Safe Vaping – How Should You Charge Your Ecigarette Battery?
Vaping is back in the news this month as a result of the Vapril campaign, which means only one thing.
More scare stories about batteries going wrong and people getting hurt.
It’s a fact of life that a rechargeable battery needs to be treated properly. If it doesn’t, it can fail. And sometimes a battery fails in a violent way.
We always send out safety information with our vape kits and batteries, but we know that you don’t always read them. So just to recap, we’d like to share our tips for safely recharging your egicarette, vape or mod.
Here are the Kik Blog’s dos and don’ts for charging your vape battery safely.
DO: Use the USB charging cable supplied
All of our vape kits include a charging cable. They’ve been tested to make sure they’re safe and reliable when they’re used with your battery. If you use the cables we supply and you plug them into the right place (see below), you’ll reduce the risk of the battery overheating and becoming damaged.
DON’T: Use a phone charger
Our mod kits all charge via a Micro USB port, just like you’ll find on most brands of mobile phone. That doesn’t mean you should charge your vape up using your phone charger.
A phone battery has to power a touchscreen, media player, wifi adaptor and phone receiver. Your box mod has to power a small coil. One of these things needs more electricity than the others, so using a phone charger to power your ecigarette battery pumps in more electricity than the battery can handle. Don’t do it.
DO: Charge your battery from the USB port on your PC or laptop
An ecigarette battery needs a small amount of power delivered over time to charge properly. The power output of your computer’s USB ports are perfect for your battery’s needs. Unlike…
DON’T: Plug your vape battery into the mains
Unlike a mains socket. A mains socket delivers large amounts of power very quickly. It’s very easy to over-charge a battery from the mains, which puts a strain on the battery and generates heat. A strained, overheated vape is a dangerous vape. So don’t wire your egicarette into the mains.
DO: Keep an eye on your charging battery
All of our ecigarettes and vapes have LED indicators. They’ll tell you when the battery is low and when it’s charged.
When it’s low, plug it in. When it’s fully charged, unplug it. There’s no need for a fully charged vape to be left attached to the power for hours or even days at the time. All you’re doing is raising the risk.
DON’T: Leave it plugged in unattended or overnight
Here’s something we hear about too often. Someone gets their phone charger, plugs one end into their vape battery, and then goes to sleep. Six hours later, the battery’s overheated to the point that it’s too hot to touch and the sideboard is smoldering.
If you leave your battery plugged in for too long, it gets hot. If it gets hot, it can start a fire, or it can pop. If it pops next to your face while you sleep, you’ll wake up in a very, very bad mood. And if it starts a fire, you might not wake up at all.
Battery Safety Summary:
- Charge the battery via a PC or laptop, not the mains
- Don’t charge your battery overnight
- Don’t use a battery that feels hot
- Replace your batteries every few months
- Use the charger cables we supply
If you follow these rules, your vape battery will provide you with months of cloud-chasing enjoyment. If you don’t, you could be putting yourself at risk. And nobody starts vaping to increase the risk to their health.