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Vape School: 9 Vape Battery Safety Tips Every Vaper Should Know

JuiceChris

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Perhaps you'll find a pack of batteries in your stocking this holiday, or you receive get a gift card for a shop and you want to stock up on batteries for the coming year. As you well know, vape batteries are a common item in the toolkit of people who use vape mods. From its appearance, a vape battery appears harmless; however, a vape battery that is not properly maintained is far from harmless…

So for anyone who is looking to pick up a batteries following are the things to know so you can avoid any potential risks and complications. There is a lot that goes into learning how to properly use, maintain, and care for a vape battery to keep you safe and your vape experience enjoyable.

In this guide, we’ll explain 9 essential vape battery safety tips every vaper should know.

Vape Battery Safety 101
The first thing you need to understand about vape batteries is that they are not like the typical ones that you use to power standard electronic equipment.

These cells are incredibly powerful, and as such, they must be used with care. In this guide, we’re going to explore some of the best safety tips to ensure that you are protected when using a battery. Be aware that using a vape battery incorrectly can lead to damage to the device or even a battery exploding.

1. Learn How to Identify a Counterfeit Vape Battery
Just like A premium vape juice vs low-quality vape juice, not all batteries are created the same.

Batteries produced trusted sellers such as Sony and Samsung are built to a high level of quality with safety in mind. For this reason, you need to make sure that you are avoiding dangerous counterfeit batteries. There are a few telltale signs that your battery is counterfeit. The alignment could be incorrect. You might also notice that there is a nasty raised seam in the middle of the battery. You also need to check for stick fluid at the top of the battery. Genuine batteries do not have this issue, and it could mean a fluid leak. One of the easiest ways to buy genuinely is to make sure you find a reputable dealer.

2. Get a Dedicated Charger for Your Vape Batteries
You should make sure that you are using a dedicated vape charger for your batteries. Many people are simply relying on their phone chargers, but this is a mistake. Cheap phone chargers are not designed to provide the full protective circuits for keeping you safe. If you need a new charger, make sure that you are purchasing one from a genuine vape vendor. Be aware that if you do opt for using a phone charger, these are specifically designed for the phone they came with. As such, they could easily malfunction when used with another device.

3. Don’t Overcharge Your Batteries
The most common reason for overcharging a vape battery is leaving it plugged in overnight. When a battery is left plugged in for the entire night, it could get damaged. If you do this, you could even risk the battery exploding. Instead, you should make sure that you charge when you are monitoring the battery status. This is true for all vape batteries rather than just select brands. However, one of the most common batteries—the 18650—will take four hours to recharge. Anything longer than this will lead to damage. If your battery is taking significantly longer to charge, this is a sign that you need to replace it.

4. Avoid Leading Your Batteries in Extreme Temperatures
You should make sure that you are keeping your vape battery between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius (68–77º F), which is the typical room temperature. A battery that is fully charged and in extreme temperatures can create a dangerous situation. For this reason, you should not leave your battery in a car on a hot day. You will also need to be careful when you take your vape battery with you on vacation to a tropical destination.

5. Replace Your Old Vape Batteries
As mentioned, you should replace a battery if it’s taking longer than usual to charge. You should also replace it if it’s draining more quickly without an increase in power usage. Check the temperature of your battery, too. If it starts getting warmer even when you haven’t changed the settings of your vape pen, you need a replacement. You might also notice physical damage to a battery, including scrapes and dents. These should not be ignored, and you should make sure you replace the battery immediately, even if only a small amount of fluid is leaking from the device.

6. Don’t Over Use Your Batteries
The good news is that most regulated mods will not let you over-drain a battery. They have a protection system in place to ensure that this does not happen. Some chargers will not work on batteries until the battery has been completely used up. If you look on your mod, you should be able to check the LED lights, which will highlight the level of charge left in your battery. Almost every type of modern mod comes with a low battery level indication.

7. Make Sure the Battery Wraps Are Intact
It is absolutely crucial that your wraps are intact. If you use a battery with damaged wrapping, then you do risk shorting out your batteries. This can lead to the battery catching fire while on a charge. For this reason, you should also make sure that you are charging on a fire-resistant surface, even if you are confident the battery is safe. Even a quality charger will not prevent a fire if the battery wrap is damaged. A battery wrap should be clean, with no holes or nicks. A bad battery will have these signs, and dirty wraps may also be an issue here.

8. Use a Battery Case
Do make sure that you are using a battery case to keep your batteries safe. By doing this, you can make sure the batteries are not going to be damaged when you are transporting them. Cases can be quite large and may fit as many batteries as you need for your device. Some cases are also designed to keep your batteries at the right temperature. Furthermore, a case will ensure that your batteries don’t come in contact with metal objects. This can cause a circuit between a positive and negative, which might lead to an explosion.

9. Invest in High-Quality Vape Batteries
Finally, you need to make sure that you are selecting the right battery for your vape mod. For instance, if you are an inexperienced vaper, then you should make sure that you are selecting a battery for a regulated mod rather than a mechanical mod. Mechanical mods are a tad more technical. Be aware that not all Li-Ion batteries provide the same benefits as others. Many of the best vape products will come with their own batteries. However, there are others you can buy separately that have high ratings, including the Sony VTC4 and the Samsung INR18650-20S.

Be Safe with Your Batteries
If you take this advice, you should find it easier to vape safely and minimize any issues you may run into with your vape batteries. And when you are ready to pick up your stock, head to ejuice.deals to find what you are looking for!

Thank you for reading! As always, we welcome your feedback and what you have learned about batteries during your years of vaping.
 

vuJim

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Good article, except for...
3. Don’t Overcharge Your Batteries
The most common reason for overcharging a vape battery is leaving it plugged in overnight. When a battery is left plugged in for the entire night, it could get damaged. If you do this, you could even risk the battery exploding.
This is no longer true, assuming quality batteries and charger, and hasn't been true for a good many years. Modern quality chargers automatically reduce charging current to a maintenance level--a level that merely offsets batteries' self-discharge rates, once they've reached full charge.

What is true is
... you should make sure that you charge when you are monitoring the battery status.
Note I bolded this.

Modern, quality chargers are usually pretty good at detecting bad batteries, but sometimes they miss. This can lead to a charger attempting to charge a battery that can no longer take the charge it's supposed to, which can lead to the battery overheating and the battery, charger, or both going up in flames.

In fact I recommend that one be in the habit of regularly feeling the batteries and charger while charging, to make sure nothing is becoming uncommonly warm. It is not uncommon for batteries to become warm during charging, but they should never become hot.

Along these lines...

6. Don’t Over Use Your Batteries
The good news is that most regulated mods will not let you over-drain a battery. They have a protection system in place to ensure that this does not happen. ... If you look on your mod, you should be able to check the LED lights, which will highlight the level of charge left in your battery. Almost every type of modern mod comes with a low battery level indication.
It is best to recharge modern Li-Ion batteries when they get no lower than about 70-80% of their charge level. Certainly no lower than 50%. "Charge early. Charge often." Why? Because the biggest enemy of Li-Ion batteries is heat. Besides excessive heat possibly leading to catastrophic failure (fire, explosion), regular exposure to excessive heat shortens their lifespan.

This, btw, is as true for your mobile devices as it is for your vape batteries. I rarely let my mobile devices get below 70% if I can help it.
 

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