I know you should recharge an 18650 once it goes below 3.7 volts, but how do you know when it gets that low if useing an unregulated mod that doesn't turn off at a certain point?
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When to recharge?
- Thread starter AwenisIsNotAsexOrgan
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- 18650 recharging
Actually, you can go as low as 3.2V, anymore will damage the battery eventually. For a mech mod, there's a inline volt meter that goes between your mod and the atomizer. Over time, you know, when you'll have to either change or re-charge the battery. On a regulated mod, the device will just not fire, or display an according message.
Does the volt meter come with the mod, or do I need to buy it separate?
With a mechanical mod, you would have to buy it. However, it's not the most accurate device, but it fulfills its duty. They come in different price ranges, but the cheapest will be as "good" as the priciest. They look like this:
Thanks!
If your using an unregulated, you should easily be able to notice that your not getting as much power from your battery. Your coils will not heat up fast and you wont be getting as much vapor production. also your coils wont be hissing like they do on a freshly charged battery, and a volt meter is extra weight to carry and kinda annoying to attach and detach.
You will know when you're over-discharging a battery by its general state. For instance, if you charge a battery to 4.2v, let it sit for 4-5 days, and the voltage has gone down by .2v or more, your device isn't performing like it used to with that battery, is getting a bit warmer than normal with extended use or seems to be running dry sooner than before, then you're over-discharging.
It's worth mentioning that there's no definitive voltage you should charge at. Any amount of discharge between charging cycles is damaging the battery. It's a matter of degrees, though there is a danger threshold. Most batteries indicate 2.5-2.7 as the minimum voltage. Around and beyond that the chemicals and metals in the battery degrade and the structure of it becomes compromised. The internal resistance shoots up, and thus the risk for thermal runaway is much higher. An over-discharged battery can vent if you try to charge it.
Fortunately, you'd almost have to be doing it intentionally to manage seriously over-discharging a battery. If you're using an unregulated device, then you're going to find yourself switching batteries by the time they reach 3.5v at the minimum because the performance suffers significantly before that point. Regulated devices completely won't fire whe your batteries go below 3.2v-3.5v.
The rule of thumb is to charge long before this point. The longer you wait to recharge, the more the battery suffers. It's not dangerous to discharge a battery all the way down to 3.2v every time, but it will cause the battery to lose out to voltage sag and capacity loss sooner than one consistently charged at 3.7v.
Personally, I go down to 3.4v on regulated devices and 3.8v on mechs. 3.8v just happens to be the point when my mechs don't perform sufficiently enough anymore.
It's not a big deal if you go lower than 3.7v occasionally. You can go a bit lower than that, in all honesty. I wouldn't worry too much about it. It only shortens your battery lifespan a bit. Whether you run it to 3.7v or 3v is not going to matter much if you're getting new batteries every 5-6 months. They're cheap enough that you can cut out the guesswork by replacing them more frequently than you might need to.
It's worth mentioning that there's no definitive voltage you should charge at. Any amount of discharge between charging cycles is damaging the battery. It's a matter of degrees, though there is a danger threshold. Most batteries indicate 2.5-2.7 as the minimum voltage. Around and beyond that the chemicals and metals in the battery degrade and the structure of it becomes compromised. The internal resistance shoots up, and thus the risk for thermal runaway is much higher. An over-discharged battery can vent if you try to charge it.
Fortunately, you'd almost have to be doing it intentionally to manage seriously over-discharging a battery. If you're using an unregulated device, then you're going to find yourself switching batteries by the time they reach 3.5v at the minimum because the performance suffers significantly before that point. Regulated devices completely won't fire whe your batteries go below 3.2v-3.5v.
The rule of thumb is to charge long before this point. The longer you wait to recharge, the more the battery suffers. It's not dangerous to discharge a battery all the way down to 3.2v every time, but it will cause the battery to lose out to voltage sag and capacity loss sooner than one consistently charged at 3.7v.
Personally, I go down to 3.4v on regulated devices and 3.8v on mechs. 3.8v just happens to be the point when my mechs don't perform sufficiently enough anymore.
It's not a big deal if you go lower than 3.7v occasionally. You can go a bit lower than that, in all honesty. I wouldn't worry too much about it. It only shortens your battery lifespan a bit. Whether you run it to 3.7v or 3v is not going to matter much if you're getting new batteries every 5-6 months. They're cheap enough that you can cut out the guesswork by replacing them more frequently than you might need to.