OT: Yikes! exploding e-cigarettes.

[Tim+]

You wouldn't want this happening in your trouser pocket...

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Most won't fit a trouser pocket. And likely to get broken in one if you try.

Unlike a phone. Which is just as likely to explode.

[Brian Gaff]

Anything with high capacity batteries have a danger to them. Did you ever see what happens to a bag of shopping if you are carrying some lantern batteries and some wire wool together? Brian

[MrCheerful]

or a 9v battery and some keys in your pocket (been there and did it)

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Two PP3s clipped together make a decent hand warmer this weather. Although mostly part used radio mic batteries so not in the first flush of youth.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Phone batteries are much better protected, both electrically and mechanically. The large vaping batteries are just bare cells with no protection, and much higher capacity than a phone battery.

Some ~30 years ago, back in the days of radio paging and NiCds, a colleague walked too close to the doorframe. He thought nothing of it for a few seconds, not realising he'd smashed the pager in his pocket, until the shorted NiCds started burning his leg and smoke was coming out of his trousers.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Which particular make are you talking about?

I've been using them for years. First type I used had the 1100 mA.hr battery inside a steel case which also contained the switch. Non replaceable cell. I'd say it was far better protected than any phone one. Which would have a much thinner cover to the actual battery.

I now use what are called MOD batteries. Replaceable cells inside a sturdy case. The cell is larger capacity and also cheaper as it can be replaced on its own.

All of them have short circuit protection. And as regards resistance to physical damage, at least as good as a high quality torch or whatever.

Of course I'm sure you could by rubbish if you searched hard enough. Same as anything, really.

Sounds like a crap design. I've been using things like radio mics and radio talkback for years before such things as pagers. And it would be a very poor one indeed which got smashed so easily. They all had to survive being accidently dropped onto a hard floor.

[harry]

If you want a decent battery fire, an electric car takes some beating.

[Andrew Gabriel]

AFAIK, the ones which are blowing up spectacularly are the MOD cell ones (around 2800mAh). These are bare cells. Current draw from the vaporiser can be very high - some are not far off short circuit anyway, which is why they use bare cells. The built-in chargers are crap, which has been the cause of some of the explosions (don't ever stop charging). People take them out to charge in external chargers, and also end up carrying them around loose as spares, and the insulating wrapper gets damaged, eventually allowing a short to the casing. A steel case will not protect at all against a MOD cell exploding, it makes it worse by forming shrapnel.

The bottom line is none of the components are made with the same level of safety as a mobile phone, nor by companies with reputations to protect.

Nope. Some do.

Well this was a standard BT radio pager. You didn't have any choice. (Actually, I think there was one with a number display, and one with no display, but that was it.) It would survive dropping on the floor a number of times, but not being crushed against a doorframe.

[Richard]

My diesel has much lower emissions.