I've been using my battery for long over a year. What should I look out for and when should I change it?
When to change your battries
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Yes and no. Tears in the plastic can be repaired with new heat shrink wrappings. A battery with a torn plastic sleeve IS dangerous though. Another danger is straight out battery wear. This can be detected by checking voltage sag the particulars of which is best described in Mooch's blog | E-Cigarette Forum which is a great read for those who want to know about batteries
Thank you for the reply, I will go take a look. Just want to ensure safety when using products like this (electrical products)
As @bombastinator stated, Mooch is a valuable wealth of battery knowledge, yet here are things to consider:
1) Batteries are not rated in lifespan by months or years, they are rated in charge cycles, the number of full charges the batteries can have done to them from 2.5v lowest charge to 4.2v highest charge (full charge, or full charge cycle.
2) Most batteries the full charge cycle rating is between 250 to 300 full charges, doing half charges can add almost double those number of cycles to near 400 to 500 or even 600 charges, recharging from median rated charge level of 3.7v or around that voltage up full charge again can extend the life of a battery.
3) 2 key ways of determining if a battery is old and worn out, are first being the battery under load or use (firing) will heat up more than it used to, as it's internal resistance is increasing and causing restriction on the flow of ions internally, which builds up heat, new batteries run cooler, older batteries run warmer, and second sign, again due to increase in internal resistance, the batteries will not hold charge as long as they used to.
A full year of daily recharging, that is 365 recharge cycles, full cycling, the batteries are well past their rating (250 to 300 cycles), half cycling (3.7ish volts up to 4.2v again) they are reaching that limit (400 to 500 cycles on them).
At 12months, I'd say yes they ready to be replaced and recycled if they are the only set you have used that entire 12months.
Hi and welcome,
In addition to wick and wire, batteries are one of the least expensive components of vaping.
On average a 5€£$ battery will last at least a year or 18 months. Pennies a day.
I replace my batteries at about 15 months. In that 15 month period, I may re-wrap them a few times as needed.
HTH
I
In addition to wick and wire, batteries are one of the least expensive components of vaping.
On average a 5€£$ battery will last at least a year or 18 months. Pennies a day.
I replace my batteries at about 15 months. In that 15 month period, I may re-wrap them a few times as needed.
HTH
I
I replace every year to 18 months, generally and maybe sooner depending on use. I usually vape at .3 ohms so I figure I'm sort of hard on them. In my regulated mod (dual battery) the sets are replaced every 12-18 months. The batteries used in my mechs (single tube and parallel box) I replace every 6-12. The batteries used in series mechs get changed every 6 months (built around .6 and up).
I also replace if the batteries show tears on the wrapper, unless it's a rare occasion and happens on a new(ish) battery. Now when I say replace, I move the batteries over to flashlight use and/or for my meter or I give them to friends that MTL under 30W on regulated devices (unless torn or heavily used) and for again flashlight use.
I also replace if the batteries show tears on the wrapper, unless it's a rare occasion and happens on a new(ish) battery. Now when I say replace, I move the batteries over to flashlight use and/or for my meter or I give them to friends that MTL under 30W on regulated devices (unless torn or heavily used) and for again flashlight use.
The more cells you own and rotate the longer you can go without replacing them. Of course, that's a no brainer, but most of us don't track usage stats. The key factor is how often they are used and for how long they've been in service.
I'm also a believer in watching internal resistance for a rise when you charge them. Most new 18650's are around 25 milliohms when I receive them. Once they begin to approach 300 milliohms it's time to wrap them end to end in tape and recycle. By that time they are providing shorter vape times, anyway.
More and more recent lithium chargers are showing MAH and Milliohm readings. That's a valuable feature in a new charger.
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Hi Kayfunlite. Welcome to the ECF.
Here are some Things that I look for as signs that a Battery is nearing the End of it's lifespan.
1) Does it loose Charge if it is left to sit for 3 or 4 Days without being used?
2) Does it seem to get Warmer than usual when Charging?
3) Does Charging seem to take Longer (or Shorter) than usual?
4) Does the amount of use I get out of a Full Charge seem to have gone down?
5) Does the Battery seem to get Warmer when used in a Normal way?
Like IMFire3605 said, time in days Isn't a great way to measure a Batteries lifespan. Because a Battery that was Used at it's Maximum Amp Rating and always Discharged down to 3.2v may only last a very Short time. Whereas the Same Battery that was used at Low to Mid CDR Amps and never discharged below 3.7v may last a Very Long Time.
