e-cig explosion lit face on fire, busted 2 teeth

Gauss163

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Below is the result of a Li-ion vaping explosion. From the news report: "It lit my kid's face on fire, busted two teeth out," Greer said Wednesday. "It burned the back of his throat, burned his tongue very badly. If he wasn't wearing glasses, he possibly could have lost his eyes." The device was reported to be a Wotofo Phantom mod.

lrk6Q.jpg
 

Capolini

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That is crazy,,,,,,,,,,,glad I do not VAPE or Smoke cancer sticks[quit in 1997],,,,,,,,,,,,,

I am very careful monitoring ALL my batteries for all my lights......somethings like the poor kid above may be preventable w/ proper/genuine batteries and equipment?
 

NoNotAgain

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First off, why did the father allow his son to purchase an e-cig? The link was to a UK dealer, so the package had to be delivered to their house.

Secondly, the story leaves a lot of information out. No idea as to what tank was being used, but the manufacturer of the mod has this caution listed on the link from the review/dealer. "Absolutely under no circumstances ever use a hybrid top cap adapter with a Sub-Ohm tank since they have proven to be unsafe and you could potentially cause yourself harm."


Stupid hurts. 16 year old kids aren't smart enough to make informed decisions. That's what parents are supposed to be doing.
 

chillinn

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I think one of the issues with vaping is the unexplained purpose of all the pieces. I have tried to investigate what these parts are, but in the end could only guess. Sellers name things as if the names are standardized, but no one ever explains what these things are. Such as... wtf exactly is a "mod" in vaping? What does "mechanical" mean in relation to that? In a flashlight, I have a good idea what springs are for, but in a vape list of included items, I have no idea what hard or soft springs are for. About the only thing I'm pretty sure I know is what a tank is. The way vaping rhetoric is thrown around without any easily identifiable explanations of these parts and why they are important is bound to cause problems. Why all the effort to hide the fact that there's a Li-ion cell in there with obtuse non-obvious terms, and then the final cautions to only use quality cells? Every charger I've seen sold with a vape is absolutely minimalist. Never have I seen a vape pen even mention lowest-safe-voltage, or storing or Li-ion cell care. I don't see the problem as users being stupid or careless so much as manufacturers being intentionally inscrutable.
 
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G. Scott H.

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A mod is any vaping device that doesn't resemble an actual cigarette and has a larger capacity removable/rechargeable battery. There are regulated mods, which have circuitry between the battery and atomizer that controls the voltage, amps, etc. going between the two. They can be fixed voltage/wattage or adjustable. They also generally provide protections against overcharge, overdischarge, reverse polarity, and short circuits. A mechanical mod (or mech) is just a tube that holds the battery and provides direct contact between it and the atomizing element. Regulated and mech mods allow the attachment of an external atomizer element (cartomizer, tank, etc.), except for the relatively new hybrid mech mod, which has a built-in atomizing element. These devices (mechs) provide no electronic protections. Hard and soft springs just refer to the tension of the spring on the firing button. A soft spring makes it easier to fire the mod but makes it more likely you'll get an accidental firing, while a hard spring is more difficult to compress but provides some added safety through making the fire button more difficult to press.

Without further info, I'm going to tentatively assume that this (like virtually all other such incidents) was the result of a mismatch between two or more of the components (mod, atomizer, and battery). It's certainly possible there was a short somewhere (like between atomizer coil and body), but user error is generally far more likely. As with many other activities, vaping can be extremely safe (at least in terms of the devices themselves) when all aspects of the activity are understood and basic safety practices followed, or it can bite you when you go into it without solid knowledge of the activity.
 
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andrewnewman

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@GScott provided the basics. While I don't use these devices myself I sometimes pick up batteries at vaping stores. Once when I was in one I talked to the owner and looked at his offerings. A "mechanical mod" is just a battery tube with a mechanical switch. The whole thing is an ala carte affair. You pick a component that holds the nicotine (in liquid form mixed with propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin) and provides a resistance coil that vaporizes the liquid. These devices themselves are either prebuild or "rebuildable". The former have a resistance rating the latter require that you build (from resistive wire) the "resistor" yourself. You need a Volt/Ohm meter to determine the resistance of the coil if you build one. You need to know the maximum current the battery can supply and select the right battery for your needs. The batteries are usually unprotected as they often have to generate lots of current. With a mechanical mod there is absolutely no protection circuitry at all. If you pick the wrong battery you can easily abuse/overheat it. If you build your coil with too low a resistance you can easily get in trouble. If you over discharge your battery, same thing. You need to understand basic high school physics (V=IR & P=VI are good starting points) and apply this knowledge properly.

