Charging Overnight?

[Oryx]

So I have been vaping for almost a year now and still don't fully understand whether or not it is safe to charge batteries overnight (and some other battery stuff).. Probably a ridiculously noob question lol but I've searched everywhere (kinda) and didn't find a clear answer. I also don't want to have a potential pipe bomb sitting in my room where they charge lol. So my questions are as follows:

1. Does the safety of "overnight charging" depend on what type of battery is being charged? (i.e. IMR, 18650, AW, 18350, xxx mAh)

2. Which batteries are protected? Do you look for the label like "Li-on" or "IMR" ?

3. If it is safe to charge batteries overnight, does it affect the life span of the battery?

4. What is "IMR" "AW" and "ICR"?



Thanks! And please excuse my nooby questions haha this is the only thing i never really understood

 

[Nermal]

I'm new to the whole thing too, Oryx, but I've been working under the assumption that it's the same as a cell phone. Plug it in and forget it. That's what I've been doing for the past week or two, with no problems to date. If I'm wrong, don't send me a bill; I'm only passing on my own limited experience.

By the way, do you or someone else know how to keep up with your threads and posts? I'm sure it's obvious to everyone else.

 

[Esharp]

I charge my batteries overnight. I have ego twist, 18650 and PCC. I can not answer the question regarding battery life, but I am sure someone here will know.

 

[Katya]

Hello Oryx and welcome to ECF.

No, I don't charge my batteries overnight. If you have to that, get a battery charging bag, like the one below--they are widely available.

Li-Po Battery Charging Bag (Silver Small) - HeliPal

As for your other questions, how much do you want to know?

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/ecf-library/129569-rechargeable-batteries.html

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...-rechargeable-batteries-apvs.html#post2019025

That's for starters.

 

[Katya]

I'm new to the whole thing too, Oryx, but I've been working under the assumption that it's the same as a cell phone. Plug it in and forget it. That's what I've been doing for the past week or two, with no problems to date. If I'm wrong, don't send me a bill; I'm only passing on my own limited experience.

By the way, do you or someone else know how to keep up with your threads and posts? I'm sure it's obvious to everyone else.

A lot of people charge their batteries overnight, but it's really not recommended. Sometimes, rarely, things do go wrong and bad things happen. Batteries vent and may cause fire. Better be safe than sorry.

I navigate the forum via My Posts; I go to What's New on the left side of the dark blue bar and choose My Posts from the drop down window--the screen shows all the threads I've posted in--the bolded ones are the threads replied to.

You can also access you post in several ways--like clicking on your handle above your avatar--and choose View Forum Posts.

 

[Bill's Magic Vapor]

Shouldn't charge batteries overnight. Some batteries are protected, some have better chemistry, some have both, size is a variable, as well, etc. Good, concise information that I have seen (other than here on ECF) is:

The Premier Electronic Cigarette (ECig) Supplier in Canada - E Cigarette/E-CIG/Personal Vaporizers, DIY, Vaping, Smoke, eLiquid

Also, this information complies with standards outlined from Battery University (Basic to Advanced Battery Information from Battery University). Modern batteries can be very, very safe. Not all manufacturers are the same, not all batteries are the same, all have the potential to ruin your day. My two cents. Vape on!

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

You shouldn't charge batts overnite in case the batts or charger shutoff systems fail. I had an issue where the batt was being overcharged and was getting very warm. Fortunately I was home. If you must charge overnite do it in a safety bag or metal container. Always buy quality batts and chargers.

 

[xjonquilx]

Quality charger: an intelligent charger... generally not the entry level chargers that come with kits (the most common of which is the Trustfire TR-001). You don't have to spend a heavy chunk of change to get a quality charger... the Nitecore i2 is only about $20.

And TBH, the occasional overnight charge in a pinch probably isn't going to do any harm. Just make sure you take the proper precautions with quality equipment (i.e. intelligent charger & Li-Mn batts on a inflammable surface... I definitely would not suggest pulling it with Lion batts and/or a regular charger) and don't make it a habit.

Also, there's a side effect of the regular chargers I haven't seen mentioned in the above links, which is odd, because it's an immediate and money-draining problem. They don't stop charging when the battery is full. They won't blow up the battery in most cases, but they do emit a trickle that wears down the battery life, resulting in you having to replace batteries more often unless you happen to be the type that watches them charge and then pulls them off immediately when done charging. That's why electronics as of late can be left on chargers, but a few years ago this wasn't the case and it would kill rechargeable batteries to be left in this fashion... electronics only recently started commonly sporting the technology to stop charging their batteries when the battery reaches full capacity.

 

[kiwivap]

4. What is "IMR" "AW" and "ICR"?

AW is a brand name.
IMR is a type of battery chemistry - Li-Mn, which is a safer chemistry then standard Li-ions. IMRs are recommended as better for APVs/mods.
ICR stands for Lithium cobalt - these are not recommended as the best for APVs/mods.
APV/mod - advanced vaporiser that takes replaceable batteries.

 

[Nermal]

Hey, it worked! Thanks Katya. This is only the third forum I've joined, and each has it's own conventions and ways of navigating.

And thanks for the correction on overnight charging

 

[Nermal]

And thank you too, xjonquilx. That's all helpful, even if I don't commit it all to memory.

