Vapes are a piece of technology that rely on a power source to function. That power source is your vape's battery. With all the innovation we are surrounded by today, it can be easy to forget that some general maintenance is required.
Battery health and safety are important things to be aware of as a vaper to keep your device functioning and to keep yourself out of harms way. If you're new to vaping or want to know more about properly caring for your battery in general, check out our expert tips below.
Battery Overview
Almost all vapes run on what are called lithium ion batteries. Rechargeable vape batteries last for different lengths of time on a single charge depending on their mAh rating.
A milliampere hour, or mAh for short, describes the life of a battery on a single charge. A general rule of thumb is that every 100 mA equals roughly an hour of battery life. This can increase or decrease depending on how often you vape and at what power setting. For example, a brand new 1000 mAh battery could be expected to last around 10 hours of moderate use before you need to charge it again. The higher power or wattage that you run your device at, the less time your battery can be expected to last per charge.
You may experience a decrease in their life per charge the longer you have your batteries. The overall lifespan of a battery is about 6 months to a year.
If your batteries are older and no longer holding a charge, they might have reached the end of their life. With smaller pod styles or other devices with internal batteries you'll have to purchase an entirely new device. One of the biggest benefits of buying a box mod with removable/external batteries is that you then have the option to replace just the batteries for a few dollars instead of getting a whole new mod.
Best Battery Practices
Battery safety is an important part of overall vape safety. Inspect your batteries frequently for any visible damage such as dents, scratches, cuts or peels in the wrap. If you see any wear and tear or corrosion on your batteries, stop using them right away and get a fresh set.
Batteries that have been vented or otherwise damaged should not be used, even if they still hold a charge it's time to pick up a new pair. The battery to the right is considered dangerous, as it's missing its insulator ring and has a severely torn outer wrap.
Never carry loose batteries in your pocket where they can accidentally come into contact with each other or other metal objects like change. This can create a spark, cause the batteries to vent, and in extreme cases explode. Pick up an Efest battery carrying case to keep them and yourself safe.
Recycling
Don't just throw your old batteries away with the regular trash. Dispose of them safely by taping the ends with a non conductive tape, such as electrical tape, and bring them to a nearby battery recycling location. Hardware stores, recycling plants, and our Vaporfi Columbus stores will accept your old batteries for recycling.
Regulation
Not all vapes are regulated, but at Vaporfi Columbus we only carry regulated devices. A regulated device is kept safe by a microchip to control the flow of power inside of the vape.
With regulated devices, the chip set often has a 10 second automatic cut off to prevent them from continuously firing. In the event of overheating or a short, the chip will also disconnect the power from the batteries to stop the situation from progressing into dangerous territory.
Charging Safety
Avoid charging your device on any soft surfaces, like bedding as they can get pretty hot and should always be in a well ventilated area, same as your phone or laptop batteries. Never hit your vape while it's actively charging.
When a vape's plugged into a power source, it's already drawing power in order to charge the battery. Trying to hit a vape in this state will cause even more power to be pulled through the device at once and is very dangerous, both to your battery and to you!
If you can't wait for your vape to finish charging, disconnect it completely from the charging cable before you attempt to hit it. Then you can reconnect it to the cable after you've finished. If you have an external battery device, you can stop into a Vaporfi location and grab an Hohm Tech or Efest external charging bay and a spare set of batteries that you can rotate into your device while the other set's charging; never wait again!
Fast Charging Woes
Vape suddenly won't work? Is your battery charged or have you charged recently? If your battery died completely, it may need to be turned back on after charging. If your battery or pod style device is brand new but won't hold a charge, you may have accidentally fast charged it.
It is not recommended to charge any vape off of a fast charging block and if your vape was working fine until you charged it, a fast charger may be the culprit.
Fast chargers are a type of block that you plug your charging cable into that in turn plugs into a power source. They draw too much of a current at once for the small batteries that vapes run on.
Unlike your phone or laptop batteries, vapes don't have a mechanism to cut off the current when they become fully charged. Continuing to charge any fully charged battery can damage it over time, but vapes charged on fast chargers often don't survive past the first charge.
Check the fine print of your charging block before using it. A fast charger is any charger that supplies 2 amps or more of power, so be wary of some newer phone blocks, car chargers, and portable chargers, and when in doubt don't use it on your vape. Slow chargers below 2 amps, laptop or computer USB ports, and gaming console USB ports are all safe to charge on provided they aren't lightening ports.
Say you've accidentally used a fast charger and now your vape won't turn on. You can try letting it rest for a day off the charger and without being used. After a day or so, try turning the device back on. If it's still unresponsive, you may have to buy a new one.
Stay Safe!
Keeping an eye on your batteries' condition, following safe transporting and charging practices, and steering clear of fast chargers are the best ways to ensure an uninterrupted and pleasant vaping experience. By following this simple advice you can keep your batteries in good shape and your vape running smoothly over its lifetime.
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