Battery Guidezzzzzzzz - the build

[Roger]

Happy to help make it readable chaps

[ciderhead]

Think that's the way to go VapingBad..3 different tutorials starting with eGo type batts because that's what most new vapers start with, explain the dos n donts and the reasons why.Keep it simple because a lot of new vapers are only looking for a fag substitute, when you have exhausted the ego pencil type batt move on to built-in.

[Greg]

Thinking the egos and related chargers do's and donts would be a great starting point particularly for the newbies as it comes up so often.

There's already a comprehensive "18" battery guide by halight so maybe that's enough and you could review that and add links etc then just add the ego stuff and usb stuff as additional posts.

Just a thought

[VapingBad]

I had done this to go toward a general intro and thought a that point we could do eGo, USB charged & either link to the existing guide or something. Comments welcome.

Lithium batteries are not like all the other rechargeable batteries you have come across before like car batteries or rechargeable NiCad/NiMm AA batteries they are a lot more powerful and need extra respect due the the amount of energy they store. It used to be the worst thing that could happen is you left a battery in a devices for a year and find it has leaked some acid or alkali and made a mess, lithium batteries can be very violent if they go wrong. Thankfully this is rear and with a little education and common sense you can reduce the risk even more.

Lithium batteries do not have a memory effect like NiCad batteries so you don't need the run them flat before recharging, if fact they will last longer if you recharge them earlier. Neither do the use a "trickle charge" like you car battery, once they are fully charged the charger should automatically turn off, but why not add an extra level of safety and unplug your charger once they are charged.

Lithium batteries come in many shapes and sizes and quite a few different chemistries (types like LiPo, ICR & IMR) and there is always a trade off between max-safety, max-capacity and max-current, you can have a battery optimised for one or two, but never all three of these priorities.

For the sake of these guides we are going to clarify these into 3 categories:
• Batteries charged via the atomiser connection which will refer to as eGo type, we will include cigalikes in this category.
• Batteries charged via a USB cable.
• Bare batteries that are charged on a standalone charger.
(See this thread if you are not sure which you have)

[VapingBad]

Possible start to the eGo guide, needs work

eGo & Cigalike Batteries that charge via the atomiser connection.

Dos & Don'ts
• Never leave a lithium battery charging unattended or charge while sleeping (these batteries don't have a memory effect like NiCad batteries so just disconnect and charge them again later).
• ALWAYS AND ONLY use the charger made specifically for the battery and just because the connection fits does not mean it is compatible with your battery.
• If the battery becomes hot (hotter than the water you would wash in?) remove from charger immediately.
• If the battery has been damaged IE dented or punctures, stop using and dispose of it ASAP.
• If the battery has been submerged/dropped into water, DO NOT charge the battery even if you have dried it out, stop using and dispose of it ASAP.
• NEVER charge with a lead that is damaged.
• Never leave an e-cig or e-liquid where pets or young children can get to it.
• Never leave your battery in direct sunlight or in other hot locations like your car or near the cooker.
• Do remove your battery from charger as soon as light turns green.
• Always wipe ant e-liquid or dirt off your battery and charger connection before charging, an old tea towel or some kitchen roll is ideal. (will have a bit later on periodic thorough cleaning)
• If your battery has an on/off function use it when you put it in your bag or pocket, before storing or charging and especially when small children are about.

Tips
• Keep a record of the date you obtained each battery, label them ideally, It will help you predict when they are coming to the end of their life.
• Always unplug chargers when not in use.
• Your batteries don't like the cold, they won't work well in freezing conditions.
• Charge on non-flammable surface only (in a lipo safety bag or on metal or ceramic surface)
• Having more than one battery not only gives you a backup but allows more flexibility and makes it easier to fine a convenient time to charge the spare while you can be there in case anything goes wrong.

[Ripshod]

One little addition:

eGo & Cigalike Batteries that charge via the atomiser connection.

Dos & Don'ts
• Never leave a lithium battery charging unattended or charge while sleeping (these batteries don't have a memory effect like NiCad batteries so just disconnect and charge them again later).
• ALWAYS AND ONLY use the charger made specifically for the battery and just because the connection fits does not mean it is compatible with your battery.
• If the battery becomes hot (hotter than the water you would wash in?) remove from charger immediately.
• If the battery has been damaged IE dented or punctures, stop using and dispose of it ASAP.
• If the battery has been submerged/dropped into water, DO NOT charge the battery even if you have dried it out, stop using and dispose of it ASAP.
• NEVER charge with a lead that is damaged.
• Never leave an e-cig or e-liquid where pets or young children can get to it.
• Never leave your battery in direct sunlight or in other hot locations like your car or near the cooker.
• Do remove your battery from charger as soon as light turns green.
• Always wipe ant e-liquid or dirt off your battery and charger connection before charging, an old tea towel or some kitchen roll is ideal. (will have a bit later on periodic thorough cleaning)
• If your battery has an on/off function use it when you put it in your bag or pocket, before storing or charging and especially when small children are about.
• Dispose of old/damaged batteries safely. Don't bin them. Ask your local council where to take them, usually it'll be one of their own facilities.

