Battery Charging Frequency

[oldleatherlungs]

I'm new to vaping and have been spending a lot of time on the web trying to get educated and I have a query about how often you should charge batteries for you PV.

These batteries do not suffer from the memory effect of Ni-Cad ones so it it's not necessary to completely discharge them before putting them back on charge, but is it best to charge them little and often.
I see references to the number of typical charge cycles a battery will last for so will charging more often shorten the life of the battery.
I have 2 Innokin Itaste vv/vw v3.0 which indicate state of charge but at the moment I don't wait for the lights to show red - I put them on recharge when they drop below 3.8 volts and charge them until the green light goes off to indicate full charge at 4.2 volts. Am I doing the right thing ?

 

[anthonyjl]

I'm with you, I constantly worry that I am shortening the life of my battery. For me it is even more difficult because my current battery doesn't have an indicator of its charge status and the last thing I want is to be caught out and about with a dead battery.

 

[DetraMental]

I've wondered this exact thing so I tend to let mine die and then charge them. I have plenty of back-ups so it's no problem if one dies or if two or three die, I'll still have one to do the job. I was told it wasn't a good idea to let them die, I can't remember why....stupid short-term memory. Hopefully someone with the knowledge we seek will be by soon.

 

[TheVaporBear]

Hey guys,

I have not had a lot of issues with my batts over the years - When I started vaping in 2008, I used unprotected RCR-123A's, and had charging issues, as they didn't last for long at all (good charging ratio's & times).

However, I use either AW IMR 18650's or MNKE 18650's, and have not had any issues with them lasting less.

The protected one's are ALWAYS the best, and will last the longest.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Rader2146]

It's pretty hard to screw up when charging a battery for a regulated device. The battery protection features will limit you from over-discharging the battery; usually cut-off is @ 3.2V. 3.8V is very early. If you have to go out of your way to recharge at that point, there is no reason to do so. Keep vaping until it's convenient to charge.

Many will cite Battery University and tell you it's better to charge early. If you want to measure your battery life by "charge cycles", then yes, charging early will get you more charge cylces. But if you measure your battery life like normal people do, in months or years, then there is very little to gain. Again...charge when it is convenient, dont go out of your way to try to gain some trivial "charge cycles".

 

[Dan Knight]

This is for Lithium Ion batteries: Lithium-Ion Battery Life: Practices to Optimize the Life of Your Battery

 

[DetraMental]

Thank you for the link, this is the part that we need to refer to:

Before first use, apply a full charge to your device. Typically lithium-ion devices are pre charged to about 50% capacity.

Lithium-ion batteries do not need a full discharge and recharge to maintain its battery life. In fact, smaller discharges are better.

Do not allow the battery to be fully discharged for more than one day.

Do not allow fully charged batteries to sit for extended periods of time (months). If batteries must be stored, store at a 40% charge to prevent loss of capacity.

When storing for long periods of time, apply a discharge/charge once every 1-3 months.

Avoid physical impact as this will affect the overall integrity of the battery.

Avoid temperatures below freezing or above 122 degrees Fahrenheit. For both high and low temperatures, the further the operating temperature is from room temperature the faster the battery degrades.

Lithium-ion batteries are prone to overheating, so provide proper ventilation for your device. Ironically, one of the worst things for your laptop is working with it on your lap for an extended period of time. The heat of the battery plus your body temperature can cause your device to overheat. Use on a table or lap table will allow the heat to better dissipate.

 

[stylezuk]

I always wait till i get Vamo stop that's at 3.2v but the UDT-V9 with KIck 2 it's 2.7v then place on charge since i have a cheap charger only light indicator when hit green i leave them an extra 30 mins and remove. Always only charge a battery when attended.

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

Memory effect found in Lithium-ion:
Memory effect now also found in lithium-ion batteries
I discharge my batts down to about 3.5 volts. Once each month I fully discharge and recharge.

 

[Rader2146]

Memory effect found in Lithium-ion:
Memory effect now also found in lithium-ion batteries
I discharge my batts down to about 3.5 volts. Once each month I fully discharge and recharge.

Memory effect has only been confirmed in LiFEPo4 (3.0v Li-Ion) batteries, and the effect is drastically different than the traditional memory effect of NiCd batteries. In LiFePO4 the effect is easily reversible from charge to charge and the true effects are irrelevant to our use.

 

[Traver]

If you really want to know charging at 3.6 volts to 4.0 volts will give the longest battery life but I don't know if that would add a few extra days or months.I suppose it depends on what you are comparing it too. My own opinion is that the quality of the battery is far more important.

In my case I usually take a battery out of my provari every morning and charge it to 4.19 volts. Onthe provari the low battery warning lights goes on at about 3.6 volts and I never go lower then that. When a battery no loner makes it through the day it is time for new batteries. I cycle two batteries and good ones last me about two years before that blinking light comes on before the end of the day.
Lesser quality batteries have only lasted 6 months.