Recently, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued an open statement regarding 18650 loose batteries that are commonly utilized to power vape devices. It’s quite common to find these batteries in online shops.
From the CPSC statement:
“Specifically the battery cells could have exposed metal positive or negative terminals, which can short-circuit in contact with metal objects like keys, or even loose change inside pockets. When a cell is shorted, it may overheat and undergo thermal runaway. This can ignite the cell’s internal materials, and forcing the burning contents to escape that can result in flames, explosions and serious injuries, and sometimes even the death of.”
It’s something that vapers have been doing for some time, and that’s why almost every vaping website has a section dedicated to the safety of vape batteries.
The CPSC warns against buying low-quality batteries that could have been improperly isolated from a larger set and also not to transport the batteries loose with metal objects that could cause them to short circuits.
As well as their safety guidelines, we’d like to include a few additional recommendations for battery security.
- Be sure not to take your vape off.
- Don’t expose Vaping or battery devices, as well as batteries, to water.
- Do not make any adjustments to your devices.
- Follow the battery and vape mod manufacturer’s directions.
- Purchase high-quality, reliable vaping products.
- Don’t mix old and new batteries.
- Conserve batteries at ambient temperature.
- Charge batteries and devices properly. Be sure not to overcharge.
- Don’t vape and charge simultaneously.
- Purchase a mod with batteries included or a mod that has a regulated power draw that draws power from batteries and has protection limits.
It’s simply not a wise idea to save money on batteries. It’s generally not a smart option to cut corners on the components of a vaping device. With the real risk that batteries could represent, it’s worthwhile to invest in high-quality batteries and keep yourself informed about vape safety.