Tips
• Keep a record of the date you obtained each battery, label them ideally, It will help you predict when they are coming to the end of their life.
• Always unplug chargers when not in use.
• Your batteries don't like the cold, they won't work well in freezing conditions.
• Charge on non-flammable surface only (in a lipo safety bag or on metal or ceramic surface)
• Having more than one battery not only gives you a backup but allows more flexibility and makes it easier to fine a convenient time to charge the spare while you can be there in case anything goes wrong.

[VapingBad]

I bet there is more than one missing Ripshod, just tiring to get into it as been feeling a bit rough since the London pi55 up meet, I blame the kebab on the way home.

[Deleted]

As with Roger I am happy to help with the actual writing

[Ripshod]

Section that needs including_

Standards markings, including images. The differences between the true CE markings and the 'China Export' marking, and explanations that CE isn't de-facto. The other markings needed for the UK explained too.

[reddragon]

Well done so far guys, I know this is probably doing your heads in but it will be appreciated by a lot of people. While everyone may not agree and do the same thing, I think a baseline of information is really helpful, if only to make people think about the equipment being used and the conditions it is being used in.

[VapingBad]

A bit more on cigalikes & eGos, it feels too long already.

eGo & Cigalike batteries that charge via the atomiser connection

This guide will tell you the difference between the these types link

Dos & Don'ts
• ALWAYS AND ONLY use the charger made specifically for the battery and just because the connection fits does not mean it is compatible with your battery.
• Never leave a lithium battery charging unattended or charge while sleeping (these batteries don't have a memory effect like NiCad batteries so just disconnect and charge them again later).
• If the battery becomes hot (hotter than the water you would wash in?) remove from charger immediately.
• If the battery has been damaged IE dented or punctures, stop using and dispose of it ASAP.
• If the battery has been submerged/dropped into water, DO NOT charge the battery even if you have dried it out, stop using and dispose of it ASAP.
• NEVER charge with a lead that is damaged.
• Never leave an e-cig or e-liquid where pets or young children can get to it.
• Never leave your battery in direct sunlight or in other hot locations like your car or near the cooker.
• Do remove your battery from charger as soon as light turns green.
• Always wipe any e-liquid or dirt off your battery and charger connection before charging, an old tea towel or some kitchen roll is ideal. (will have a bit later on periodic thorough cleaning)
• If your battery has an on/off function use it when you put it in your bag or pocket, before storing or charging and especially when small children are about.
• Dispose of old/damaged batteries safely. Don't bin them. Ask your local council where to take them, usually it'll be one of their own facilities.

Tips
• Keep a record of the date you obtained each battery, label them ideally, It will help you predict when they are coming to the end of their life.
• Always unplug chargers when not in use.
• Your batteries don't like the cold, they won't work well in freezing conditions.
• Charge on non-flammable surface only (in a lipo safety bag or on metal or ceramic surface)
• Having more than one battery not only gives you a backup but allows more flexibility and makes it easier to fine a convenient time to charge the spare while you can be there in case anything goes wrong.

[need to have explained vent, flame and explode risk]

Charging set up
You need 3 things to charge these:
1) the battery, which contains a battery cell, a switch and a small circuit that provides some protection.
2) the charger, which the battery screws into and normally has a USB plug to connect to a power supply and and LED that changes colour when it is charged
3) a power supply, this could be a USB socket on your computer, a USB hub or a USB power supply that plugs into the mains (sometimes called a wall wart) or into a car cigar lighter socket.
(there are some car charges that combine 2 & 3 into one unit)

The charger (#2) and power supply (#3) do different jobs and it is important not to confuse the two units to be able to understand this next bit. The most important thing to remember with these batteries is to ONLY use the charger (#2) supplied with your battery. If you look closely in the picture below of 3 charges that look the same, have the same fittings, but are very different electrically. The small circuit inside your battery may share the control of how the actual battery cell inside is charged with the charger unit or it may be quite dumb and accept anything its given. This could cause the battery cell inside your battery to overheat and vent gases, vent flames or even explode.



Techie detail about the picture
Unlike e-cigs that charge directly with a USB cable these devices do not have a standard output voltage, in the picture the top two output 5 V and the bottom one only 4.2 V, DC on the label stands for direct current and all batteries will be DC. Plus they all have different values for the output current in mA (mili amps, thousandths of an amp) generally the smaller the battery the smaller the amps. The battery cell inside your battery should never be given more than 4.25 V or be given too high current (amps or mili-amps) both can cause it to overheat.

These batteries are all quite small and there is no need to use a high current (amps or mili-amps) USB power supply, if you have a decent quality e-cig & charger combo in good working order it is OK to use a higher current USB supply like the one that with your SmartPhone as the battery & charger combo will only take what it needs. But you can give yourself an extra level of safety by sticking to a standard USB supply rated at 5 V DC, 500 mA or 550 mA output which should be clearly printed on the label, computer sockets can vary because later USB standards can go above this. Beware of cheap and fake USB power supplies and only buy from a reputable vendor who will only sell CE marked UK specific units.

