & suffering without the need for a big legal circus.

 

[Shaun__]

This is similar to the exploding cellphones you hear about, or the Boeing Dreamliner fires. Any device with batteries is going to have a risk of fire and explosions. Especially if the batteries are manufactured with poor oversight in a place like a shady factory in China.

 

[rexcode]

I've heard a few of these kinds of stories, and in many cases the e-cig battery was being charged with an unapproved charger. It seems especially likely that's the case here, since it was being charged in a car. The electrical system in a car doesn't hold a steady 12 volts -- developing 14 volts or more is not uncommon. A cheap USB car adapter might not regulate the voltage in any way passing along too much juice to a battery that isn't designed to take it.

 

[Bocefish]

I've heard a few of these kinds of stories, and in many cases the e-cig battery was being charged with an unapproved charger. It seems especially likely that's the case here, since it was being charged in a car. The electrical system in a car doesn't hold a steady 12 volts -- developing 14 volts or more is not uncommon. A cheap USB car adapter might not regulate the voltage in any way passing along too much juice to a battery that isn't designed to take it.

Not sure if you're familiar with e-cigs, but each brand has their own unique chargers designed specifically for that brand, so it's almost impossible to use anything not meant for that type e-cig battery. Also, cars have voltage regulators that keeps their charging system producing between 13.5 and 14.5 volts to protect the critical electrical components throughout the vehicle.

Some basic advice on the e-cig topic:

Last year there was a disturbing news about an explosion of an e Cigarette while a guy was smoking it. It bothered me to a degree that I started to look more deep into it. It scared me to think as I am driving and Vaping, what if this device explodes in my mouth?

What I found out were some basic and simple facts:

1. e Cigarettes are electronic cigarettes meaning they are by electricity (DC current) produced by a Battery

2. Battery can overheat and extreme heat can cause explosion of the cells in a battery

3. Electricity and water do not mix and water can create a short circuit in a battery and cause sparks and ultimately explosion

Here is the precaution that everyone should take on a daily basis:

When smoking during every refill clean the battery including the thread and the inner hole, make sure to wipe off any leaked e liquids. But batteries are made in a way not to cause sparks or explosion just because your device leaked some liquids, there are safety mechanisms built-in to most good batteries.

To prevent a battery from overheating, most batteries now a days come with a auto cut off switch, if you try to keep it on for too long it will start to blink and not put out current after a few seconds.
For an explosion to take place it has to have a “perfect storm” meaning the battery is older, without the safety switch, has lot of leaked juice on the terminal and your atomizer is clogged which usually cause a hard draw (puff) thus causing the battery to get hot quickie. A combination of all that wrong possibly can cause some harm and even an explosion.

But if you clean your device regularly, use good quality name brand device like Joye Ego or similar devices, make sure your atomizer or cartomizer is not clogged or leaking heavily than you are fine. Keep in mind most e Cigarettes will have little leaking issue and that is normal.

http://bestelectroniccigarettehq.com/ca ... e-smoking/