Never Leave Your E-Cig Charging Unattended
e-cigarette charging safetyThis advice is printed in just about every e-cigarette manual you’ll come across, and it’s there for a reason. Things can go wrong during charging, and if you aren’t there to identify it, they can go very wrong. It’s like a leak in a water pipe; it only creates serious issues if you allow the problem to continue unchecked for an extended period of time.
If your battery is overheating and you don’t notice, it could progress to a full-blown explosion or firework-like incident because the charger is still adding more energy into that system.
If you notice the battery heating up or swelling, remove the charger from the USB port or wall socket and place it somewhere safe to cool down.
Don’t Charge E-Cigs Overnight
The night might appear like the perfect opportunity to recharge your e-cig battery, because that way it doesn’t interfere with your vaping through the day. However, for the reasons stated above, it is not advised to leave your e-cig charging overnight.
Overcharging your e-cig can lead to thermal runaway and explosive failure, and no beginner e-cig models will require a 6 to 8 hour charge; ordinarily it’s more like half that.
When your e-cig has finished charging (the LED light on the charger will change color, ordinarily to green), you need to be there to remove it from the charger as soon as possible afterwards.
However, if you have large batteries, like 18650s, that require more than a couple hours of charge time, it’s safe to use something like an intelligent charger. The NITECORE Intellicharger not only automatically detects and adjusts voltage output for each type of battery (Li-ion, Ni-MH and Ni-Cd), it will stop once a battery is fully charged.
Where to Charge Your E-Cig
It’s also important to charge your electronic cigarette battery in a safe location, away from sources of excessive heat and – in the event of any problems – away from flammable materials.
As well as problems with excessive heat, lithium batteries shouldn’t be charged at below-freezing temperature. This is because the non-lithium “anode” becomes coated with plates of lithium, and the build-up can’t be reversed. Over time, this can lead to battery failure.
Additionally, you should always charge your batteries out of reach of children (or pets). Of course, there is little to be worried about if you don’t leave the battery unattended and abide by basic safety precautions, but in the unlikely event of trouble, the last thing you want is a child coming into contact with an overheating battery.