Introduction

Most vaporizer owners are aware of the infamous exploding vape problem. The news channels and tabloids had their work cut out for them when reports of exploding vape pens started popping up. 

The news of exploding vape pens left recipients with a lot of questions. Why do vape pens explode? Can any vape pen explode? If not, which vape pens should be avoided?

Do Vape Pens Really Explode?

there have been documented instances of vape pens exploding…

Yes, there have been documented instances of vape pens exploding. This is a real phenomenon, but it isn’t very common. However, when a vape pen explosion does occur, the results can be life-changing or even deadly. 

It doesn’t take a lot of research to find a list of vape pen explosion victims. There are several documented reports of exploding vape pens that often result in serious injuries and sometimes even death.

Reports of Exploding Vape Pens

According to a report from Forbes, a 17-year-old boy sustained very serious injuries due to an exploding vape pen. It fractured his jaw and dislocated several of the boy’s bottom teeth. 

Exploding vape pens can easily result in injuries like these. As serious as injuries like these are, the results of an exploding vape pen can be even worse. Exploding vape pens can be deadly. 

After his vape pen exploded, projectile shards of metal hospitalized 24-year-old William Brown, according to a piece published by The Washington Post. Two days later, William Brown passed away.

Another vape pen explosion resulted in the death of a 38-year-old man from Florida, according to a report published by CNN.

According to the report

Police officers concluded that the man died from a projectile to the head. This projectile was launched from his exploding vaporizer battery, like shrapnel from a grenade.

Obviously, exploding vape pens are a serious matter. It’s important to be aware of the risks as well as the preventative measures that vapers can take.

NOTE

Additionally, some vape pens tend to have a higher chance of exploding than others. It’s important to know which vape pens have a higher likelihood of exploding and which ones are generally considered safe. 

Soon, we’ll talk about which vape pens that have a higher risk of exploding, and we’ll talk about which ones don’t. However, for the time being, let’s talk about why some vape pens explode.

Why Do Vape Pens Explode?

When people talk about exploding vape pens, they’re actually talking about exploding vape batteries. There are a few different things that can cause a vape battery to explode, and most of these circumstances are easily avoidable. Watch this video of a vape explosion captured in video.

FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) took the liberty of providing us with some vape pen explosion statistics. This article from Vaping Daily does a great job breaking these statistics down, so check it out to learn more about why vape pens explode. 

According to FEMA’s reports, 80% of vape pen explosions occur while the vape is charging. That isn’t a coincidence. A lot of vapers accidentally trigger vape pen explosions by using an incompatible charger. In fact, this is the most common cause of vape battery explosions.

That being said, there are several other errors that could potentially lead to an exploding vape battery. Let’s briefly go over a few of the most common causes of vape battery explosions.

• The use of an incompatible charger
• Low-quality or second-hand batteries
• Inaccurately labeled, rewrapped batteries
• Improper battery care

Replacement vape batteries aren’t terribly expensive. Usually, discounted vape batteries and rewrapped vape batteries simply aren’t worth the risk. Only buy new vape batteries from brands and retailers that are trusted. 

It’s important to know when to replace your vape pen’s battery. If a battery’s wrap is torn, it’s at a higher risk of exploding. When your battery’s wrap tears, either replace the wrap or replace the battery entirely.

When batteries aren’t being used, they should be stored and handled properly. This will greatly extend their lifespan, and it’ll decrease the likelihood of a vape pen explosion. 

RECOMMENDATION

Batteries that aren’t being used should be stored in a dark, dry place. Additionally, batteries shouldn’t come into contact with any other metal objects.

How to Choose a Safe Battery

the majority of vape pen explosions pertain to the vaporizer’s battery…

As far as we can tell, the majority of vape pen explosions pertain to the vaporizer’s battery. The improper care or misuse of a vape battery can have very serious consequences. 

With that in mind, a lot of vaporizer owners might be wondering whether or not they chose the right battery for their vape. How can you tell if you’re using the right battery for your vaporizer?

It’s actually a lot simpler than you might expect. There are a handful of vape batteries used by different vaporizers, but the most common, by far, is the 18650 battery. 

