Why Extreme Temperatures Aren’t A Good Thing For Your eCig Batteries

The battery is a very important factor to your vaping lifestyle, without it all you would have is a metal tube with some wiring components. It is what provides the power to heat the coil in your setup, which then vaporizes your favorite eliquid flavor for you to enjoy.

The majority of the batteries used in electronic cigarettes are lithium ion and in order for them to perform optimally you should handle them with care and protect them from extreme temperatures and moisture. Ideally your ecig batteries should never be kept in temperatures that dip under 14°F (-10°C) or in heat that is above 86°F (30°C).

Going above or below these temperature ranges will open your batteries up as a host to several issues. This can range from lessened performance, not charging completely, to the battery itself completely failing.

Batteries & Heat

Never, ever leave your ecigarette batteries in a hot car. Heat and your ecig batteries do not make a good pair, this should be a given. Heat is a battery killer and you should avoid leaving your batteries in your car during summer months. Even though it may only be 80°F (27°C) outside, the inside of your car especially if it is not parked in the shade can easily reach 100°F (38°C).

Once a battery is damaged by heat its capacity cannot be restored and its life will be dramatically shortened. This is because heat causes the battery fluids to evaporate which damages the internal structure of the battery. It will also set you up for the possibility of battery failure down the road if you continue to use a heat-damaged battery.

The most common cause of battery failures (not just for your ecigs) is overheating. Here are a few signs that your battery is to the point of overheating:

-       Expanded body

-       Bulging or bubbles in casing

-       Signs of melting

-       Sparks

-       Venting

-       You can hear a whining noise

-       Other visible signs of damage to its body / wrappings

At any point if any of your batteries exhibits the above-mentioned signs you must stop using that battery immediately and dispose of it properly, learn how to do so here.

Batteries & Cold

Batteries don’t like the cold either, so keep this in mind during the winter months. The experts over at Battery University describe in great detail how extreme cold can impact battery life. The lower the temperature drops away from room temperature (which is recommended by Battery University, Duracell & Energizer as the optimal operating temperature for a battery), the greater the battery’s resistance.

This means that in temperatures below 14°F (-10°C) your battery will drain in about half the time. Basically, a battery that would output 100% of power at the ideal temperature of 70-80°F / 21-26°C (low resistance) will only have 50% output at freezing temperatures (32°F / 0°C with high resistance). When there is higher resistance being placed on a battery, the harder the energy has to work in order to pass through the conductor.

When facing cold weather it is best if you do not leave your batteries in your car overnight, as explained above this will diminish its ability to hold a charge and it will also only deliver half as much power as it normally would. It will happen that you forget and leave your batteries in a cold car, when this occurs just bring the batteries into your house and let them sit for at least 30 minutes to allow them to get back to room temperature to bring back their ability for optimal performance.