Just curious as to when it's time to throw away your 18650 batteries? What are the signs, etc to watch for. With all the talk on the news about batteries catching fire, I'm just wondering more about battery safety. I always charge with an external charger, always have them in their own case, never loose and never let them discharge below 3.50 volts. But I think I've been switching out the same two married pairs for either close to a year or maybe even a little more. Is it time? Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated.
When is it time to toss 18650's
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There is no right or wrong here as a years worth of use for you would be significantly different from another vaper.
I lob mine when the cell noticeably dies off quicker than it did before. This is easy to spot when you have multiples of the same type of cell of differing ages.
I lob mine when the cell noticeably dies off quicker than it did before. This is easy to spot when you have multiples of the same type of cell of differing ages.
I just replaced all of my LG HG2s after about a year of use. Whenever I get new batteries, I date them with a Sharpie.
I use REO mechanical squonkers exclusively, and I gauge when it's time to replace them, based on how much juice I'm using before they drop below 3.7 volts.
I use REO mechanical squonkers exclusively, and I gauge when it's time to replace them, based on how much juice I'm using before they drop below 3.7 volts.
Well you are supposed to properly dispose of them and not throw them away is the first thing. Recycle them!
I am not and do not claim to be a Battery Expert but here are some common things to help you stay safe.
If a battery is physically damaged it is time to recycle.
If a battery does not hold a charge or gets excessively hot while in use.
If a battery will not charge or achieve a full charge.
I am not and do not claim to be a Battery Expert but here are some common things to help you stay safe.
If a battery is physically damaged it is time to recycle.
If a battery does not hold a charge or gets excessively hot while in use.
If a battery will not charge or achieve a full charge.
I also pay attention to how much the voltage drops off while sitting on the shelf. For example: I generally rotate about 8 batteries. I typically will recharge batteries in pairs, and put them on the shelf until they come up in rotation again. If I charge a battery to 4.19 or 4.20, and when I go to use it again in a few days, and it has dropped off to 4.17 or so, it's time to retire it.
Any data supporting opinion that older batteries are not as safe as a new ones?
I just do not know. Being a low wattage vaper I do not bother myself with safety obsession, but I am curios. I have 2.5 years old batteries in my rotation ("rotation" is a bit of exaggeration for my case, I treat my mods as mods with built-in batteries, charge batteries without removing them from mods).
I just do not know. Being a low wattage vaper I do not bother myself with safety obsession, but I am curios. I have 2.5 years old batteries in my rotation ("rotation" is a bit of exaggeration for my case, I treat my mods as mods with built-in batteries, charge batteries without removing them from mods).
To answer this question, a charger with analycis functions could be helpful. I got a SkyRC MC3000 now. Pretty expensive, but worth it's price!
A sub-ohm vaper, I go through three 18650's a day. For determining when it's time to remove a battery from service I go by discharge capacity. As batteries near the end of their service life (usually well over 300 charge/discharge cycles) they don't last as long when in-use, their capacity tapers off. I normally use Samsung 25R's and at a cost of only $5 each I have no qualms about replacing them once I notice a significant reduction in capacity. I likely replace mine more often (sooner) than many people would but even so get over 300 charge/discharge cycles from a typical battery before retiring it. I visually inspect batteries before each use but have never lost one due to wrapper damage or premature failure of any kind. Again, they're so inexpensive if there were any doubt whatsoever I'd replace one in a heartbeat without thinking twice about it.
It all depends on your use of them. The performance drop off may not matter to you and you may decide to keep using them. If you are are pushing them close to their CDR then maybe not, as cells CDR will drop over time and you may be pulling more amps from them than they can safely provide. Also I believe the voltage drop under load will increase as they age.
Unfortunately there is no way of accurately measuring this (without specialist equipment) as electricity is invisible , you just have to guestimate.
Remember batteries are cheap, medical bills are expensive and pain hertz.
Unfortunately there is no way of accurately measuring this (without specialist equipment) as electricity is invisible , you just have to guestimate.
Remember batteries are cheap, medical bills are expensive and pain hertz.
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True, the CDR does drop as batteries age. This is why, as a sub ohm vaper using mechanical mods, I try to stay around 50% of CDR when setting up coils. For example, the safe CDR of LG HG2s is 20 amps. Using an ohms law calculator, I build to where the amp draw, on full charge, is around 10 amps.
I replace mine after 10 months I charge every day so they are good for about 300 cycles ..and don't throw awy I recycle
best answer yet lolummm... when they get hot and start hissing???
well I just had to explain to the hubby... that the one I yanked out of the charger needs to go... the poor thing is a depressed flattop, it's so sad. then I had to explain to him again why(cause he of courser said, nah it was fine), especially since he was going to put it in his dripbox 60w(which is probably how it got so sad, I've keep the same battery in mine all along it's wrapped), he came home from the hunting trip with it like that. I know I had the talk with him before he left *mutters* about battery safety. he probably dropped it and wont admit it.
When my LG and Samsung batteries have had over a year of heavy use, I sell them to my local B&M where they are rewrapped and sold for more $$$ as an amazingly long lasting 4000mAh/40A house brand battery.
I kid.
Prolly better than some of the rewrap junk sold these days though.
P.s. To answer the question, just after Christmas I will replace the 6 or so most heavy used batteries when I replace the 9v's in my smoke alarms and bass guitars. An annual thing that I easily remember. I also have a bunch of 18500 and 18350 batteries that are rarely used and are mostly eFests, so after 2 years, I will likely just toss them and get new AWs. "Toss" meaning recycle at the local waste facility.
I kid.
Prolly better than some of the rewrap junk sold these days though.
P.s. To answer the question, just after Christmas I will replace the 6 or so most heavy used batteries when I replace the 9v's in my smoke alarms and bass guitars. An annual thing that I easily remember. I also have a bunch of 18500 and 18350 batteries that are rarely used and are mostly eFests, so after 2 years, I will likely just toss them and get new AWs. "Toss" meaning recycle at the local waste facility.
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I have 12 18650's in rotation that my son and I both used for the past year. Probably 12 mods between us, all used for sub ohm vaping regularly. I figure that's some heavy usage. My personal preference is to replace once a year regardless. Some years the usage is heavy some years not as much. I figure a years worth of usage from batteries, especially as much as we used them this past year, is great in terms of getting my monies worth. Have ten new 18650's on their way to me now.
My two married pairs HG2 are going on two years. They still have around the same capacity as they did when I bought them. A 18650 can last 25 cycles or they can last 500 cycles it just depends how you treat them. If you're near CDR they won't last too long, if you always drain them till cut off they won't last too long. However if you keep them nice and cool, only use half (around half) of the rated CDR and recharge them at %50 they'll last a good long time.
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