Regulating such devices would mean limiting the user's choices (and probably banning mechanical mods in favor of ones that have built in batteries, recharging circuits and proper protection from shorts and overcurrent situations). I imagine the "vaping community" would respond to these strictures the same as the flashlight community would. It's sad that a kid learned this lesson this way (and I'll reserve judgement on his parents in situation) but unfortunately if the lesson the kid learned is that some government or manufacturer should serve in proxy for good judgement he may end up learning the wrong lesson.
 

chillinn

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I apprecaite the explanations, you guys. I spent a few hours online researching, and I kept coming across the same vape-speak going in circles with no clear understanding. In the end I settled on natural tobacco. Tobacco doesn't cause cancer, contrary to popular belief. Whatever it is that Big Tobacco sells in cigarettes, which is in fact not tobacco but some *******ized and poisoned tobacco product, that is deadly. Pipe smokers use natural tobacco, as well as Native Americans, and their cancer rates are surprisingly low. Pipe smokers live longer than non-smokers. My real and legitimate concern is avoiding emphysema. Thanks, now I think I have options with which I can work.
 
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Flashgas

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Using mechanicals and regulated "mods" for over 4 years now without any problems. Ignorance and pure stupidity are responsible for the majority of the sensational articles published. Lithium batteries can be dangerous if misapplied or abused as can many things in life....stupid is as stupid does and a runaway battery is no joke
 

chillinn

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Using mechanicals and regulated "mods" for over 4 years now without any problems. Ignorance and pure stupidity are responsible for the majority of the sensational articles published. Lithium batteries can be dangerous if misapplied or abused as can many things in life....stupid is as stupid does and a runaway battery is no joke

I have to disagree with your assessment. Leaping to judgment about these events and generalizing the way you have is employing fallacious reasoning. Being knowledgeable is not necessarily any measure of intelligence; it is only a measure of knowledge. There might exist poor judgement leading to unfortunate consequences, but we have no idea if this young victim is any less intelligent than you are without maybe comparing your SAT scores. Are the residents of Flint, Michigan stupid for poisoning themselves with lead? They were ignorant of the lead in their own water. If you can't divine the correct answer, it is "of course not." Sometimes danger is concealed, and for my own experiences in trying to find information, my opinion is the vaping industry seems at every turn to have concealed the possible dangers of the Li-ion cells they use, leaving only the most vacuous warnings which are easy to overlook. They irresponsibly have not shared best practices with their customers, so it is no surprise that Li-ion cell abuse exists and has lead to injury. The victims are not necessarily stupid, or reckless, instead they are systematically uninformed.
 
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sidecross

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This is another example of not understanding a technology being used.

We are the only current species to produce fire at will and since that begining as far back as 1.8 million years ago we still have accidental fires and calamities. :caution:
 

ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond

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It's too bad he got hurt but,

"He pushed the button and blew in, and then you wait a couple of seconds, and then you puff on it. It was about two inches from his mouth and it just blew apart."

Reading the above in the article, and being a vapor, makes me think they had no idea what they were doing. I've never heard of bowing "in" to a vape device. If this is a mech mod, as indicated, it is likely that it was mis-configured and when he pushed the button he probably created a dead short rather than just heating the coil.

Hope the boy heals up okay.
 

ven

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Hope the boy heals up okay.


+1, this part about blowing in leads me to a possible dripper.........Sometimes vapers will blow in before actually drawing on it, presume to aid flavour by stirring up the air inside(like a vortex tank does but physically by causing the air to .......well be like a vortex)

What we have is more people every week switching to vaping, but not educated in the cell chemistry and the coil/ohms . Crazy builds,bad builds, wrong cells with fake wrappers...........many potential factors into any accident.

Couple of guys in work have some efest cells, say 35a and 3000mah.........., no way are these cells 35a but to them they were!. So nice fancy quad clapton build, maybe 0.1ohm.........75w(about the max of a single 18650 mod) which would be around a 27A ask of the cell...........

Go to mec mods, the will take everything they can and fire even lower ohms.........really is advanced stuff and now available in kits anyone can buy. New to vaping, new to the cells............probably slap them in a $3 ultrafire charger over night ready for work the next day............No evidence, but i would bet a $ that millions around the world do this practice! Scary thought...........

Guy i know in work, his daughter the other month was in the paper, exploded and split her eye lid,made a right mess of her. Not had chance to speak about it, but i know that he wont know about the exact device and the battery used etc......

I do think better education is key, all we rely on(most new vapers) is the "guy in the shop" and from my experience...........a good few lack in it!
 

Capolini

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I apprecaite the explanations, you guys. I spent a few hours online researching, and I kept coming across the same vape-speak going in circles with no clear understanding. In the end I settled on natural tobacco. Tobacco doesn't cause cancer, contrary to popular belief. Whatever it is that Big Tobacco sells in cigarettes, which is in fact not tobacco but some *******ized and poisoned tobacco product, that is deadly. Pipe smokers use natural tobacco, as well as Native Americans, and their cancer rates are surprisingly low. Pipe smokers live longer than non-smokers. My real and legitimate concern is avoiding emphysema. Thanks, now I think I have options with which I can work.


Lol! PIPE SMOKERS LIVE LONGER THAN NON SMOKERS! Where did you get this information?!

In my family,,,ALL non smokers.....My mom is 85, Dad is 85 and still doing well,,,,Grandmother was 98, Great Uncle's were 103, 102 and 98. Other Two Great Aunt's were 98 and 96.:thumbsup:,,,,,On the other side of the family my Great Uncle was 100.

