Am I vaping safely?

[redashehadeh]

I just bought my first mech mod (Nemesis clone), currently using it with a 18650 battery 35A I believe, with a .2 sub ohm build. Is that dangerous? I don't overcharge the batteries and take them off the charger right when the light turns green so it should be around 4.1 volts when I pop it into the mod. Am I at risk with a low build? If I am what do I do to continue vaping at around .2 ohms. Thanks.

 

[NancyR]

I am not going to try to answer on the safety of your build vers battery as I personally feel no one should be using 0.2 ohm builds, so will leave that part to others to help with.

... so it should be around 4.1 volts when I pop it into the mod.

But this right here. You really should be metering your cells after charging and after use.

 

[Bunnykiller]

.2 is ok if you have the right battery and dont chain vape with 7+ second draws.... one needs to give the battery a chance to take a rest between hi amp draws...

but seriously, can you really tell the difference in a .2 ohm and .3 ohm build when vaping??

 

[Spencer87]

No.
up those ohms

 

[93gc40]

NOT SAFE.......Personally I don't believe anybody should use a coil of less than 1ohm, in a first mod or even a second.. Is it safe to give a 16yearold, a Ferrari as a first car?

 

[Susan~S]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Glad to have you here!

1. If you don't know how many amps your build is drawing you have a lot of homework to do.

2. There is no 18650 battery with a CDR (continuous discharge rating) of 35A. The purple Efest batteries (as well as many others labeled as 35A) are really 20A CDR, 35A pulse. (see link below why "pulse" rating are meaningless and should not be used.

3. Your build is right at the CDR of your battery BUT it's to low because it leaves no "headroom" for safety. Either build a higher Ω coil or purchase some 30A batteries.

How much headroom should you leave? I'll quote @tj99959 as this is what I use.

Everyone is free to set their own parameters, and I can only say what mine are.

I try to never exceed 50% of the CDR of a battery. So with a 20A battery, that would be 10A.
This Ohm's Law Calculator tells me that a .4 ohm build is as low as I would want to use.

The reason that I place a 50% limit is because as a battery ages the mAh of the battery degrades, as the mAh degrades ... so does the batteries c rating. (amp limit) So down the road, your 20a battery may only be a 10a battery.

I highly recommend you spend some time with Baditude (one of our resident battery experts) and visit his blogs. You are now 100% in control of your own safety (and others around you). Make sure you purchase an ohm reader and a voltmeter or DMM so you can measure your builds, check for shorts and measure the remaining charge on your batteries.

Baditudes Blogs. The blogs that address battery safety, Ohm's Law, CDR (continuous discharge rating/Amps) and how they all work together are detailed below:

BATTERIES

Battery Basics for Mods: IMR or Protected ICR?
* Another essential read to understand which batteries are safe to use in mechanical and regulated mods. Includes a frequently updated list of recommended safe-chemistry, high-drain batteries with their specifications.

Purple Efest Batteries not as Advertised
* A cautionary blog that reveals that the purple Efest batteries may not have the specifications advertised. Also includes a commentary on "continuous discharge ratings" vs "pulse discharge ratings" of battery specs.

OHM'S LAW

Ohm's Law for Dummies (Vapers)
* My attempt at explaining Ohm's Law in layman terms and how it relates to vaping.

Explain it to the Dumb Noob: Ohm's Law Calculations
* As simple as it is to use, some people have a tough time grasping the concept. Warning: Includes graphic photos of mod explosions.

BATTERIES - WHERE TO BUY

Only buy batteries from a reputable supplier (not ebay or Amazon) as there are many counterfeit batteries being sold. Here are several reputable battery suppliers in the US.

* RTD Vapor
* Illumination Supply
* Lighthound
* Orbtronics

 

[gpjoe]

Nevermind

Susan posted a MUCH more informative response than I.

 

[Rsunderl]

Hi redashehadeh and welcome to ECF!

Congratulations on being concerned about safety and asking! :

The first question is what battery (specific make and model)? If it's the Efest 18650, the 35 Amp rating is the pulse rate, not the CDR (Continuous Discharge Rate). You always want to base the safety of what you are doing on the CDR. The CDR of the Efest is 20 amps.

With the build you have, you are drawing 21 amps from the battery, so no, it's not safe. You always want some "headroom" in your amperage draw for safety. A better build for a 20 amp battery would be .3 - .4 ohms. Google Steam Engine coil calculator and plug in the numbers.

Also, are you using a good ohm meter to check your coils? Basing the ohms just off of an online calculator won't show you that your build is actually what you targeted for or doesn't have a short somewhere.

For info on batteries Baditude has several excellent blog posts on the subject. His blogs on battery safety are a must read before you venture into the world of sub-ohm vaping.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/for...ected-icr.html

Reliable sources for batteries:
Batteries-Chargers-Flashlights-Only The Best
Authentic AW Batteries - RTD Vapor
Illumn.com - Flashlights, Batteries, Carry Gear, Intelligent LED Lighting, and More!

Do not buy batteries from eBay or Amazon. Some of their third party sellers sell fakes.

... and finally, here's a link that explains things in pretty simple terms: Vaping Battery Safety & Ohms Law Illustrated and explained in very simple terms

Hope it helps and Happy Vaping!

 

[Topwater Elvis]

Drawing 21a from a 20a CDR battery is never a good idea or 'safe'.

 

[redashehadeh]

Thanks a lot for the answers guys. Very helpful.

 

[tj99959]

The main problem is that there is no room for error at 0.2 ohms, and the only way to measure 0.2 ohms accurately is with a "macro" ohm meter. (a cheap one is about $3,500)

And I'll simply stand by the quote that Susan posted.

 

[WillyZee]

IMO ... you should up your build to the level you personally know is safe.

if you don't know ... it's not safe.