Stacking 18350's

[edgywedgy]

I have a serious question for those long time or advanced vapers out there... Would stacking 18350's be safe? Heres my logic and pls feel free to bash if its wrong..Stacking them would give me approx 7.2v, means i dont have to go subohm to get the vape i want..means i can make 2-3ohm coils without pulling the same amps i do on subohm dual coils. Just wanna know if its really safe.. Thanks in advance!


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[roadie]

I have a serious question for those long time or advanced vapers out there... Would stacking 18350's be safe? Heres my logic and pls feel free to bash if its wrong..Stacking them would give me approx 7.2v, means i dont have to go subohm to get the vape i want..means i can make 2-3ohm coils without pulling the same amps i do on subohm dual coils. Just wanna know if its really safe.. Thanks in advance!


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I'm not a fan of stacking batteries, and I've heard not to do it. However, I've never done it. I'm curious what the responses will be from more knowledgable folks on here...............

I'd rather just drop the resistance to get the wattage I want.

 

[EvilZoe]

I've only ever heard people say to NOT do it.

 

[Funk Dracula]

This was a recent thread:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...087-high-voltage-high-ohm-mechanical-mod.html


Basically, it's fine if you keep the resistance higher and current draw in check.

It's not done so much because:

1.) Requires more diligence with battery monitoring.

2.) It's easier for something to go wrong.

3.) Your getting way less runtime with 18350 batteries.


The main thing you need to keep in mind is that you have to use paired batteries that are as close as possible in their condition. They should always be used, and charged in pairs. It's when one battery is working harder than the other that trouble arises. (internal resistance, charge level, etc)

Example:
- stacking a fresh of the charger 4.2V battery on top of a nearly dead 2.7V battery = BAD.

Also, not all batteries age equally. So the older the batteries, the more "mis-matched" they are likely to become even if they started off as a brand new pair working together. Internal resistance increases over every charge cycle of a battery.


In a nutshell, it's kind of just not worth it because it's a pain in the ballz. There are easier ways to do high voltage, high resistance vaping.

 

[ImThatGuy]

I would advise not to do so...most everyone will as well...

 

[Baditude]

What kind of batteries are you going to stack? Protected ICR or safer chemistry IMR?

What brand of batteries are you going to use? There's a very wide difference between brands, and this distinguishes the higher quality batteries from the lesser quality batteries. Do you know which brands are considered to be the best (and safest)?

Stacking batteries is generally frowned upon in the vaping community. You have to ask yourself is the added risk in battery safety worth the results. A single large battery is always going to be safer than two smaller stacked batteries. There was a time when stacking batteries in mechanical mods for higher voltage was "the thing". Then regulated mods came about and made it possible to experience higher voltage without the risks of battery stacking. Now its sub-ohm coils for mechanical mods. There are those who state that you can get the same results from micro-coils without the risks involved with sub-ohm vaping.

In some mods, you can fit two 18350's when the mod is configured for an 18650. This boosts the voltage output from 3.6V to 7.2V which means more vapor. Yay. BUT, you probably should never do this. Unless you are familiar with matching batteries, you are only endangering yourself and others. Sometimes, just because you can doesn't mean you should.

You may think, "Hey, laptops have multiple batteries in them, why can't my e-cig?" Laptop batteries are specifically designed for stacking and are paired for use at the factory. When using un-matched batteries, they will discharge and provide current at different rates. This means one battery will continuously take more of the stress than the other.

You may not notice any trouble at the start, but as the batteries age with use the problem will become more severe. Push the batteries a bit further and now you've entered the realm of thermal runaway (see pics below). Downside being that one battery entering thermal runaway will push the other battery into thermal runaway. Now you have two small, flaming explosives only inches from your face. Save your teeth and home, don't stack batteries .

If you really feel the need for higher voltage, just get a regulated VV/VW mod. It will have built-in protective circuitry to keep you reasonably safe where a mechanical mod will not.

 

[Slobalt7]

PM Badittude. He could give you a good run down of why it is bad/ill advised/tedious/ect.

Edit, he ninja'd me.

 

[DJLEC]

I have a question on the AW 18350. Have been using 4 in rotation in the time frame that my Banner indicates below and using a Pila Charger.

Have noticed on a couple of them a longitudinal or crease line from the bottom of the cell to the top of the cell. They are not bulged but a line that you can feel with the finger.

I tried to search this but came up blank.

Is it time to let them go?

 

[wv2win]

I've been stacking 18350's for years and never had a problem. It is important to always use matched pairs, rotate which battery goes in first, use high quality batteries like AW, as well as have a vented APV. And if your PV has built in protection circuitry, you are doubly protected. If you follow these rules, you will be fine. As PBusardo has pointed out many times, using two 18350's provides a more accurate power output.

Be wary of those who say "never do it", like you are dealing with nuclear waste.

 

[tj99959]

The irony is that while voltage goes up the available amperage does not. So getting higher wattage doesn't quite work the way you would think, you still have the amp limit of a single battery. Because of the voltage you can get higher wattage than you can from a single 18350, (6 amp limit) but you can actually get higher wattage from a single 18650 battery. (30 amp limit)

You need to understand that comparing what happens with stacked batteries in a VV/VW device to what happens with stacked batteries in a mechanical device is like comparing apples to oranges.
In the relegulated device there is an amp limiter preventing you from discharging the battery at to high a rate. In the mechanical device all that prevents dscharging at an unsafe rate is common sense. (and it's really easy to exceed a 6 amp limit with one)

 

[John_]

I have a serious question for those long time or advanced vapers out there... Would stacking 18350's be safe? Heres my logic and pls feel free to bash if its wrong..Stacking them would give me approx 7.2v, means i dont have to go subohm to get the vape i want..means i can make 2-3ohm coils without pulling the same amps i do on subohm dual coils. Just wanna know if its really safe.. Thanks in advance!


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If you're going to do it you need to fix the batteries together with something like electrical tape so they are permanently formed into one battery. Then you need to find a charger capable of charging your new battery.

 

[Vermonster13]

In the old days we just marked sets with markers to be sure we had the right matched sets. There was no VV or micro-coils. For a harder hit you stacked batteries and if you were smart about it you were fine.

 

[tmcase]

I've been stacking 18350's for years and never had a problem. It is important to always use matched pairs, rotate which battery goes in first, use high quality batteries like AW, as well as have a vented APV. And if your PV has built in protection circuitry, you are doubly protected. If you follow these rules, you will be fine. As PBusardo has pointed out many times, using two 18350's provides a more accurate power output.

Be wary of those who say "never do it", like you are dealing with nuclear waste.

I totally agree with wv2win. I stack 18350's all the time but only on vv mods with built in protection. I've never had a problem.

 

[jazdale]

is an 18350 the same as a cr123a?

 

[tmcase]

is an 18350 the same as a cr123a?

They are the same voltage but are skinnier so could be sloppy loose in some mods.

 

[eMats]

I stacked cr123 batteries for years. I do have them marked and didn't leave them charging when I wasn't home. I also replaced them regularly - approx. 6 months or so. Never had a problem on a mech mod using 2.8 - 3 ohm atomizers. It was what got me off cigarettes and I learned early on how to handle them. Now that I own so much equipment I don't use them much except for nostalgic reasons, if I do, I use a single 17670 3.7v with a lower resistance atomizer.