Charging your eCig
Chose a sensible location away from any heat sources like radiators, washing machines or direct sunlight and put your battery on a flame proff surface like a metal or ceramic plate before you start. If you have the manufactures guidance on charging then follow that, but usually you turn off your battery, connect it to the charger and connect that to the power supply and turn on the mains power. Various LED lights will come on and maybe flash for a few seconds before charging starts. Typically the LED on the charger will be red while charging and turn green or blue when finished, some batteries also have an LED, sometimes in the fire button or the tip of a cigalike which also have a meaning. The exact meaning of the colour codes and flashes varies form model to model and there should be information from the vendor or manufactures about what means.

If you need to leave the room where your charging for more than a few minutes it is safest turn the mains to the charger off and disconnect the battery, you can resume charging when you get back and it won't shorten the life of your battery. If you are unwilling to do this then consider a LiPo Safe or Lipo Guard charging pouch that will provide some protection in the event the battery vents, flames of explodes.

Once charging is complete disconnect everything and ensure your battery is turned off, if you have another battery that is only half empty it may be more convenient to charge that now if you are going to be out and about later.

Some cigalike kits have a Personal Charging Case / Portable Charger Case or PCC that you can charge with while you are out and about, if this is going to be out of sight a LiPo Safe or Lipo Guard charging pouch would be a good idea.


Maintenance
[cleaning and checking for damage, need pics]

[VapingBad]

Note to self and Ripshod we mustn't forget to make it clear the issues with Lithium batteries are not issues with eCigs, it's easy to forget when you are going into specifics.

[VapingBad]

Tidied up the eGo does and don'ts a bit, don't forget to let me know if there are mistakes, omissions or improvements, I only used eGos for a month or so two years ago.

Do's and Don'ts
• ALWAYS AND ONLY use the charger made specifically for the battery and just because the connection fits does not mean it is compatible with your battery.
• NEVER leave a lithium battery charging unattended or charge while sleeping (these batteries don't have a memory effect like NiCad batteries so just disconnect and charge them again later).
• NEVER leave an e-cig or e-liquid where pets or young children can get to it.
• NEVER leave your battery in direct sunlight or in other hot locations like your car or near the cooker.
• NEVER charge with a lead, power block or charger that is damaged.
• NEVER charge near heat sources like a hob, dishwasher or strong light source.
• NEVER charge near flammable items like curtains, soft furnishing or paper.
• ALWAYS remove your battery from charger as soon as it is charged (light turns green) and unplug the mains adapter.
• ALWAYS charge on non-flammable surface like metal, ceramic or in a LiPo safety pouch.
• ALWAYS wipe any e-liquid or dirt off your battery and charger connection before charging, an old tea towel or some kitchen roll is ideal. (will have a bit later on periodic thorough cleaning)
• ALWAYS use your battery on/off or lock function when you put it in a bag or pocket, before storing or charging and especially when small children are about.
• ALWAYS dispose of old/damaged batteries safely. Don't bin them. Ask your local council where to take them, usually it'll be one of their own facilities.
• NEVER over tighten your battery to your charger or atomiser.

ALWAYS dispose of your battery if:
• It becomes unusually hot, they can get warm especially when you keep them in you hand.
• It has been damaged IE dented or punctured, leaks any liquid or emits any strange odours.
• It has been submerged/dropped into water, DO NOT charge the battery even if you have dried it out.
• It does not hold a charge overnight.
• It has lost capacity.


Tips
• Store your batteries in a non-conductive container at a mild temperature, ideally at around 40% charge for longer term storage.
• Keep a record of the date you obtained each battery, label them ideally, It will help you predict when they are coming to the end of their life.
• Unscrewing your atomiser adds an extra level of safety over locking your battery when carrying in a bag or pocket.
• Let you battery rest for an hour or two after charging.
• Your batteries don't like the cold, they won't work well in freezing conditions.
• Having more than one battery not only gives you a backup but allows more flexibility and makes it easier to fine a convenient time to charge the spare while you can be there in case anything goes wrong.

[charliehorse]

Dec 17, 2014 10:54:28 GMT VapingBad said:

Tidied up the eGo does and don'ts a bit, don't forget to let me know if there are mistakes, omissions or improvements, I only used eGos for a month or so two years ago.

Do's and Don'ts

• ALWAYS charge on non-flammable surface like metal, ceramic or in a LiPo safety pouch.

Looks good on a quick read through,

charging on a metal surface though ? I'm thinking about anything shorting out if a cable was nicked ? Bit unlikely I know but .....

Other than that it's shaping up nicely 

[VapingBad]

Dec 17, 2014 12:55:14 GMT charliehorse said:

Dec 17, 2014 10:54:28 GMT VapingBad said:

Tidied up the eGo does and don'ts a bit, don't forget to let me know if there are mistakes, omissions or improvements, I only used eGos for a month or so two years ago.

Looks good on a quick read through,

charging on a metal surface though ? I'm thinking about anything shorting out if a cable was nicked ? Bit unlikely I know but .....

Other than that it's shaping up nicely 

Thanks, it wouldn't be a problem while all is well IE would not cause a problem, but I will change it to

ALWAYS charge on non-flammable surface like a ceramic plate or in a LiPo safety pouch.