A Good Quality Battery really isn't all that expensive. So when I start to see Any of the above mentioned signs of Wear, I demote that Battery out of my e-Cigarette rotation. And put it with the Batteries I use for my 18650 Flashlights.
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Yea, it's kind of a usage/charge thing. You can certainly date your batteries (and I kind of wish I had) but unless they are in constant use i.e. drain/recharge almost immediately, well, they can have a longer lifespan also dependent on type of usage, wattage used, just all sorts of stuff. I am over a year on most of my batteries, and I am feeling somewhat ready to do a purge of at least some of them. If I notice signs of "this battery may be dying" at any point, I mark it, and once I am ready to make a mass battery purchase, I will. I'm trying to actively avoid vaping a couple of my single use batteries but I will be restocking completely and then rewrapping "the good" of what I have left, along with starting a whole bunch new, etc.
Anna
Anna
Vape time and puff count are good telltales for battery condition, but we don't always remember exactly when we changed batteries or to reset the puff count.
I have some unmarked batteries in my stash, but I started a year ago using a Brother P-Touch labeler to mark new ones with the date I received them. I've always kept batteries in the plastic cases they are shipped in from RTDVapor and the other reputable companies I buy from so that matched cells stay together.
I've had very few cover splits where I had to re-wrap cells. I'm ticky about inserting and removing cells from the charger.
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Welcome and glad you joined.
I have provided a little more information which might help choosing/evaluating batteries.
Might like to read:
Calculating battery current draw for a regulated mod | E-Cigarette Forum
http://www.wakeandvape.com/blog/18650-battery-buying-guide-for-vapor-users/
Index | E-Cigarette Forum
Best 18650 Battery Explanation!
Battery Safety: Will You Marry Me? - Mt Baker Vapor
A Guide to Safe Charging - The Complete Guide to E-Cig Safety
Vaping 101: Battery Safety
7 Best Practices to Keep Your Charge
Welcome to the forum. As others have said, there are objective technical ways to measure battery condition, but my method is empirical. When I notice a battery needs charging too often I consider it finished. With the batteries we use for vaping the decision is cheap and therefore easy, not at all like the pain of watching your MacBook Pro battery suffer and die!
Vape time and puff count are good telltales for battery condition, but we don't always remember exactly when we changed batteries or to reset the puff count.
I've never reset the puff count on my Evic VTC mini. It reads over 90,000.
I used it most days for over 2 years I reckon, so it had more than 730 charges to the battery. I had more than 3 or 4 favored batteries for that mod... so I totally agree with your comment. The only ones I feel are getting old (lower run time) are my LG Yellows... they certainly got used a lot in that Evic.
I thought I'd do the maths. 123 puffs per day on average... and that doesn't include the heavy artillery I use at home. Got to be another 123 puffs on those mods/batteries. Curious though... I must puff at least 266 times a day. Interesting, if you like that sort of thing. zzzz. zzzz.
I've never reset the puff count on my Evic VTC mini. It reads over 90,000.
I used it most days for over 2 years I reckon, so it had more than 730 charges to the battery. I had more than 3 or 4 favored batteries for that mod... so I totally agree with your comment. The only ones I feel are getting old (lower run time) are my LG Yellows... they certainly got used a lot in that Evic.
I thought I'd do the maths. 123 puffs per day on average... and that doesn't include the heavy artillery I use at home. Got to be another 123 puffs on those mods/batteries. Curious though... I must puff at least 266 times a day. Interesting, if you like that sort of thing. zzzz. zzzz.
Ahh.. Bach!
If you take a 5 second puff, that is only 22 continuous minutes of use.
How many ML of juice to you vape per day? We can break it down even more...
cheers
I
If you take a 5 second puff, that is only 22 continuous minutes of use.
How many ML of juice to you vape per day? We can break it down even more...
You are one crazy dude, bro.
Let's do some clouds and get cracking on the world's most non-exciting science experiment. We can submit it at the end of term and win a pair of ping pong bats, or show off to the girl in class 7C.
When I was a confirmed Evic Cubis devotee, I probably averaged about (approximately) 5.172 ml a day in that tank. Off you go.... see you in a while after your head explodes.
My puffs were more around 3-4 seconds. I never got a good read... couldn't turn the mod in time!! I can go now though up the apples and pears and check it out.
I have a Samsung 18650, but all seems good so far except for the charging duration and it being heated up a little when charging. Will keep a look out for the warning signs and be safe. Cheers everyone and thanks for the help!!
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