Battery Safety
We wanted to take some time just to go over basic battery safety. In one of our past articles, we touched base a little on battery safety and thought this was an important issue to inform new or unfamiliar users. If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to comment below or email us directly. We’d be happy to go into further detail if you need.
The first thing is first! There are a decent variety of batteries in the industry currently, but the most common battery used is the 18650. These are Lithium Ion Batteries. These types of batteries are very common in everyday life. You can find Lithium Ion batteries in cellphones, flashlights, laptops, handheld gaming units, power tools and even in electric cars. The Tesla electric car takes 18650 batteries! (Granted there is a lot more used in that car and in a different fashion than in regular mods, but you get the idea.)
Now, the number 18650, what does that mean? Well, this is pretty simple. The first two numbers: 18 – stand for the diameter of the battery in millimeters. The second number: 65 – is the length of the battery in millimeters. Lastly, the number: 0 – is the shape of the battery. It’s a cylinder, or circle shape, thus the 0. This is the same for other batteries used for vaping as well.
Married Batteries. These are a set or multiple batteries that are used in the same mod together, always together. They are used in your mod together, they get charged together. They are married, so they never cheat on one another. You want to make sure that if you are using a 2 or more battery mod, that you have married sets to use. You don’t want to split them up from one another, You will then have uneven amounts of cycles that these batteries went through. This is can significantly limit your batteries lifecycle as a whole and could cause some problems later.
Storage. Don’t ever store your batteries in your pockets, purse, junk drawer, etc, especially with any loose metals. If the terminals of your battery come into contact with the metals and complete a circuit, this can cause your batteries to short circuit and could possibly explode. The safest way to keep your batteries safe is to put your batteries in a case or sleeve. You can get cases at a great price and they add a sense of safety and peace of mind. We do carry a couple of different battery case options in our store if you are in need of one. We also offer a free case with any purchase of 2 batteries.
When charging your batteries be sure to not to overcharge your batteries. Not all chargers have an overvoltage protection option, so in these chargers, you will need to pull the battery as soon as it has charged. More advanced chargers will give a read of the exact voltage of the battery. It just depends on what company you bought your charger and what style you got.
Don’t leave your batteries in your car. Excessive heat and cold can have an adverse effect on them.
Generally, don’t use your batteries any more than a year. You can recycle them after that year and start fresh with a new battery or set of batteries. The reasoning for this is dependent on your specific battery life cycle (how many times you have charged and discharged a battery is one cycle). The biggest part of this is to make sure you don’t want to exceed your battery life cycle because of the risk of battery failure. This can vary on the battery type and company and some may use their batteries for longer. It just depends on how you run your batteries and how frequently you use them, but the general rule of thumb is a year to be on the safe side. Check the website of your specific batteries to know what the manufacturer suggests, for a better idea on how long you can use your batteries.
Never use a damaged battery. If there are some minor nicks, scratches or rips in the wrap of your battery you can rewrap them. These are a fairly common way to extend the use of your battery. Usually, a battery can be re-wrapped when the current wrap is nicked, scratched or even if you just want a new color of battery. We do offer battery rewraps in store, where we will replace the insulator and put on a new wrap of your choice of color.
Battery failure can occur if the user doesn’t handle/store and care for their batteries properly. When a battery failure happens, it is called Thermal Runway. This is a cycle where a reaction in the battery is triggered which increases the temperature of the battery. This then triggers the reaction further, increasing even more. When thermal runway occurs the battery will vent. Venting is the release of gases from the electrolyte in the battery. It relieves pressure inside the battery, typically vents from the top. This isn’t meant to scare you. This is just the explanation of what happens when a battery fails. But if you follow basic battery safety you will be fine.
As stated, it all comes down to user-safety. Follow directions for proper use of your mods/pen style vapes. Handle your batteries with caution and care. And always store your mods/batteries and eliquids as directed. If you aren’t sure about your batteries or have any questions regarding this article, please comment or email us directly. We’ll be more than happy to answer any questions or comments you may have.
