Battery Safety & All Things Lithium Ion

Battery Safety & All Things Lithium Ion

Battery Safety: Ah yes batteries, you’ve seen a mod you like but it needs a separate battery… probably something the size of an artillery shell case with lots of numbers that you can’t buy from the hardware store. This weeks post is to help you understand what batteries you need and how to keep yourself safe using them.

Wait what batteries do these use?

The batteries used in mods are high drain, lithium-Ion batteries of which the most common size is the 18650 IMR battery. These batteries don’t have any safety features built in within the cell and if shorted can burn you very badly!
so this begs the question…

What on earth does 18650 IMR actually mean!?

Well the trick to crack the code is to break it down 18mm x 65mm cylinder shape 18(mm)-65(mm)-0(cylinder) simple! IMR is the chemical make up of the battery,this particular compound tends to be more stable and if it shorts will likely melt and leak but shouldn’t explode!

Oh god am I going to blow myself up if i use these?!

The simple answer is no, as long as you do nothing stupid!
The basics to keep yourself safe are very simple, always carry your batteries in a case and away from metal things like keys or change and always store them either in a mod or in a case when not in use. The only other thing to remember is not to run them down too far if you use an unregulated mod as it can stress the batteries (yes they can be sensitive little petals when they are tired and emotional) and cause thermal runaway (they get angry and blow their top!)

What’s the plastic part around it, Should I take it off?

NO!!!
The plastic wrap around the battery and round insulator are the only real battery safety features that these batteries have. If you damage or remove them battery becomes unsafe to use. The metal outside of the battery is the negative contact and the plastic insulating stops it from completing a circuit against the case of your mod. If you have even the smallest nick in the wrap then you could short your battery and that will make it vent. If you notice a nick you should stop using your battery and put it somewhere safe until you can either rewrap it with a new plastic wrap or replace it.

I’m not as worried now, how would I charge these?

How you charge your batteries is an important part of your general maintenance. The do’s and dont’s are pretty straight forward!
The main thing is to buy a good quality charger, Personally I recommend Xtar, Nitecore or Opus all will do the job well and be reliable but do check out some reviews because they all have different features and characteristics that may well be better for you!
Most chargers also have protection built in to stop overcharging or the risk of putting your batteries in the wrong way but do check. As a general rule you should avoid any chargers or batteries with the word fire in the name and don’t leave batteries on charge if you aren’t watching them.

So what batteries should I get?

This is the big question! Right now in 18650 size the best around are the Samsung 30Q and LG HG2?both have a good 20A rating (how much you can pull) and 3000mah (how long they last) they both perform very well in regulated mods! These are the batteries I use and this is just a personal recommendation for 26650 size batteries I use the Hohmtech Hohmgrown batteries but the Mxjo yellow batteries perform well too!

So that is the very basics of batteries & battery safety, next week we will be looking at your liquids and what to look for when buying them!

If you have any ideas, tips, tricks or news you would like to see here contact me at mike@vapourdepot.com