A vaporizer that’s compatible with 18650 batteries will typically be compatible with almost any 18650 battery. Choosing the correct form factor is key, and usually, a vaporizer’s battery type will be specified on the packaging or in the user manual. 

NOTE

If you’re using a battery of the correct size from a trusted company, you probably don’t have anything to worry about. Never buy vape batteries from sketchy sources, and be extremely wary of rewrapped vape batteries. 

Is It Safe to Leave a Vape Charging?

As we previously discussed, the majority of vape pen explosions occur while the vape is charging. With that in mind, a lot of vaporizer owners are likely wondering just how much attention they should pay to their vape while it charges.

No vaporizer owner is expected to closely watch their vaporizer as it charges. However, you should avoid leaving your vaporizer plugged in overnight. 

When charging your vape, just pay attention to its battery status. Once it’s fully charged, unplug it as soon as possible to decrease the likelihood of a vape battery explosion.

Which Vape Pens Explode?

So, is every vape pen at risk of exploding? Surely, vapers everywhere aren’t walking around with time bombs in their pockets. 

Well, every vape pen has a battery, so, yes, any vape pen can potentially explode. That being said, some vape pens do a lot more to prevent explosions than others. 

When it comes to vape mods (or vape batteries,) there are two main categories: unregulated mods and regulated mods. What’s the difference?

Unregulated Mods

Mods without their own dedicated chipset are referred to as “unregulated mod.” As the name implies, unregulated mods don’t have any fancy, built-in safety features.

Unregulated mods simply consist of a battery and a 510 connection responsible for supplying power to the tank. 

Because there are no chipsets or regulations involved, unregulated mods tend to fire faster than regulated mods. However, they can be very dangerous if not treated with the utmost respect.

Regulated Mods

Some mods have built-in chipsets that provide it with a plethora of different features. Most of these features aid the user in the customization of their vape session, but most regulated mods also have several built-in safety features. 

Regulated mods, rather than explode, will often cease to draw power from their battery given it becomes unstable…

Regulated mods, rather than explode, will often cease to draw power from their battery given it becomes unstable. They’re only able to do this with the help of their built-in chipsets. 

These chipsets regularly keep tabs on the battery’s voltage readings as well as the atomizer’s ohm readings. If anything is off, a regulated mod should cut the power before the situation escalates into a vape battery explosion. 

RECOMMENDATION

To learn more about regulated mods, unregulated mods, and their key differences, check out this article from MigVapor about regulated and unregulated mods.

How Do I Know if My Vape is Regulated?

I should start by saying that the vast majority of modern vaporizers are regulated. Because unregulated mods are more prone to explosions, a lot of vaporizer owners see them as antiquated devices.

If you’re still not sure whether or not your vaporizer is regulated, there are a few dead giveaways that should give you your answer. 

First of all, if your vaporizer has built-in safety features such as overcharge protection, it’s a regulated vaporizer. Additionally, if your vaporizer has a display with wattage control and other options, it’s a regulated vaporizer.

TIP

Unregulated mods don’t feature a display, and they typically have a pretty plain, one-button design. Again, unregulated mods aren’t as common as they once were, but now you’ll know one when you see it. 

The FDA and Exploding Vape Pens

In America, vaping regulations are determined by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration.) When news broke that some vape pens were prone to explode, the FDA offered a few vaping safety tips.

In a piece published by the FDA, they acknowledge that exploding vapes are a rather rare occurrence…

In a piece published by the FDA, they acknowledge that exploding vapes are a rather rare occurrence. However, they also acknowledge the fact that these explosions can be deadly.

The FDA points to the most common and most likely culprit: the battery. Additionally, the FDA lists five official precautions that vapers should take to prevent vape battery explosions. 

These five official precautions are among those that were mentioned previously. However, for the sake of being thorough, let’s briefly go over the FDA’s five safety precautions for vapers.

1. Use vaporizers with safety features. 
2. Keep loose batteries in a case to prevent contact with other metal objects.
3. Never charge your vaporizer with a phone or tablet charger.
4. Don’t charge your vaporizer overnight.
5. Replace your vape batteries if they get wet or become damaged.

