Battery Safety
New to vaping or even a long time vaper, many of us are unsure about the proper way to take care of our batteries. We've all heard that the batteries used in your vape can be dangerous, some of us have even had our batteries short out on us, so the big question is how do we keep this from happening. Luckily there’s no need to worry, exploding batteries are extremely rare at about 1 in 10 million according to Battery University and the good news is that it is 100% avoidable. So before we get into the safety tips for batteries lets go over the what leads to the possibility of vape batteries overheating.
A vaporizer battery is no different from a battery that you use every day with your hands, keep in your pocket, and hold up to your ear in order to make conversation on a daily basis. That’s right, your phone battery. Vape batteries come in many different shapes and sizes and most are made up of lithium ion chemistries which provide an incredible amount of power and can also be found in laptops, tablets, and medical devices. So like many of these other electronic devices you need to make sure you are careful to keep them out of conditions that can lead to overheating. Many vape batteries like the Vapecell brand have an Amp rating and range these typically are more important for those of us that use mechanical mods and require research into the specific mods capabilities to decide what kind of batteries you should use. So for those that use a more standard type of vaping devices that uses a chip the more standard type of battery you are going to use would be an 18650 battery, or a 26650 battery though not many companies are making mods that use the 26650 anymore.
Now to the tips of how to keep your batteries and yourself safe.
1. Ensure you are getting batteries from a reputable source. Buying a cheaper battery online isn't always the best option, a cheaply made battery is usually cheaper for a reason.
2. Never transport your batteries loosely in your pocket or purse/bag. If your battery gets exposed to metal like your keys or loose coins it can cause it to short and start heating up which can cause it to burst and cause a fire. Always use a non-metallic carrying case and ensure that the positive and negative ends are not touching.
3. Keep batteries paired together. This simply means if you are using a 2 battery device that you are not mixing batteries up. Batteries that you use together once should stay together everytime this prevents one battery from carrying a heavier load than another.
4. Do not leave your batteries/device on the charger longer than needed. This is something that applies to most electronics if you overcharge any device/battery it can cause them to heat up and risk damage to the battery and the charger.
5. Always make sure that the wrap on your battery stays undamaged. If you notice that your battery has exposed metal on it at all, first you should not put it back in your device, then you should make sure to either dispose of it or get it wrapped with an appropriate wrap to keep your battery from coming into contact with anything that may lead it to overheating. By an appropriate wrap I mean one like it originally came in, and for your own saftey you should make sure the person that wraps it is someone who is trained to wrap them cause most likely you will need a heat gun to reapply a wrap.
6. If your battery becomes dented, scratched or wet properly dispose of it. Otherwise take it to a recycling plant if one is available near you or dispose of them in a case much like you should carry them in to prevent the chance of a fire.
This is the best way to make sure you do not run the risk of causing injury to your battery or yourself. Much like your phone or laptop if the batteries are properly taken care of the risk of them exploding is very minimal, so always to be sure to keep your batteries wrapped and safe.
