18650 batteries are a type of Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. Though they are mostly used for vaping, they can also be used for other electronics like flashlights that require high power. Choosing the right 18650 batteries depends on both the mod you use and your vaping style. Where some have massive capacity and can last for days without recharging, though get hot when discharged at higher rates. Some have huge discharge rate and require frequent recharging.
It’s not easy choosing the right battery, and no single model can be considered as the ultimate best battery. However, this article will guide you in choosing the right one.
Size really matters
When choosing your battery, sizes matter. Almost all mods have the fixed battery size it is intended to use. Some users may choose to stack smaller batteries to fit into the device, this is strongly not recommended. Avoid stacking batteries as this causes an increase in the total voltage causing damage to your device or yourself.
Quality and Performances
Using quality and original battery from a reliable brand will ensure the performance of your batteries in a safe and intended manner. Using a poor quality battery exposes you to the risk of damaging your device as well as harming yourself and others. There are three main types of 18650 batteries, these are the Hybrid, the IMR (LiMn), and the ICR (LiCoO2 or LiCd). If your device does not specify a particular battery type, the Hybrid or IMR are recommended for safety’s sake.
Battery Power and Ratings
18650 batteries are rated and measured by voltage, power (storage capacity), and amperage. The average or nominal rating for vaping purposes is 3.7v, this means that battery is considered dead at 3.2v and fully charged at 4.2v. Amperage rating controls the battery’s rate of max continuous discharge. This can be calculated using various methods but the number is normally followed by either a “C” or “A” i.e. 30A or 15C. The power is usually measured in mAh, which is milliamp hours i.e. 2500mAh. Higher mAh signifies longer, lasting battery power.
Having known all these, it is important not to exceed your battery limit when choosing a battery. Choose the right battery for your mods. Exceeding you battery limit may lead to battery failure causing explosion, fire, or damages to your devices.
Using battery ratings and coil resistance
Having known your required battery ratings. It is crucial to know how to use these ratings with the atomizer coil resistance to avoid vaping failures. In case you need to know the resistance of your mod, you can get an ohms reader to measure this. Now we have all four parameters, which are resistance in ohms, voltage (v), power (mAh), and Amperage (A or C). We would use these to estimate what the maximum continuous discharge of your battery would be as well as how much current will be discharged by your device.
To start with, in case the battery uses “C” ratings, first convert it to “A” rating by multiplying the “C” rating by the power (mAh). For instance, if the battery’s rating is 12C, this signifies that such battery is rated for 12 times its capacity measured in amps. If such battery has a rating of 2400mAh, which equals 2.4Ah, the maximum continuous discharge would be 12 x 2.4 = 28.8A. Next is to find out the amount of current that your device discharges and see if it is at a rate safe for vaping. Divide the voltage of the battery, in this case, 4.2v when fully charged, by the resistance of your coil or atomizer. For instance, 4.2v/1ohms = 4.2A, this is the discharge rate of your device and must be lower than the battery amperage rating. Remember to take note of this when choosing your 18650 battery.
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Battery Charging Time
Having known the discharge rating of your device, it is essential you choose batteries that fit this requirement. Battery charging time can be determined by numerous different factors, the most important factor that concerns choosing the right battery is the battery storage capacity (mAh). The higher the storage capacity of the battery, the longer the charging time would be and vice versa.
With the five points listed above, it is sure you would make a right choice when next you are choosing batteries for the device.
Tips: whenever you plug in your batteries, allow them to charge up completely before unplugging. This is the best, topping off your battery or continuous plugging in and out of a charger can lead to unnecessary wearing out of the battery. More so, use up your battery power until your device shows that they are dead before charging them. Your batteries cannot discharge 100% else their internal structure would be damaged.