A Guide to Battery Safety for removable batteries
Battery safety is one of the most important practices in vaping, especially when the device needs removable batteries. At Tablites we want our customers to enjoy their vaping experience safely and hassle free and a basic knowledge of battery safety will go a long way to ensure that. Over the years as vaping has evolved there are many devices available that require the use of a removable battery such as an 18650 which is the most popular and although completely safe and reliable when used correctly, they can pose a danger if mistreated or used incorrectly. This guide will give you the information you need to make sure that you never run into these issues and have only positives without the negatives. That’s the last of the battery puns, we promise! Let’s get into it.
What are Lithium Ion Batteries?
Lithium Ion batteries are the most popular type of battery currently used worldwide, they are used in many electronic devices such as mobile phones, laptop computers, tablets, power tools and of course, your favourite vaping devices. They are perfectly safe to use and offer a good amount of battery life and many charging cycles which make them a perfect fit for modern life. If used incorrectly however, they can also quickly turn into a serious danger with fire and explosion being a rare but very real possibility. But, by following a few golden rules they are no more dangerous that a house plant.
Lithium ion batteries are rated by their mAh capacity and amp limit.
mAh stands for milliampere-hour which is the measurement for how much power the battery can give over a one hour time period so a 2400 mAh battery could give out 2400 milliamperes (2.4 amps) of power over one continuous hour before needing to be recharged, as you only press the button on a vaping device for a few seconds at a time this equates to many hours of vaping before needing to put the battery on charge.
The amp rating of a battery tells the user how much power can be drawn from the battery safely, so it is very important to select a battery that is suitable for the resistance of the coil you are planning to use. There are ohms calculators available online to help you, see our Ultimate Guide to Sub-Ohm Vaping for a more detailed explanation. This becomes extremely important if you are looking to use sub ohm coils as this will draw much more power from the battery.
Charging your batteries safely
When it is time to charge your battery it is always best to use an external charger rather than using your vape device. The charging port on your device is ok in a pinch but the safest method is a separate charger. There are many different brands and types of chargers available but they’re all very similar in the way they operate. A multi bay charger is best so you can charge more than one battery at once and if possible, go for one with a USB-C connection so it charges faster.
As for safety precautions when charging, the most important one is NEVER leave your batteries charging unattended or overnight as if there was to be a problem you won't be able to deal with it immediately. Other than that just make sure the charger is compatible with a wall charger before using it with one, if the battery casing is ripped or damaged do not use it and make sure the battery is put into the charger the right way round. Once charged, batteries should be removed from the charger as soon as possible and not left for prolonged periods of time and stored safely (we’ll get to how to do that in a minute). There are also other safety measures you can take while charging such as using a charging bag or mat that will give further protection if the charger has a problem.
How to store your battery safely
While not in use your battery must be stored in a battery case or tube. This is extremely important. Batteries must NEVER be stores loose in pockets or bags and NEVER around loose metals such as keys or coins. This can actually complete the circuit and allow batteries to discharge which can lead to venting, fire and explosion. It is just not worth the risk. At Tablites we give battery cases away free with the purchase of a battery if the user doesn’t have one to ensure safety and are always happy to educate our customers on the importance of battery safety.
What is battery venting?
OK, let’s get the scary bit out of the way! Battery venting is the absolute worst case scenario and thankfully is something that is extremely rare and really only happens due to misuse. If you are using a regulated device that has a screen and circuitry it will have built in safety features which make venting inside the device virtually impossible. As long as your batteries are stored in a case when not in your device you should have no problems but it is still worth knowing what to look out for and what to avoid.
Venting is when a battery expels all the gasses inside very quickly. This happens when the battery has been over discharged or has suffered a hard short, for instance if stored in a pocket with coins. The results can be severe with serious burns highly likely but can be totally avoided with very simple precautions like always storing batteries in a case and making sure your device is locked before stowing away in a bag or pocket.
How to know your battery is damaged?
If a battery is damaged it can lead to issues as the contacts become exposed and makes hard shorts much more likely. Here are a few things to look out for:
- The wrapping on the battery is torn or peeling
- The battery is dented or heavily scratched or tarnished
- There is a liquid residue around the positive contact
Any of these signs shows the battery is damaged and in almost all cases will need to be replaced. If the battery wrapping has been torn this can be replaced by purchasing battery wraps which can then be fitted by the user, there are several YouTube videos with instructions on how to do this but you may just want to replace the battery itself as it may have had some further damage other than the battery wrap.
Multiple battery devices
Some high power devices will need more than one battery so there are a couple of things to keep in mind while using this style of device.
Always use “Married Pairs” of batteries. This means that you buy the amount of batteries you need as new together and only use and charge them together at all times. It is good practice to mark the batteries A,B,C etc or 1,2,3 etc so you know which battery is which and can identify it and track its lifespan much easier. Each time you take them off the charger put them in to opposite bays in the device as some devices can pull more power from one side more than the other so this will even out their usage over time. If you notice one battery is draining more than the other/s you may want to replace them and start a new married set of batteries. This will help the batteries have a longer lifespan and is also the safest method when using multiple batteries.
Summary
We hope this information is helpful and you now understand battery safety and can use your batteries and vaping devices with confidence. Remember that you do not need to be worried or scared of using a removable battery but you must respect them at all times and you should have no problems. If you would like further information or help selecting which battery is right for your device do not hesitate to get in contact with us through the website or give our head office a call.