High-density batteries, like those found in modern vape devices, must be treated with care to ensure that they are always safe to use. But how should you look after the batteries inside your vapes?
The following guide will teach you everything you need to know about vape battery safety.
Common Vape Battery Types
There are two common battery types found in vapes; lithium-ion batteries and lithium-polymer batteries. Both battery types achieve similar results, but they require different levels of care to maintain their integrity.
Lithium-Polymer Vape Batteries (Li-Po)
Lithium-polymer batteries are usually found in devices with built-in batteries that can’t be changed, like pod systems and disposables. While this type of battery may not last as long as a Li-ion battery, they suffer from less power loss thanks to voltage drop-off.
Lithium-Ion Vape Batteries (Li-Ion)
Lithium-ion batteries are most commonly found in vape devices with removable batteries. This type of battery is always a single cell, but many box mods can run two of them (or more) in series for more power. Common Li-ion battery sizes include 18650, 20700, and 21700.
Li-Po Vape Battery Safety
Lithium-polymer batteries are easier to look after than their Li-ion counterparts, as the devices that use them will restrict their current and keep the cells married for you. They are also much harder to repair, though.
It’s important to keep several factors in mind when dealing with Li-po batteries inside your e-cigarette. For information about battery storage, please refer to the end of this guide.
- Battery Age: All batteries have a limited lifespan. This can range from a few months to several years, depending on how the battery is used. You can tell when a battery is getting old when it doesn’t stay charged for very long anymore. At this point, it is time to replace the battery or the device.
- Battery Swelling: Battery swelling should be taken seriously and handled right away. This can indicate that the battery is set to start venting or even on the verge of popping. Always dispose of swollen batteries at a proper battery recycling point.
Battery Temperature: Li-po batteries get hot when they are used frequently or in high-draw situations. A warm battery isn’t a big problem, but a hot battery is dangerous, and you should stop using it immediately.
Li-Ion Vape Battery Safety
Most Li-ion mods with removable batteries have safety measures in place to prevent damage to your cells. It’s still important to make sure that you follow the right steps to keep your Li-ion batteries
- Battery Age: All batteries have a limited lifespan. This can range from a few months to several years, depending on how the battery is used. You can tell when a battery is getting old when it doesn’t stay charged for very long anymore. At this point, it is time to replace the battery or the device.
- Battery Temperature: Li-ion batteries get hot when they are used frequently or in high-draw situations. A warm battery isn’t a big problem, but a hot battery is dangerous, and you should stop using it immediately.
- Battery Current/Amperage Rating: Different Li-ion batteries are rated for different currents. It’s crucial that you make sure that you aren’t drawing too much current from your batteries. Always use batteries designed for vape devices and do some reading before using rebuildable tanks/atomisers.
- Damaged Battery Wraps and Insulators: 18650s, 21700s, and other Li-ion batteries have plastic wraps and insulators installed when new. If either of these parts of your battery is damaged, you need to repair it right away. We offer a battery wrapping service in-store and sell new batteries on our website.
- Married Battery Cells: Devices that use more than one battery need to have sets of batteries that are married together to operate safely. This means that the batteries have gone through the same charge cycles from the beginning of their lives, as well as being the same brand and model.
E-Cigarette Battery Charging Advice
The lifespan of your batteries is largely dictated by how they are charged. Charging batteries incorrectly will lower their lifespan, while also having the potential to be dangerous. Thankfully, it’s easy to keep your batteries in peak condition if you follow a few simple rules.
- Full Discharge Cycles: It’s always best to allow lithium-based batteries to discharge to around 10% before charging them back up to full.
- Slow Charging: Fast charging is convenient, but it can also lower the lifespan of your batteries. Slower chargers are great when you aren’t in a rush.
- Suitable Charger Units: You should always use a charger that is designed for the batteries you are using. Most modern vapes have USB Type-C ports for charging, and this means that you can use your phone charger to keep them powered up. For devices with removable batteries, it’s usually best to use a dedicated charger with slots the correct size.