I don't care what kind of smoking or tobacco use is being talked about. Saying that one type or another is ok and those people live longer than non smokers is just another way to justify your/their addiction!;)
 

Tac Gunner

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I think one of the issues with vaping is the unexplained purpose of all the pieces. I have tried to investigate what these parts are, but in the end could only guess. Sellers name things as if the names are standardized, but no one ever explains what these things are. Such as... wtf exactly is a "mod" in vaping? What does "mechanical" mean in relation to that? In a flashlight, I have a good idea what springs are for, but in a vape list of included items, I have no idea what hard or soft springs are for. About the only thing I'm pretty sure I know is what a tank is. The way vaping rhetoric is thrown around without any easily identifiable explanations of these parts and why they are important is bound to cause problems. Why all the effort to hide the fact that there's a Li-ion cell in there with obtuse non-obvious terms, and then the final cautions to only use quality cells? Every charger I've seen sold with a vape is absolutely minimalist. Never have I seen a vape pen even mention lowest-safe-voltage, or storing or Li-ion cell care. I don't see the problem as users being stupid or careless so much as manufacturers being intentionally inscrutable.
I have no experience with e-cigarettes other than a few people have shown me theirs so I appreciated the explanations by others.

I have to agree with the quoted post. There is a vaping store chain here in central and southern KY who advertise a starter kit for just 29.99. That includes the mod, two batteries, a charger, and carrying case. I'm no expert in these things but I know that two good batteries and a good charger are going to cost you more than that. I did just go their website and check and they sell Sony VTC 3, 4 and 5 batteries, Purple Efest 18650s, and a Panasonic NCR cell. Not sure what batteries come with their 29.99 kit though.

On a different note, there was a boy in the same AMT program I am in who uses Trustfire batteries in his. When I asked him about them and tried to suggest a better battery, he told me they were some of the best available. From that point on I stayed away from him anytime he had the thing.
 

ven

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On a different note, there was a boy in the same AMT program I am in who uses Trustfire batteries in his. When I asked him about them and tried to suggest a better battery, he told me they were some of the best available. From that point on I stayed away from him anytime he had the thing.


I have lost count of the times i have had to advise on batteries in work, i will never give up either if they insist a ****fire battery is best! Luckily they trust me enough and know i know enough about them to take my word.
This is not easy to a kid ...........as we all know kids know everything!

What they do is import a bulk amount of kits for probably $10 each, sell them for $30..........still getting $10 worth of kit, and for that its only one thing .....*beep*

Worse bit is these are the best sellers, "$30 and never smoke again" kind of thing, however the ones who have bought these pieces of **** often go back on to cigs. Only really when you get into $50+ type kits is there a real chance of getting them off cigs(staying away from whats better discussions) . That of course is without cell/s and chargers, so i tend to get people on kits like the kanger with built in USB. I still advise on separate chargers along with back up cell/s of which tend to be samsung 25r mainly.......
 

Tac Gunner

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I have lost count of the times i have had to advise on batteries in work, i will never give up either if they insist a ****fire battery is best! Luckily they trust me enough and know i know enough about them to take my word.
This is not easy to a kid ...........as we all know kids know everything!

What they do is import a bulk amount of kits for probably $10 each, sell them for $30..........still getting $10 worth of kit, and for that its only one thing .....*beep*

Worse bit is these are the best sellers, "$30 and never smoke again" kind of thing, however the ones who have bought these pieces of **** often go back on to cigs. Only really when you get into $50+ type kits is there a real chance of getting them off cigs(staying away from whats better discussions) . That of course is without cell/s and chargers, so i tend to get people on kits like the kanger with built in USB. I still advise on separate chargers along with back up cell/s of which tend to be samsung 25r mainly.......
Usually I can get people to at least be interested while I'm talking to them, they may not heed the advice after our conversation but I can't hold their hand. I'm not familiar with any details of e-cigs so as far the actually components I'm not sure what they are. I can only comment on the batteries and chargers based on my light experience.

I guess boy isn't the correct word as we are all 20-30 in the program and he is probably 24 or so, I'm 20, but he does not listen to anything anyone says. He has managed to turn a 2.5 year program into 7. I just hope he doesn't have to figure out the hard way why I suggested different batteries.
 

Flashgas

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The industry has changed in the last three years with shops popping up like mushrooms. To say that customers are systematically uninformed about their purchases implies a conspiracy that the sales personnel are responsible for educating their customers but not doing so for some devious reason. Sales people are not responsible to educate customers in their purchases but to provide said item and collect payment. Buying a chainsaw to edge your lawn is not the fault of the sales person. The information is out there for most any subject if you are willing to take the time and effort to research to make an educated purchase. This is where ignorance comes to play and as we all know you can't fix stupid. Common sense seems in short supply which is not measured with a standard test and I'll stand by my origional statement....Ignorance and pure stupidity are responsible for most of these sensationalized articles published
 
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