1 – What is the Vape Safe and what does it do?

The Vape Safe is a safety device that adds an in-line fuse for any circular battery with a diameter of 16 mm or more. The Vape Safe attaches magnetically on the negative terminal of the battery and trips when the current drawn out of (or in to) the battery exceeds a certain amount.

2 – What types of faults does the Vape Safe protect against?

The Vape Safe is designed to protect batteries against a “hard short” condition. A hard short occurs when the positive and negative sides of the battery are connected together through a very low resistance. Hard shorts are the most common form of fault that cause a battery to vent and thus are very dangerous.

3 – What can cause a “hard short” condition?

Several common conditions occur during normal operation of a PV which can result in a hard short situation. For instance, faulty connectors in the battery load (i.e. the atomizer, cartomizer, tank, or whatever) can short the positive and negative terminals of the battery connector. When an atty/carto fails (i.e. the internal coil finally “pops”) the coil can short the positive and negative battery terminals together. This is a very common fault, particularly with low resistance atomizers. Also, an issue with the switch in a mechanical mod or the electronics in a non mechanical mod can cause a hard short condition. These are but a few examples.

4 – What current is the Vape Safe rated for?

The Vape Safe contains a fast-blowing 7A fuse. While 7A may seem like a very high current rating to protect a battery, the fuse in the Vape Safe is extremely fast acting and will respond to short current transients. This means that if the current rating of the fuse were lower (say, at 4A) then the fuse in the Vape Safe would trip too easily (for instance, from a current surge caused by the pressing of the switch in a mechanical mod). We found that, after much experimentation, the 7A limit was in the “Goldilocks Zone” of being low enough to protect the battery against a hard short, while at the same time avoiding unnecessary trips.

5 – Is the Vape Safe Safety approved?

Not as of yet, however the fuse in the Vape Safe is UL (file number E10480) and CSA (LR29863) approved.

6 – Can I re-use the Vape Safe once the fuse is blown?

Once the fuse in the Vape Safe has tripped, the unit must be thrown away and replaced.

7 – How do I install the Vape Safe?

To use the Vape Safe, simply attach the end of the PCB with the magnet to the negative terminal (the flat end without the button connector) of the battery and install the whole assembly in your mod.

8 – I have an electronic mod that already contains short circuit protection. I don’t need the Vape Safe as well, right?

While electronic short circuit protection will provide you with some protection, keep in mind that such circuitry is designed to protect the electronics in the mod, not the battery. The speed with which such electronics will act may not be optimized to protect the battery (while the Vape Safe is). In addition, the Vape Safe provides an additional layer of protection for the mod electronics as well as the battery.

9 – If I put a Vape Safe in my mod, does that mean I am completely protected against my batteries venting?

Absolutely not. While the Vape Safe adds an additional layer of protection and safety, it by no means ensures that your batteries are completely safe. Faulty, stressed, or overcharged batteries can still fail catastrophically even under normal operation. As always, diligence should be used with lithium batteries in any application.