How to tell if it’s time to replace your battery?

[Zia]

Hey guys! I’m gonna be a little to the point here. Basically, I’d like to know when I should replace my vape batteries. I’m using a mech mod and well I think I may have damaged one of my 25Rs by running it at a low voltage. I used it today from about 2 o clock on and off vaping and put it on charge at about 8 and it read < 30%. Now, I’m wondering if this is normal (considering it’s a 0,20 ohm build). The battery was fully charged when I stuck him in, used it for like 3 hours and then it was almost dead. Is it time to replace this batt already? </3

TLDR: What telltale signs are there of a bad battery?
How low should I drain the battery before charging?

Thanks!

 

[Raindance]

Hey guys! I’m gonna be a little to the point here. Basically, I’d like to know when I should replace my vape batteries. I’m using a mech mod and well I think I may have damaged one of my 25Rs by running it at a low voltage. I used it today from about 2 o clock on and off vaping and put it on charge at about 8 and it read < 30%. Now, I’m wondering if this is normal (considering it’s a 0,20 ohm build). The battery was fully charged when I stuck him in, used it for like 3 hours and then it was almost dead. Is it time to replace this batt already? </3

TLDR: What telltale signs are there of a bad battery?
How low should I drain the battery before charging?

Thanks!

What telltale signs are there of a bad battery?
The most obvious would be how much charge the battery holds once fully charged. Charge it to 4.2 volts, remove it from charge and see what voltage it actually maintains after about an hour. If it drops to 4.10 it is still ok but if it drops to 3.9, time to replace.

How low should I drain the battery before charging?
General rule is to not go below 3.2 Volts. You can go lower but at a cost of battery life. Never go below 2.5V. I find that at about 3.7 to 3.6 volts I find the vape a bit thin and therefore replace my batteries in that region.

Battery Mooch is way more knowledgeable on the topic and recommend you watch his video's on the topic:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCePHh3NMvu3rW2LFJeOWo-Q

Regards

 

[Silver]

Great thread @Zia
And great post @Raindance , thanks!

I need to get a better voltmeter, my doohickeys from @johan have lasted a few years but the one died and the other reads incorrectly. Cant complain because they worked perfectly for so long.

Anyone know what a good midrange voltmeter is?
Ie not a top of the range Fluke and not the cheap stuff pne gets for a few hundred rand

 

[Andre]

Great thread @Zia
And great post @Raindance , thanks!

I need to get a better voltmeter, my doohickeys from @johan have lasted a few years but the one died and the other reads incorrectly. Cant complain because they worked perfectly for so long.

Anyone know what a good midrange voltmeter is?
Ie not a top of the range Fluke and not the cheap stuff pne gets for a few hundred rand

How can you break @johan's doohickey - it is indestructible! Mine is still going strong, and I have a spare somewhere.

 

[johan]

@Silver you doohickey muncher! When I visit SA again I will bring you one. In the interim the following budget Chinese DMM (Digital Multi-Meter) stunned the electronic fraternity with it's accuracy: ANENG model AN8001 (available for +/- R 215.00) https://www.banggood.com/ANENG-AN80...-p-1140515.html?rmmds=search&cur_warehouse=CN

It's far from the robustness of a Fluke, Keithley etc, but it works and works well - and don't get fooled by the CE marking, it stands for "Chinese Export".

​

 

[Hallucinated_]

Hey guys! I’m gonna be a little to the point here. Basically, I’d like to know when I should replace my vape batteries. I’m using a mech mod and well I think I may have damaged one of my 25Rs by running it at a low voltage. I used it today from about 2 o clock on and off vaping and put it on charge at about 8 and it read < 30%. Now, I’m wondering if this is normal (considering it’s a 0,20 ohm build). The battery was fully charged when I stuck him in, used it for like 3 hours and then it was almost dead. Is it time to replace this batt already? </3

TLDR: What telltale signs are there of a bad battery?
How low should I drain the battery before charging?

Thanks!

a 25r lasts met about 45 mins on a mech, how do you get it to last 3 hours haha !

 

[Hallucinated_]

Correct me if I am wrong but these IMR/INR cells drops to 60% capacity after +- 250 cycles and when using them in a mech they have an even shorter life span.

 

[Silver]

Correct me if I am wrong but these IMR/INR cells drops to 60% capacity after +- 250 cycles and when using them in a mech they have an even shorter life span.

I didnt know about that much of a drop @Hallucinated_
I did know that most of our batteries have about 250-300 cycle lifespans - but I dont know what that means about their performance after that many cycles. I guess it depends on how much stress theyve been put under during those cycles.
Don't have the time now, but someone can maybe check on batteryuniversity.com - i'm sure it will be there somewhere.
Or maybe Mooch has something about long term testing... if anyone has seen something like that?

 

[Silver]

@Silver you doohickey muncher! When I visit SA again I will bring you one. In the interim the following budget Chinese DMM (Digital Multi-Meter) stunned the electronic fraternity with it's accuracy: ANENG model AN8001 (available for +/- R 215.00) https://www.banggood.com/ANENG-AN80...-p-1140515.html?rmmds=search&cur_warehouse=CN

It's far from the robustness of a Fluke, Keithley etc, but it works and works well - and don't get fooled by the CE marking, it stands for "Chinese Export".

View attachment 134593​

Thanks @johan !
Banging Good Idea!

Loved your doohickeys to bits by the way...

 

[RainstormZA]

a 25r lasts met about 45 mins on a mech, how do you get it to last 3 hours haha !

Yeah I noticed that with the 25r battery. 30q lasts much longer. a combination of 2 x 3000mah lasts me a couple hours on my Cylon and also the wattage / coil type plays a factor on the battery life.

 

[Raindance]

I didnt know about that much of a drop @Hallucinated_
I did know that most of our batteries have about 250-300 cycle lifespans - but I dont know what that means about their performance after that many cycles. I guess it depends on how much stress theyve been put under during those cycles.
Don't have the time now, but someone can maybe check on batteryuniversity.com - i'm sure it will be there somewhere.
Or maybe Mooch has something about long term testing... if anyone has seen something like that?

Yip, Mooch does deal with this on his channel linked in my post above. Why does nobody seem to watch his stuff? Best entertainment ever!

Regards

 

[Puff the Magic Dragon]

Yip, Mooch does deal with this on his channel linked in my post above. Why does nobody seem to watch his stuff? Best entertainment ever!

Regards

I do. I really like his personality. I even watch new videos of his where I already know quite a lot about the subject under discussion. IMHO you can never know too much about battery usage and safety.