Dang it, folks! I just wanted an enjoyable smoking substitute. This is beginning to look like a new hobby, or even an avocation. I'm using the simple Pro Smoke, and just love it - when the battery is up, the cartridge is full, and everything else happens to be working at the same time.

 

[Wow1420]

I have heard that charger and batteries can overheat when placed inside a charging bag. They are designed to have the charger outside the bag with leads to the batteries inside. I do not use one. I place my charger on a piece of heavy ceramic tile.

Overnight charging safety depends on the charger. A good charger may be fine, but I'd rather not risk it.

 

[kas122461]

The only battery I have charged over night is my evic, it takes forever to charge this thing! I have only done it twice though, with the charger that came with it. I guess I should get an xtra battery & a seperate charger for it.

 

[NancyB]

I've had a charging battery cable (USB type) warm up and melt, ie, stink up our room! So I tend to 'second' the caution, to not charge batteries when you're not there to take action IF something comes up.

Another point that hasn't been discussed (here) is whether it's ok or not to 'top off' a rechargeable battery.... I did this several times on my first 650 variable voltage one and it has slowly lost it's ability to hold a full charge and last as long as the other three of similar size do (a minimum of a full day's use, plus some the next day) - I also try not to use the same top/clearo/tank on the same battery day after day - I change them out, mixing them up - .... now, don't ask my why, ok? haha but find that all are being used more often and that they 'randomly' come up needing to be recharged - I guess what I'm trying to eliminate is that all four need charging at the same time (and I'll be 'without' for a bit of time [2+ hrs]).
Thanks to everyone who have posted their questions and some their answers - tis all educational and helpful !! p.s. I have used my P-Touch label maker to print out labels for my batteries (No.1, No.2, No.3, No.4) - I wanted to see how long they were lasting me with continual use and mixed use - as well as how long it was taking to charge each of them. ie, lots of note taking, but very helpful in the end. I now know 'if' I have time before we head on off to bed to finish charging one or whether I should wait until we get up in the morning to plug it in.

 

[Myrany]

FOr those without a label maker I have my own cheap solution to label both batterys AND clearomizers.

Narrow painters tape. You can write on it and it peels off with ZERO residue.

Since I DIY juices most of my juices have little to no color. Telling the difference between Watermelon and strawberry is impossible without tasting. So I just label the clearo.

 

[twiggums]

I have heard that charger and batteries can overheat when placed inside a charging bag. They are designed to have the charger outside the bag with leads to the batteries inside. I do not use one. I place my charger on a piece of heavy ceramic tile.

Overnight charging safety depends on the charger. A good charger may be fine, but I'd rather not risk it.

+1

please DO NOT use a LIPO sack when charging your batteries unless they're separate from the charger.. chargers heat up,, putting them in a bag, with the batteries is a mistake waiting to happen. those bags are designed for charging systems in which the charger is separate from the batteries and not in the bag.

 

[Smokachino]

FOr those without a label maker I have my own cheap solution to label both batterys AND clearomizers.

Narrow painters tape. You can write on it and it peels off with ZERO residue.

Since I DIY juices most of my juices have little to no color. Telling the difference between Watermelon and strawberry is impossible without tasting. So I just label the clearo.

Great idea, thanks! I may try this to label my DIY liquid concoctions.

Thanks to all for the battery info. I don't charge mine overnight, and it's good to be reminded why I shouldn't.

 

[Myrany]

Great idea, thanks! I may try this to label my DIY liquid concoctions.

Thanks to all for the battery info. I don't charge mine overnight, and it's good to be reminded why I shouldn't.

Yep that is what I do with juice bottles also painters tape has many uses. I started using it labeling food containers for the deep freeze LOL

 

[twiggums]

FWIW i charge mine overnight and have yet to have my house burn down. i have kept a ceramic bowl beneath the outlet and charge them next to the bed, just in case. but so far smooth sailing. checked the voltage and it's always 4.20v. sure there's always a chance they could go up in flames. but so can my car, TV, computer, cell phone, laptop, fridge, freezer, main breaker, etc. Anything with electricity can short and cause a fire, it's a numbers game in the end. odds are quite low any of that will go up in flames,, but it might, it always COULD happen. however i'm not going to remove my cars battery every night, unplug all appliances, stow away all cellphone/laptop batteries, etc.

Don't get me wrong I understand the concerns as i've dealt with lipo batteries for some time now. li batteries in general are volatile and have potential for doing some major damage with their large relative capacity and high discharge rates, especially in comparison to previous battery techs. But everything we do is a calculated risk. Theres potential for catastrophic failure in lots of parts of every day life, heck an plane could fall out of the sky and kill me any second, but i'm not going to spend my day outside watching for planes every day just in case.

Anyways enough rambling. i'm not trying to say anyone should be reckless with the batteries in these devices, there's true potential for plenty of damage. But that's a fact of life and in my experience the chance of catastrophic failure is relatively low. Heck most of us used to suck on sticks that WOULD give us cancer and kill us eventually. Atleast the odds are in my favor this time.

 

[Demigodzx]

invest in an i4 intelli charger, ive been using it ever since i got into mechanical mods and its fantastic