The Ultimate Electronic Cigarette Battery Guide

Everything from exploding batteries to maximizing the life of your electronic cigarette battery, this guide covers everything most vapers need to know.

You’ll find information here that all but the beginning vaper will know, as well as more advanced tips.

TYPES OF BATTERY: AUTOMATIC vs. MANUAL

Chances are that your first e-cigarette will be an automatic battery. Most smokers choose these not because they are better but because they tend to be used with electronic cigarettes which resemble traditional tobacco cigarettes.

Automatic E-Cig Batteries
• Easy to use
• Closely resembles a regular cigarette
• Usually requires a shorter charging time
• May experience a delay between puffing and inhaling the vapor

Manual E-Cig Batteries
• Usually has more power and offers more vapor and a better throat hit
• Offers more control and usually a longer cut off period
• Requires more expertise
• Usually have a longer life than automatic batteries due to it’s larger size
• Can usually be turned on or off by clicking the battery five times

VARIABLE VOLTAGE BATTERIES

Variable voltage batteries, are the next step up from a manual battery. These allow you to increase or decrease the voltage provided by the battery, usually be pressing a button or by twisting the end of the battery.

This allows you to find the right voltage for:
• your e-liquid
• your atomizer/clearomizer
• your personal preferences with regard to vapor and throat hit

BATTERY CAPACITY vs. BATTERY VOLTAGE

One of the things that confuses many e-cigarette users is the difference between battery capacity and voltage. The battery capacity on electronic cigarette batteries is normally measured in milli amp hours (mAh). The higher the mAh rating, the higher the capacity of the battery and the longer it will last. Most non-adjustable electronic cigarette batteries output 3.7 volts. A battery with a capacity of 1100mAh will be able to output 3.7 volts for a longer than a battery that has a capacity of 180mAh, but both can put out the same voltage.

What kind of battery life can you expect?

It is almost impossible to give accurate battery life because battery life depends on:
• how you use your device
• how you charge and maintain your device
• on individual battery sizes and makes
• the voltage you use (variable voltage batteries only)
• the atomizer you are using in your clearomizer

For example, a battery will last a lot longer for someone who takes short drags than for someone who takes very long drags.

EIGHT WAYS TO MAXIMIZE THE LIFE OF YOUR BATTERY

1. Initial Charge: Give a good first charge when you receive your battery. Most E-Cigarette batteries are lithium ion batteries and can not be overcharged. However, a good initial charge conditions the battery and will help ensure a longer life.

2. Storage: Store in a cool, dark place, especially if storing for a long period of time. If you do plan to store the battery for a lengthy period, try ot make sure it has at least a 40% charge. This allows for some discharge while ensuring enough power is retained to keep the protection circuit alive. 

3. Use Regularly: Most e-cigarette batteries are designed to be used daily.

4. Charge Before Fully Drained: A partial discharge stresses the battery less than a full discharge.

5. Take Care of Your Battery: See maintenance tips below.

6. Turn Off When Not Using: Especially important if you are carrying the battery in a bag or in your pocket, as sitting on it can cause the e-cigarette to fizzle away.

7. Keep Out of High Temperatures and Direct Sunlight.

8. Use A Case To Protect Your Battery: Batteries can get banged around and pick up fluff in pockets. For the best possible care, carry our battery in an electronic cigarette case.

WHY BATTERIES EXPLODE

Lithium ion batteries are highly effective at producing power despite their small size. Unfortunately, the properties and chemicals used in a Lithium ion battery also mean that any lithium ion battery has the potential to explode.

Contained within a lithium batteries are lithium, sodium, potassium and other highly flammable and voluble elements. If you tossed these into water on their own you would get an explosion. When a cell does heat, it can lead to a chain reaction which can cause either battery swelling or explosions.

Fortunately, modern design means that explosions are very rare (an estimated one in ten million according to Battery University).  However, explosions can be caused when a battery overheats. This can be caused by a defect, such as a short circuit or improper insulation between the cells of the battery or by mishandling.

Most standard lithium ion electronic cigarette batteries have been designed with overcharge protection. This senses when too much voltage is being pushed into the battery and then stops the battery from accepting any more charge. to test whether a battery has overcharged protection, we charge them using a voltage exceeding what the battery is designed to take.

5 WAYS TO AVOID EXPLODING E-CIGARETTE BATTERIES

1. Don’t Mix and Match
Only charge a battery with the charger that was provided with the battery, or which has been specifically supplied for that battery. While chargers make look similar, the voltage output can be different.

Charging a battery from one supplier with a charger from another supllier and you could cause problems. In fact, as the fire service has pointed out, this has caused most of the problems so far.

2. Buy From A Reputable Source
One battery explosion occurred in the US when a vaper bought cheap batteries online to use with his e-cigarette kit. Always buy your batteries from a reputable source.

3. ROHS Certification (and where it has come from)
All batteries should come with ROHS certification, which proves that it has been tested. Unfortunately, some certification from China can’t be trusted

4. Safe Charging
Don’t charge your battery over night or when you are out of the house. For safety, charge your battery on a non-combustible surface. If you have a manual battery, switch it off before charging.

5. Overcharge Protection
Check with your supplier to make sure your battery has overcharge protection. Our batteries come with overcharge protection, and we also individually test batteries from each battery to ensure overcharge protection is working.

BATTERY MAINTENANCE

• Clean Battery Terminals – nothing complicated here, simply use a QTip and rub the terminals. A cotton pad can be used if harder cleaning is required. For the most effective cleaning, use cotton swab soaked in rubbing alcohol to clean the terminal. Allow the battery a few seconds to dry before using.

• Keep Batteries Charged – as explained above, keeping some charge in your battery  can extend the life of your battery, especially if you go some time without using it.

BATTERY STORAGE

• Switch the battery off when not in use
• Disconnect from clearomizer/cartridges
• Avoid a full discharge before storage
• Store batteries at low temperatures