When is it time to throw out a battery Max voltage wise?

[Harryinny]

After charging with my Nitecore UM10 may batteries are ranging from 4.12- 4.17 when taken off the charger. Have had these in rotation for 5 months now. They last all day still and i have run them down to 3 volts a couple times because for some reason my eVIC VTC Mini does not tell me wne the batteries are down to 10% like it is suppose to. For the life of me can not figure that one out. But anyways, when is a good time to switch them out? I am using Samsung INR-18650 25R 2500's atm. I have 2 LG H2 3000's ready to put in the rotation, or should i order 2 more LG,s and wait on adding them in?

Thoughts? Did a search and turned up nothing.

Thanks

Harry

 

[sonicbomb]

They should come off the charger at 4.2 volts. If they don't then either the batteries are past it, or the the charger is not functioning correctly.
Charge the LG's with it, if they don't hit 4.2 volts then you have an issue with the charger. If they do then your 25Rs probably need replacing.

 

[mcclintock]

They will last longer (more charge cycles) if never charged to 4.2V, and voltage drops rapidly under load anyway, there's a reason they're actually spec'd at 3.7 nominal. Did they originally measure higher or are you now just noticing? Could be the charger's better than you thought. I'm not an expert and don't know how much degradation that would indicate, but 4.2 is considered an absolute max. so it doesn't seem a like a big change yet.

If you're pushing your batteries hard, should be very careful about them. Normal use, there is some safety margin.

 

[Cumulo Vapus]

I charge my HG2s on a single battery Xtar charger….they read 4.1 when fully charged….is this a problem.

I doubt I stress them out since the amp reading never goes above 2amps when firing…..since I cape on very low watts.

 

[supertrunker]

The level at which you vape is perfectly safe and if i were you i'd pay more attention to the physical condition of the batteries than worrying if you are stressing them.

If they are old, rusty, have tears in the wrappers etc...you get the idea. Batteries are also cheap so treat yourself!

T

 

[jwbnyc]

I charge my HG2s on a single battery Xtar charger….they read 4.1 when fully charged….is this a problem.

I doubt I stress them out since the amp reading never goes above 2amps when firing…..since I cape on very low watts.

No.

Xtar chargers will take a battery up to 4.2, then settle to about 4.18-19V.

Not a problem.

 

[Train2]

As batteries age, they will stop charging at slighly lower than 4.2, I've noticed.
It seemed to me that not long after I noticed that, they also seemed to have shorter run-times, which was more of an issue than 5/100ths of a volt... It could have been in my head, but I don't think so - I think they fade more quickly than they used to.

Now, mine were more like 15-18 months in, so it wasn't unexpected...and I just steadily have been replacing all of those...

Out with the baby blues (original Samsung 25R) and in with the tootsie rolls (LGs)!!

 

[DaveP]

If they are lasting all day and the wrap appears to be intact I'd use them until they start losing vape time. 4.1x is a decent reading for a battery off the charger. It's fully charged by definition.

4.12 to 4.17 is almost 4.20v for all practical purposes. Vape time is more important than off the charger voltage. Some chargers deliberately terminate charge at a lower voltage to lengthen battery life.

Battery University explains it well in Table 2 by showing voltages considered to be a complete charge level. It also talks about saturation charging vs non-saturation charging.
Charging Lithium-Ion Batteries

 

[Harryinny]

Man thanks for all the replies. I do not use the Mod above 20 Watts, 7.7 volts 6-7 amps. I use a Kanger Toptank Mini Its same as the Protank but top fill. I use anywhere from 0.7- 1.0 ohm Kanthal coils. I do not stress the mod at all. Have the toptank set to the smallest holes and i use an Ubertoot Clone with the air hole close to shut, but i do vape all day long. Batteries last me the day and i have to change out around now 6:30-800pm and rotate them and throw the depleted one on the charger. So as long as i am still within range, i will hang out with these until is it an absolute must that i have to change them.
I am going to buy 2 more LG's so i have 4 of those in the next lineup. The batteries are all in perfect condition still. I use to direct lung and i sometimes will roll up a Ni, Ti or SS coil for temp control and do a bit harder and a bit more direct lung hits, but in my case i get real gunked up in my(what feels like) my right lung and then i am hacking all day, like a twitch that will not go away.
So thanks for all the replies, you folks are the best. So my Nitecore UM10 and batteries are still ok for now. Will test the 2 LG's i have had sitting here for 3 months. I make sure they are topped off about every week until i need to use them. Will check their voltage this week when i charge them to full.

