Most often when you hear about electronic cigarette safety people are discussing health issues. While we constantly maintain that we feel that vapor is far better from a health standpoint than smoke, today’s post is about how to safely use electronic cigarettes. We spend a lot of time talking to vapers both on and offline. Recently we have seen an increasing amount of talk about people using electronic cigarettes incorrectly. Misusing the hardware can lead to your device breaking, and to even bigger problems such as fires.
Don’t get us wrong, we are not saying that electronic cigarettes or mods are a fire hazard. We have experience with dozens of different brands and devices, and have never a safety issue. In our opinion there are a few simple things to consider to ensure that you don’t either.
Buy quality devices- Sounds pretty basic right? It’s not. Some vapers, especially newbies who are looking to try out vapor products, opt for the cheapest available products. This is a bad way to purchase nearly anything. In the case of e cigs and mods it means that you are purchasing hardware made as cheaply as possible. The end result is a series of products that will break or have defects. Check out reviews and ask others who vape before buying any brand. Chances are if you go with the cheapest available you won’t be happy. In all reality you have a greater chance of wasting your money on a defective device than you do of starting a fire, but buying a quality e cig is the starting point to safety.
Remember that devices are proprietary- It is in the best interest of manufacturers to make e cigs that only work with refillable cartomizers, batteries, etc. that they make. While we don’t always love this from a user standpoint, we get that e cig manufacturers are in business to make money. In most instances the threading that allows pieces to screw together will not allow you to attach cartomizers that are made by a different manufacturer. Charging devices also come in varying shapes and sizes. When it comes to batteries things can get a bit dangerous if you do things incorrectly. Most vaping devices use lithium ion batteries. This type of battery is used in all types of household devices, and is safe unless misused. Force fitting a battery is clearly misuse, we have heard stories of batteries overheating and creating sparks. Never use the wrong type of battery on your e cig. It can be unsafe, and in the end it is entirely user error. Always use hardware as it is intended to be used. Pretty much every starter kit comes with instructions that you can refer to.
Don’t experiment with hardware- Some vapers out there make their own mods. While we generally don’t have an issue with this (if you really, really know what you are doing), we suggest that most people avoid tinkering with the hardware. We touched on this point above when we pointed out that you have to use matching pieces in order to safely charge and vape electronic cigarettes. When people decide to try to alter, enhance, or in any way change pre-made devices it can be unsafe. The manufacturers build their devices to exact specifications. Altering these specs can be dangerous and lead to malfunctioning devices. Sometimes these malfunctions can cause fires and burns depending upon the changes that are made. You wouldn’t try to rig your hair dryer or your blender would you? Probably not; so don’t try to alter your vaping devices either.
Electronic cigarettes really are safe devices. User error is the number one cause of most malfunctions and incidents when it comes to quality products. Staying safe while vaping is as easy as finding a quality device and using it correctly. Simply follow the manufacturer’s instructions and enjoy your vapor. In all of our tests and experience we have never had an unsafe experience. There’s no reason that anyone else should either.