If you’re using a regulated mod, chances are it has a replaceable battery. It’s important to understand how your battery works because without understanding the basics, there’s a lot that can go wrong. With a firm grasp of the inner-workings of vape batteries, you can get better performance from your mod, and you can take preventative measures to ensure you get the most out of your battery.
Most importantly, understanding how your battery works will help keep you safe. Battery explosions are rare, but they’re often preventable. Before we start, if choosing and maintaining a battery is something you’d rather avoid, there are mods for people just like you! You’ll want a vaporizer setup with a powerful internal battery like Vaper Empire’s Vibe Series vape starter kit. If you don’t want to, you never have to deal with vape batteries again.
First, let’s briefly discuss some vape battery basics.
Most mods are compatible with one kind of battery. Currently, the most commonly used vape batteries are 18650s, however, newer mods are beginning to make use of more efficient batteries like the 20700. There are a variety of 18650 and 20700 batteries, each with their own specifications.
Why should you care about which battery you use?
Well, the battery that you use can drastically alter your vaping experience. A high-quality battery usually costs mere dollars more than its inferiors. Don’t sacrifice your vaporizer’s battery life and performance for a few dollars.
So what does the ideal vape battery look like? It’s actually extremely easy to pick the right battery. Here are three things to look for:
- Milliampere Hours (mAh) – This one is easy to remember because it has the word “hours” in it. This affects how long your battery will last between charges. It’s also referred to as the battery’s “capacity.” More milliampere hours means more capacity, and that means longer battery life.
- Voltage (V) – Voltage is basically the amount of potential power in a battery. Voltage is, however, not equivalent to the amount of power actually being used by your mod. For that reason, voltage is really the least important factor to understand when choosing a vape battery. We’re just covering all of our bases. If you want to know the amount of power that’s actually being supplied to your mod, you’ll need to know the battery’s amperage.
- Amperage (A) – Amperage is the measurement of electrons passing through a wire. If one battery has a higher amperage than another, it means that more electrons are able to pass through your mod within a given amount of time. Therefore, high amperage equals more real-world power. To further clarify, voltage is the amount of power in your battery. Amperage is the amount of power being supplied to the mod.
- Continuous Discharge – This is a very important factor that’s often overlooked. The amperage on a battery indicates the most that it can supply, but after you hit your mod for a second or two, that amperage drops. You’re usually getting more power at the beginning of your hit. A battery’s continuous discharge is measured in amps, and it indicates the amount of power that a battery is able to consistently provide.
Now you know how to choose the ideal vape battery, but where can you get one? Most local vape shops will have any battery that you could need. Look for batteries from brands like LG, Sony, and Samsung, as they’re often held to a much higher standard.
Vape Battery Care and Storage
The average battery can last anywhere from 1-3 years depending on the conditions that the battery is exposed to. If you take great care of your battery, you’ll likely have another mod before the battery even becomes an issue.
On the other hand, insufficient care will lead to a short-lived battery or, even worse, a dangerous battery.
Most mods have a micro-USB charging port, but it’s best not to use it. Using this charging port will drastically reduce the lifespan of your battery. It’s there for emergency charging. It isn’t intended to be used often.
If your battery’s wrap tears, replace the wrap or buy a new battery. A battery with a torn wrap is very dangerous. It’s at risk of shorting, which could ruin your battery or even cause it to explode. Re-wrapping a battery isn’t very hard, but if you’re not comfortable with the process, it might be best to splurge on a new battery
What about spare batteries? How should they be stored?
The most important thing is to keep your batteries in a cool place away from any conductors. Cool temperatures will preserve the life of your battery, and conductors like metal and water can potentially cause a short to occur in your battery. Again, this could potentially lead to an exploding battery. Cases like this are rare, but taking the risk is totally unnecessary.
We’ve covered the most important points, but if you want to be extra careful, check out the FDA’s official list of ways to avoid vape battery explosions.
Vape Battery Disposal
There are several ways to dispose of your vape batteries, but the most important thing is that you don’t just throw them in the trash. Throwing your batteries in the trash with a myriad of other items greatly increases the chance of a fire or explosion.
Many stores will actually take their batteries back from you once their time has come. Buying your vape batteries from stores like this is a great idea. Once your battery is no longer usable, just take it back to them and they’ll properly dispose of it for you.
In addition to stores like these, there are several other locations dedicated to safe battery disposal. Use this helpful tool to find a nearby location that offers battery recycling services.
Now you have all the information that you need to properly choose, maintain, and dispose of your vape batteries. Be smart, and be safe! After all, that’s what vaping is all about: choosing the safer, smarter options. If you want to switch to vaping, there’s no better time!