Harry

 

[Harryinny]

Did they originally measure higher or are you now just noticing?

Just now noticing because i just used my meter to check them, i had a nice reply posted and i went to edit it and it deleted. But thanks for all the help, the Batteries are used from 12-20W 6-8amps and 2.7 volts. The batteries last all day and i have to change out around now, 7pm and the new one will last until this time the next day, and i have this thing in my hand all day lol. I use Kanthal 0.7-1.0 coils now(wrap my own and still use temp control ones when i am in the mood to do spaced coils lol. I use the smallest holes on my Kanger Toptank Mini and use an Ubertoot clone because direct inhale was making me hack, felt like my right lung was clogged up and could not get it cleared out(almost like a turrets type thing and was bugging me to no end). So i went back to just less harsh methods of vaping. I still use 18mg juice and can not figure out how it is so harsh on folks lol, i mean i can direct lung it all day and not get a harsh throat hit. yah its a pure VG base except the flavoring but still. The batteries are in fantastic shape. Will test the LG,s i have sitting here for about 3 months(top them off every week) and see what they read this week. Going to buy 2 more anyways.

Thanks for all the help you all always come through for me.
Harry

 

[puffon]

Will test the 2 LG's i have had sitting here for 3 months. I make sure they are topped off about every week until i need to use them. Will check their voltage this week when i charge them to full.

Long term storage for Li, is best at 60% charge, around 3.7v
BU-702: How to Store Batteries – Battery University

 

[Harryinny]

Long term storage for Li, is best at 60% charge, around 3.7v
BU-702: How to Store Batteries – Battery University

Wish i knew this before. This link should be in a sticky on the front page with all of the info on it.

Thank you for the help and the link.
Harry

 

[Cumulo Vapus]

Long term storage for Li, is best at 60% charge, around 3.7v
BU-702: How to Store Batteries – Battery University

I am guessing this also applies to built in li po batteries….been looking to stow away my mvp pro 3 for a few months…the charge is currently at 90%…..do you think i need to cape it down to about 60% before putting it away….and how frequently should I bring it out to recharge…i do not wan this mod dying on me….

 

[DaveP]

I am guessing this also applies to built in li po batteries….been looking to stow away my mvp pro 3 for a few months…the charge is currently at 90%…..do you think i need to cape it down to about 60% before putting it away….and how frequently should I bring it out to recharge…i do not wan this mod dying on me….

Vape on it until it reaches 50% to 60% (about 3.5v to 3.6v) and store it. Turn it off with three clicks of the fire button so it doesn't stay in standby and drain the batteries all the way while it's being stored. They will recover a tenth of a volt or so after resting a while.

 

[Harryinny]

Update: My newish(never used) LG H2 batteries are also charging to 4.16 This Nitecore UM10 must just undercharge them(so they have a longer lifespan) maybe because of how fast they seem to charge(4ish hours)? So, i ordered 2 more yesterday and they just shipped today. Now, if they are under 60% should i charge them to 60% or leave them at what they will be arriving at? Also, should i drain these other 2 LG's i have not used, drain them down to 40%-60% as per the website i was linked to? It did not mention about draining the batteries down. Since these hopefully come with a case also, fridge storage a good idea until fall when i can move them to the basement?

Just so you know, my batteries never get hot or even warm to the touch really.

Thanks all, great thread with tons of info. Thanks so much for the link to the battery site also.
Harry

 

[Baditude]

Batteries are best stored at room temperature.

How can we extend the life of our batteries?

 

[DaveP]

Update: My newish(never used) LG H2 batteries are also charging to 4.16 This Nitecore UM10 must just undercharge them(so they have a longer lifespan) maybe because of how fast they seem to charge(4ish hours)? So, i ordered 2 more yesterday and they just shipped today. Now, if they are under 60% should i charge them to 60% or leave them at what they will be arriving at? Also, should i drain these other 2 LG's i have not used, drain them down to 40%-60% as per the website i was linked to? It did not mention about draining the batteries down. Since these hopefully come with a case also, fridge storage a good idea until fall when i can move them to the basement?

Just so you know, my batteries never get hot or even warm to the touch really.

Thanks all, great thread with tons of info. Thanks so much for the link to the battery site also.
Harry

You can just use them until the mod declares battery low and then store them. Cutoff on most mods is 3.4v to 3.5v. You can take an 18650 down to 2.9v and it will still charge back up and work fine, although it's stressed more at that level. Flashlight guys do that all the time. Not all LED lights have low battery indicators, so a dimming bulb is their cue to replace batteries.