When should I discard a battery?

[Winblows]

I wonder, what are the not visual signs of that a battery deserves to rest in peace?

1. I have some 1850 batteries that are over a year old. Is age "alone" a purpose to trash a battery (not necesserly charged every day) ?

2. of my batteries gets quite warm while charging. Are they trash-ready ?

3. They are still performing well.

 

[denali_41]

Being a year old is no reason to them,i have batteries from 5/16 that are still running strong
rarely do i ever charge over .5 and i dont really vape over 50 watts ,i only have one set up over 50

when they stop taking a full charge or don't seem to be providing the same run as new,then its time to replace

 

[mimöschen]

Replace your cells when their capacity drops to 80%, after 300 charge cycles, or when they're damaged. Whichever occurs first.

 

[Myk]

or don't seem to be providing the same run as new

I would have to replace batteries every week. I notice a drop with Samsung and LG right off. After that it's slower.

 

[sonicbomb]

If the battery takes noticeably longer to charge and/or does not seem to last as long then it may be time to replace it. The rough guide is 300 full discharge cycles which can equate to between one and two years of vaping. However this is completely dependent on how the battery has been used.
How warm the battery gets during charging is directly related to how hard you are charging it. I suppose if it gets significantly hotter now than it used to using the same charging amperage, that could be an indicator of increased internal resistance and and age.

If you feel it is performing badly, then it's time to replace it.

Another factor to consider is that the CDR of a battery will decrease with age. So if you are riding close to the known new CDR of a given battery on a regular basis, then an aged battery that appears to perform OK well may still be putting you in the red zone.

I replace batteries older than 2 years regardless of how they perform.
Batteries are cheap, burns hurt, medical bills are expensive.

 

[DaveP]

I guess people have used carbon-zinc and alkaline batteries all their life and expect lithium batteries to be the same old safe batteries they've always used. Any battery produces heat when shorted, but the higher capacity of lithium packs a lot of power in a small package.

Tools enclose lithium batteries inside packs as the manufacturer intended. We use loose cells and people carry spares in their pockets, unfortunately. The more the news talks about the dangers the more people will notice the dangers. That's my hope.

Then, there are mods with magnetic battery covers. Some of those have popped loose and caused the "battery in a pocket" fire and explosion. Mods with magnetic battery covers should not be pocket carried. No coins or any other conductive items should be in a pocket or purse with a mod. Silicone sleeves come to mind as a good safety device for mods with magnetic covers.

Maybe all lithium cells should come with a sticker that says, "Danger of fire or explosion if carried loose in a pocket. Use appropriate carrying cases designed for lithium cells".

 

[Rossum]

1. I have some 1850 batteries that are over a year old. Is age "alone" a purpose to trash a battery (not necesserly charged every day) ?

One year? Heck no. I have some cells that are now four years old that are still performing well. The standard battery warranty in the electric car business (both pure electric and plug-in hybrid) is 8 years. I have some "12V" Bosch power tools with battery packs consisting of three 18650s that are from 2011 that still perform quite well. While there is certainly some degradation that's purely a function of age, this is relatively minor compared to the degradation that comes from cycling them, and the wear from cycling depends on how hard they are cycled.

2. of my batteries gets quite warm while charging. Are they trash-ready ?

Hmm... Do some get noticeably warmer than others in the same charger? What kind of charger? What charging current? Have you checked that they're not getting over-charged, i.e. that it never takes them above 4.2V?

At 0.5A, I'm not seeing more than a barely perceptible temperature increase from any of mine.

3. They are still performing well.

Then I would keep using them. But... I am a tootle-puffer who is not hard on his cells at all, generally only pulling 30-40% of CDR. If you're pushing yours hard, then you might want to take a more conservative approach, because the internal resistance of cells definitely increases with use.

 

[DaveP]

At Tootle Puffer levels we get long vape times and long life from cells. It's a benny! I have some years old AW Red 18650's that still work fine at 10W. They sit in plastic battery boxes just because my 3000mah batteries yield longer vape times.

The danger of old batteries is dendrite formation. Little paths form in the electrolyte with use. If one of those touches the outer case, then it's a short and the battery can enter meltdown mode. It's an unseen danger that can't be detected by the user.

This is a promising technology.
https://phys.org/news/2018-01-dendrite-free-lithium-battery.html

 

[stols001]

I have over a year old batteries BUT I vape at low wattages and recharge before I get the battery low warning (at least, when I NOTICE, I do). Also, some batteries will get warm when charging, and that is acceptable (many chargers will let you change settings to charge slower, that is likely to reduce strain on the batteries as well).

I wouldn't say heat (if not alarmingly hot) alone would be a reason to switch out necessarily and it depends on your vaping style and how many batteries you have in rotation as well. I have enough that my batteries get some rest between charges.

For me, if I notice a drop off in performance and/or they're really elderly well I'll replace them. It's not uncommon to get more than a year on a battery but if you vape high wattages and are testing them near the limits of their capacity and also recharging more frequently well, that can cause issues, etc.

However, despite what you read, these are YOUR batteries and YOUR body safety. I would say "Do what feels right for YOU," and etc. Batteries are inexpensive. If I'm getting edgy about one, I replace it (or the set).

Anna

 

[Letitia]

Just to play it safe I replace at 2 years.

 

[Baditude]

• When should you replace a battery? - Battery Mooch

 

[chellie]

I replace on average at least annually and/or when performance degrades or when I notice they are getting warmer than usual

 

[SnowDog]

I have a few old mods and some cigalike batteries that I want to discard. We have a bin at work for depositing used batteries but everything in those bins are regular batteries like Duracells and Eveready's. I don't feel right depositing Lithium Ion batteries in there and I know better than to just toss them in the garbage.

Where/how do you folks dispose of your batteries? Do vape shops collect them?

 

[puffon]

Where/how do you folks dispose of your batteries? Do vape shops collect them?

Home Depot

 

[SnowDog]

Home Depot

Thank you. Unfortunately, the closest one is about 40 miles away in Jacksonville and I haven't been to Jacksonville in several years.

 

[chellie]

I have a few old mods and some cigalike batteries that I want to discard. We have a bin at work for depositing used batteries but everything in those bins are regular batteries like Duracells and Eveready's. I don't feel right depositing Lithium Ion batteries in there and I know better than to just toss them in the garbage.

Where/how do you folks dispose of your batteries? Do vape shops collect them?

I use home depot. They have a bin. My bad batteries are usually discharged and I wrap it in saran wrap or some kind of plastic bag and drop it in the bin.

 

[chellie]

Thank you. Unfortunately, the closest one is about 40 miles away in Jacksonville and I haven't been to Jacksonville in several years.

Rexx will take your batteries for disposal and/or recycling

Rexx Battery Company & Battery Contact Inc.
2945 E Clear Lake Ave, Springfield, IL 62702
(217) 789-6049
Rexx Battery Company Products page

Chellie

 

[SnowDog]

Rexx will take your batteries for disposal and/or recycling

Rexx Battery Company & Battery Contact Inc.
2945 E Clear Lake Ave, Springfield, IL 62702
(217) 789-6049
Rexx Battery Company Products page

Chellie

Fantastic! Thank you, Chellie!

 

[score69]

Home Depot

Thanks for this. Never knew Home Depot had a recycle bin for batteries.

I have a nice collection that needs recycled at this point that I've got taped up with electrical tape. Time to recycle some motor oil and batteries this weekend.