# Batteries and Battery safety



## Arthster (23/11/14)

Hi everyone...

I know there are alot of vapors out there that will know this but I thought this would help the new guys, especially the guys that wants to start chasing clouds.

If you have more to contribute please do so and please feel free to correct me where I am wrong. I am also still learning daily.

I was one of those guys that saw on youtube how these guys where blowing clouds that could start monsoon season and wanted in on this. First thing I did was to go watch as many videos and post as I could and heard the awesome term SUB-Ohm... my thoughts went like this... must get get RDA so I can sub ohm... must get a mechanical mod so resistance isn't an issue. so I ordered my stuff and got it and started building insanely low ohm coils. One of my first attempts was a fairly impressive 0.4 ohm... So I thought to myself... myself your a vape god... Boy was I wrong. I started noticing that my mod was warmish (Luckily not at the point of venting.) but warmer then it was with the boxed 1.2 ohm coils that my RDA shipped with.

If you are new to vaping Sub-ohm or want to get into it... DO YOUR HOMEWORK. by reading this you already started the first and probably most important step there is to sub-ohming. 

Before you start looking at MOD's and RDA, RBA or whatever rebuildable devise you can get your paws on... LOOK AT BATTERIES. Don't do any thing else until you understand ohm's law and batteries. 

The first thing that you need to know about our batteries apart from that we vapors use mostly 18650 or 18350 batteries in our mods, or what the 18650 and 18350 means (Topic for another discussion).

This is more of a commandment then a note

1st commandment

1. Though shell not use Li batteries in sub-ohm builds.

This is where you can start throwing bottles at me (Preferably small plastic ones filled with juice)

The reason for this rule is simple... Lithium Ion batteries are unsafe as is (Hang on let me explain) Lithium Ion or Li batteries needs to be cared for allot...

If you don't
Over charge
Over discharge
damage the casing
use it for anything other then intended use
and use in a MOD with safe guards (Just about any VV/VW MOD) 

THEN THEY ARE 100% safe

BUT in a mechanical MOD that has very little to no safe guards they are very dangerous, especially if your MecMOD (Mechanical MOD) has no vent hols... because then effectively you are sucking on a pipe bomb.

here is why I say this.

Li batteries have allot going for them but they are made from chemicals that react badly when the conditions are right

In this example I will be reverting to my experience

i have a mecMOD that uses 1 18350 cell

I built relatively low ohm coils and used the standard Li 18350 batteries. now remember the lower the resistance, the higher the demand on the batteries. In my build I used a battery with next to almost no Amp rating (not even a proper 5amp) but I stuck a coil on it that drew 9.2 amp. This meant that I was demanding more then the battery could supply (Think eskom and load shedding... we demand more eskom shuts down). The result was a battery that needed to work harder then it could, it started getting warm and with the potential to vent, remember a venting battery is a battery failing. Li batteries chemical composition does not like this happening and they go BOOOM. simple as that. 

if you don't use it already here is a link to a simple calculator that I use constantly 

http://www.ohmslawcalculator.com/ohms_law_calculator.php

So for my MecMOD I need to look at other options, a safer option would be an IMR battery

NOTE: IMR is actual LMR but with a lower case L.

lMR is Lithium Magnesium Rechargeable

They have the downside in that their amp hour rating (Time they can sustain load) ratings are lower then Li, BUT they have more Load handling abilities. a standard 18350 lMR battery should be in the region of 10 - 10.5 amp. This does not suggest that you can build a coil that draws 10 amp's 

2nd commandment

2. know they limits 

you do not want to exceed or match the limit of a batteries capacity. I am still looking for what the suggested load rating is on a lMR 18350 battery but as far as i know you don't want to exceed 55% of maximum rating.

I personally don't exceed 50% so for a cell with 10amp, I try and stay below 5amp draw. this basically leave me with a 0.8ohm coil

3rd commandment

3. Do They research

Before spending major coin on mods and coils and wire and and and. Know what you want to achieve and buy towards those goals. 

Before you even touch wire use the calculator and figure out what you need to achieve your goals. BUT know what and where your kits safety limits are

in short if you want to learn coil building and you are going to stay above 1.5ohm (Again my personal opinion with regards to safe resistance) then use a Li battery (on mods with safety). if you want to sub ohm then rather look at lMR batteries. To be extra safe with sub-ohming, if your going for mechanical mods look for something that takes 18650 batteries and get yourself a good quality 18650 lMR with a current draw ratting of 25 - 30 amp... you should not easily exceed the batteries limits and also should not turn your mod into a pipe bomb. 

And here I say again: Don't quote my numbers Because I am no expert and I could be wrong. 

Vaping is awesome fun BUT KNOW YOUR LIMITS when it comes to your kit and what it can and cant do. 

*NOTE: I do not suggest building coils according to my numbers as I could also be wrong. I am also still learning. I say it again DO YOUR HOMEWORK FIRST. I will not take responsibility for damage or injuries. *

Reactions: Like 5 | Winner 1


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## Gazzacpt (23/11/14)

Good battery info resource.

www.dampfakkus.de


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## Arthster (23/11/14)

Fantastic Thank you Gazzacpt.

very useful resource to bookmark


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## Andre (23/11/14)

Great post, well explained. Thanks.


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## Alex (23/11/14)

Awesome post Arthster.


via iphone


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## Arthster (23/11/14)

4th Commandment

Use they locking ring... 

Just figured that one out now... and that lesson burns like a mother.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Riaz (23/11/14)

Well said @Arthster

Great post indeed

Can I also add to this-

Always check your builds on an ohms reader before firing it up on your mech mod. This will clear you if there are any shorts. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Reactions: Like 1


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## Arthster (23/11/14)

Yes please do add. the more information there is the safer vaping will become.


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## JakesSA (23/11/14)

Another resource for battery info http://www.lygte-info.dk/info/indexBatteriesAndChargers UK.html

Some good charger reviews there too ..

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## Arthster (11/12/14)

So a question for the more experienced Mech guys. I now have a single coil 1.5 ohm that I want to run on my Mech. AS you remember I had two Li 18350 batteries, and I also found a lMR 18350 (The 18650 Mech is on its way) So according to Ohms law I will be sucking 2.8 Amp on this coil and the lMR should hand this no problem, however, will the Li 18350 Cope with this scenario?(In my mind it should be ok but rather safe then 3rd degree burn wounds) I haven't been able to find to much info on the Li 18350 cells.


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## johan (11/12/14)

Arthster said:


> So a question for the more experienced Mech guys. I now have a single coil 1.5 ohm that I want to run on my Mech. AS you remember I had two Li 18350 batteries, and I also found a lMR 18350 (The 18650 Mech is on its way) So according to Ohms law I will be sucking 2.8 Amp on this coil and the lMR should hand this no problem, however, will the Li 18350 Cope with this scenario?(In my mind it should be ok but rather safe then 3rd degree burn wounds) I haven't been able to find to much info on the Li 18350 cells.



Easy, you are safe to vape

Reactions: Thanks 1


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## Arthster (11/12/14)

Awesome thanks, just for reference what will be a bad point for the Li 18350, 1.0 ohm or less?


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## johan (11/12/14)

Arthster said:


> Awesome thanks, just for reference what will be a bad point for the Li 18350, 1.0 ohm or less?



I used fAW (fake AW's) 18350 as low as 0.43 Ohm (9.8A max), but batteries depleted very quickly. I suggest you don't go lower than 0.6 Ohm (7A max).

Reactions: Like 1


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## Arthster (11/12/14)

Thanks, I'm to perdy to blow my face up just yet

Reactions: Funny 1


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