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Unregulated Mechanical Vaping Devices And Battery Safety

This article will cover battery safety in your unregulated mechanical vaping devices. Knowing how to use a battery is very important with unregulated devices, so you can vape safely without the battery failing which can be very dangerous. A regulated device has a chip that controls the voltage and the wattage that's sent to the atomizer. This chip also controls how long the atomizer is fired and it makes vaping much safer. A mechanical mod is an unregulated device which is basically an atomizer connected directly to the battery with no chip in between regulating the voltage and the wattage.  The wattage is controlled by how high or low the resistance of the coil is built. The voltage depends on the charge of the battery. Ohm's law plays a big part in using unregulated devices. Ohm’s Law Introduction Guide For Vaping

Flat Top Battery VS Button Top Battery

Batteries have two distinct kinds of tops. A flat top and a button top. A flat top battery has a top that's flat, a button top battery has a top that extends from the top. It's vital to pay attention to which side is which when you are working with flat top batteries.  If you put the battery improperly this reverse polarity will cause the battery to fail, when you are talking about 18650 battery the numbers have a very precise implication. The first two digits are the diameter of the battery in millimeters, the next two digits are the length of the battery, the last number designates the shape of the battery which is circular, so with an 18350 battery you know the diameter is18 millimeters, the height is 35 millimeters and it's circular. 18650 battery the diameter is 18 millimeters, the height is 65 millimeters, and it's also circular. A 26650 battery has a diameter of 26 millimeters and a height of 65 millimeters and is also circular. This is good to know for which sized batteries will fit into which mods you're using.

What Is A Battery C Rating?

A battery C rating is important for calculating the continuous current drawn from the battery this can be calculated by multiplying the milliamp power rating by the C rating with this purple FS the milliamp power rating is listed at 2500 milliamp hours and the C rating is 14 so 2500 multiplied by 14 gives us 35,000 milliamps then divide this figure by 1,000 to get the figure in amps this gives us 35 amps.  This is the maximum continuous current that can be drawn safely from the battery, anything higher can cause the battery to fail though this battery is rated for 35 amps. There's a lot of debate about that figure 35 amps is fine to draw on pulse or a little bit at a time, but a safe continuous amp draw would be around 20 amps.  C ratings of batteries can be found on different sources online. I couldn't find a specific C rating on the wrap of this battery or on the box so always check around online and do some research about your battery.  

IMR VS ICR

There are many types of batteries with different internal chemistry. IMR and ICR are are just two examples.  The I in IMR stands for lithium ion and the M stands for the component in the cathode which is manganese, the R is the shape of the cell which is round. In ICR the C stands for cobalt. I use IMR batteries which are considered safe chemistry batteries in the event of battery failure.  They fail less harshly than other batteries, while they still vent gases and possibly produce flames they do it with a smaller chance than other batteries.  These batteries have a higher draw which means a higher current to flow, this is good for sub-ohm vaping but will drain faster than other batteries with different chemistry.

What Is Thermal Runaway And How It Causes Venting?

When referring to battery failure it's undergoing a process called thermal runaway. This is a cycle where a reaction in the chemistry in the battery is triggered which increases the temperature, this increase in temperature then triggers the reaction further. There are many ways for this cycle to be triggered, but once it's triggered the battery must be moved away to somewhere safe at once. When thermal runaway occurs the battery will begin to vent. Venting is the release of gases and liquid from the electrolyte in the battery which relieves the pressure inside the battery. Most batteries will vent from the top cap, if a battery is punctured this can disrupt the chemistry inside the battery causing thermal runaway and gases and liquid will vent from both the puncture site and the ends of the battery.  

Why Battery Can Fail Inside Of A Vaping Device

A battery failing on its own can be dangerous, but the failure is deadly when the batteries inside a device.  There's many different ways a battery can fail inside a device such as using a coil with a resistance that's too low, pulling a current that the battery can't handle if the wattage of the coil is too high. The heat can trigger thermal runaway inside the battery if the device is kept somewhere too hot like inside a car on a hot day or near stove. This heat can cause the battery to fail if the battery is overcharged. The excessive voltage can increase the wattage and current dangerous levels if the button to fire the atomizer is held too long. The current draw can cause it to fail if there's a short inside the device or the battery such as a fragment of metal, this will draw the current elsewhere. These are just a few scenarios that can cause a battery failure while vaping so it's important to be alert. It's easy to forget that these things can go wrong but the consequences can be deadly when the battery fails inside the device.