These are the FDA’s five official safety precautions that all vaporizer owners should take. For those that want to be as cautious as possible, the FDA has a few additional tips for preventing vape battery explosions. 

• Read your vaporizer’s user manual and have a working understanding of how to care for your device. 
• Don’t remove or disable your vaporizer’s safety features.
• Don’t remove fire button locks or vent holes.
• Only use the batteries that are recommended for your vaporizer.
• Charge your vape away from anything that can easily catch fire.
• Protect your vaporizer from extreme temperatures.

Those that follow the FDA’s five safety precautions for vapers shouldn’t have to worry about exploding vape pens. However, if you want to be extra safe, you can keep their other suggestions in mind as well.

How Often Do Vape Pens Explode?

These reports of exploding vape pen batteries initially had vapers very nervous. After all, if vaporizers can so easily explode, those that regularly keep a vape in their pocket have reason to worry. 

Naturally, these reports cause vapers to wonder how often vape pens explode. Furthermore, it causes vapers to wonder about the likelihood of their own vape exploding. 

TIP

An article from BBC states that while exploding vape pens and vape pen fires aren’t unheard of, they’re also not very common. Taking the proper precautions should effectively prevent vape pen batteries from exploding.

How to Prevent an Explosion

There are a few preventative measures that every owner of a vaporizer should take in order to prevent a vape battery explosion. 

A few of these points were mentioned when we discussed the various causes of vape battery explosions. Still, we should briefly discuss all of the ways that you can prevent a vape battery explosion.

Here are a few ways to prevent vape battery explosions.

1. Only charge your vape with the included charger or an appropriate replacement charger
2. Don’t charge your vape overnight
3. Unplug your vape once it is fully charged
4. Don’t buy secondhand or rewrapped vape batteries
5. Only buy vape batteries from brands and retailers that you trust
6. Don’t use a battery with a torn wrap
7. Store unused batteries in a dark, dry place
8. Keep unused batteries away from other metal objects
9. Use a regulated mod with safety features

Those that take these preventative measures greatly reduce their risk of experiencing a vape pen explosion. Plus, following these suggestions will even increase the longevity of your vape batteries. 

When Should I Replace My Vape Battery?

It’s important to know when to replace your vaporizer’s battery. Pushing your vape’s battery past its limits can cause a variety of problems, including spontaneous explosions. 

Never use a battery with a torn wrap. If your battery’s wrap has become damaged, you have a couple of options. If you know how to rewrap your battery, doing so may save you some time and money. Alternatively, you could simply buy a new battery. 

RECOMMENDATION

However, it’s important to remember that a new wrap isn’t always enough. In fact, rewrapping is only a viable option if the original wrap was the only damaged part of the battery. If a battery is punctured, dented, or deformed in any way, you shouldn’t use it. Once a battery is in that kind of condition, it should be disposed of.

Is It Okay to Throw Away Old Vape Batteries?

Eventually, every vape battery will cease to hold a charge. Whether a vape battery is damaged or simply overused, it will eventually need to be thrown away. 

However, you shouldn’t just toss your old vape batteries in the trash. Remember, one of the primary causes of vape battery explosions is exposure to other metal objects. In a trash can, your vape battery could be exposed to any number of items, metal and otherwise. 

Rather, when it comes to vape batteries, recycling is the only responsible option. Luckily, there are a lot of available outlets for this. 

Look for a nearby company or organization that recycles these batteries. If you can’t find any local options, there are several companies that will allow you to recycle your old vape batteries by sending them in the mail. 

RECOMMENDATION

You can learn more about the proper disposal of vape batteries as well as your battery recycling options by reading this article from The Weed Blog.

Exploding Vape Pens: A Rare and Avoidable Tragedy

Exploding vape pens can be devastating. Luckily, they’re easily avoided with a few safety precautions. As long as you’re using your vape the way that it was intended to be used, you shouldn’t have explosive results. 

From battery care to charging habits to proper disposal, there’s a lot that you can do to prevent a vape battery explosion. If you follow the guidelines listed here, you’ll be among the safest of vapers.

1. Vape Batteries
By Lindsay Fox from Newport beach, United States - E-Cig - E-Cigarette Battery, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48036389