Battery Safety Guide - Sub Ohm / Removable Batteries
February 11, 2019Sub-Ohm Vape Battery Safety
If you’re using a sub ohm device with removable batteries, it is vital that you understand how to use, charge and maintain your batteries safely. This comprehensive guide will help to simplify the often-confusing subject of sub ohm / removable battery care.
Only Use High Quality Batteries In Good Condition
Many 18650 batteries are sold pre-wrapped in a protective covering. Over time, this wrapping can peel and chip – especially if the battery is dropped or damaged in any way. It is vital that you regularly check the overall quality and condition of your batteries and replace them immediately upon noticing any signs of damage or aging. An imperfection in the battery wrapping can cause a short circuit, in which the negative and positive terminals of a battery are connected with a conductor such as metal keys, for example. This creates a high current with a low resistance, and in turn overloads the battery by delivering a high volume of energy in a short time.
Do Not Overcharge Your Batteries
Many e-cigarette users share the common misunderstanding that leaving your batteries to charge for hours and hours will prolong the length of time they are able to power a device. In fact, overcharging in this manner can be detrimental to the performance and longevity of the battery, and in order to avoid this you should only charge in accordance with the voltage of your batteries until you notice the device reach full charge status. This is normally indicated by a light on the device which turns green once the battery is fully charged.
You should also charge your batteries in a location which allows you to monitor the progress of the charging, rather than leaving them unattended or charging overnight. This will help to avoid charging your batteries beyond their safe limit.
Do Not Expose The Battery To Extreme Temperatures
You should always avoid exposing your battery – and e-cigarette device in general – to extreme heat or extreme cold.
Always keep your battery out of direct sunlight and never leave it on the dashboard or seat of your car. Extreme temperatures can disrupt the chemical composition of your batteries and implicates their performance, longevity and safety.
Extreme temperatures can disrupt the chemical composition of your batteries and implicates their performance, longevity and safety.
Always Use A High-Quality Charging Device
We always recommend using a high-quality charging device from a reputable manufacturer, such as the models listed on our website. This will ensure a safe charging experience and will help to eliminate the risk of overcharging the batteries.
Always Store Your Batteries In A Battery Case
When storing spare batteries or transporting your batteries from one location to another, we strongly recommend that you use a specialised battery case made of plastic or silicone. This will eliminate the possibility of the batteries conducting with one another, or with other metal elements such as keys. Not only will this cause the batteries to drain extremely quickly, but it will also generate heat which could in turn pose a considerable safety risk.
Avoid Exceeding The Battery's Lifespan
It may be beneficial to research the lifespan of your particular batteries in order to avoid using them beyond their recommended number of discharges (discharges refers to the cycle of completely draining and recharging the battery). This can be facilitated by noting down the date you began using your batteries and the number of discharge cycles the batteries have gone through. Check this information against the manufacturers recommendations
Form A Clear Understanding Of Ohm's Law
When building your own coils for a device, it is extremely important to have a clear understanding of Ohms Law in order to ensure you are operating your device safely at all times. Ohms Law states that electrical current is proportional to voltage and inversely proportional to resistance, which in vaping terms means that the number of ohms your build operates at is directly related to the current the device gives off. It is important to know what your build is asking of your battery, so to determine this bear in mind that the current your build/atomizer requires of your battery is equal to the voltage you are using, divided by the ohms.
For example:
When using a fully charged standard 4.2 volt battery (assume 4 volts to account for voltage drop) with a 0.2ohm build, you can ascertain the amperage of your battery by using this simple formula:
4 (volts) ÷ 0.2 (ohms) = 20 amperage/amps
Therefore, 4 volts of power with a 0.2ohm build equals 20 amps, which is the maximum level at which you should be using your battery. You should never exceed the maximum current of your build, and if your build requires more volts than your battery can deliver you are seriously compromising the safety of your device.