Why Does Mod Have Venting Holes?

The venting will build up pressure inside the mod with both ends of the mod screwed down. This pressure builds inside essentially creating a pipe bomb, this pressure can cause the ends to blow off where the device itself can tear open. Vent holes are very important because they allow these gases to escape so the pressure won't build to deadly levels. Always check your vent holes on your mod to ensure they're not covered, if you're using a telescopic mod make sure your vent holes are exposed and not covered up.

How To Store Batteries?

It's very important to use a battery case to store your batteries when traveling. This keeps them protected from damage and punctures and also keeps them out of contact with any metal that can cause a short. Keeping your battery loose in your pocket with let's say your house keys can be very dangerous if the keys make contact with both the positive and negative leads of the battery. This will cause a current through your house keys and can cause the battery to rapidly heat up in your pocket and fail. When using your charger it's important not to overcharge the batteries. It might cause the electric pressure inside to be higher than what is safe and can cause the battery to fail. Some chargers come with over voltage protection which cuts off the charging, if it detects the battery has reached its full voltage capacity, but not all chargers have this feature. Some more advanced chargers will give a read of the exact voltage of the battery, if you have a charger that doesn't show the voltage of the battery then a multimeter is a necessary tool.

What Is Multimeter And How To Use It?

Multimeter is used for measuring the voltage of the battery so you have an idea of how charged the battery is. Multimeters have many other functions and can be used to test the resistance of a coil, but it's better to use an ohm reader with a 510 connection for your atomizer. Multimeters are handy for giving an exact reading of the battery touching the probes to each end of the battery. You can gauge how charged the battery is. A charge around 3.7 is okay but it's fairly low because the battery can be charged more. A charge around 4 volts is still good to vape on. A max charge for the battery is 4.2 volts any higher and the battery is overcharged, which can be dangerous. Always check the voltage of your battery before and after vaping.

Direct VS Indirect Contact Between Battery and Atomizer

Some mechanical vaporizers allow the atomizer to make direct contact with the battery and others let indirect contact. Direct contact means the positive pin of the atomizer is directly touching the positive lead of the battery. Indirect contact means there's a connector in between the positive lead of the battery and the positive pin of the atomizer. When using mechanical mods that allow direct contact to the battery, it's important to check the pin of the atomizer, that you're using to ensure that the pin extends outward enough from the walls of the atomizer. If the pin is flush with the walls this can potentially short out the battery because the walls of the atomizer are negative, while the pin is the positive. Even with an insulator the negative walls touching the positive lead of the battery can cause the battery to fail. It's important to check the insulators and your device regularly to keep the current flowing correctly.  There are several insulators to look out: an insulator where the positive lead of the battery connects to the atomizer as well as another insulator where the negative connects to the switch. The atomizer also has insulators either on the bottom or on the inside with excessive heat these insulators can potentially melt, leading to a short that will cause the battery to fail.

Many of us have heard about vaping or seen the clouds of vaporized smoke that surround people who use e-cigarettes or vape pens. Vaping is frequently billed as a “safer” alternative to smoking, however, medical experts strongly disagree. 

Vaping is as harmful and as addictive as smoking. E-cigarette smokers can become addicted just as easily to vaping as tobacco cigarettes, and, depending on how much they inhale from each use, it can be as bad as smoking an entire pack of cigarettes. 

E-cigarettes are battery-powered nicotine delivery systems. Flavored liquids, called e-liquids,  are heated and aerosolized, and the vapor, containing most of the same chemicals and nicotine found in cigarettes, is inhaled, just like a cigarette. But the dangers of vaping are often ignored, and users operate under the misconception that it is safer than smoking. 

E-liquids often contain more nicotine than cigarettes, which increase the risk of high blood pressure and diabetes. Flavoring agents add more chemicals that can lead to chronic lung diseases and even cancer. Experts believe that as research and investigation move forward, even more dangers will be uncovered.

Vaping is illegal if you’re under 18, however, companies marketing vape pens and e-cigarettes frequently target youth. In the last two years, e-cigarette advertising has increased by over 250% with much of that focused on social media. Vaping has become more popular and more visible, and on-track to outsell cigarettes in younger users.