Do e-cigarette lithium batteries have memory?

Published on: 12/12/2022

Electronic cigarettes: do batteries have memory? Here’s how it is

Do electronic cigarettes also suffer from the so-called memory effect?

If you have decided to open this article, it means that the doubt has occurred to you too.

That being the case, the battery would ‘suffer’ if it was not discharged completely, which would force you to throw it away and buy a new one sooner than you would like.

But is this really the case?
With the aim of dispelling any doubts, we have gathered all the information about the memory effect applied to e-cigs in this article.

Do you already have the feeling that this article is for you?

Let’s get started!

Let’s start from the beginning: what is the battery memory effect?

The battery memory effect is a concept that was much talked about in connection with old mobile phones.

But what does it mean?

In simple terms, it is a reduction in the longevity of the charge of a rechargeable battery due to incomplete discharge during previous uses.

Let me explain.

Some types of batteries – such as nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal hydride batteries – can develop a memory effect when they are only partially discharged before being recharged. This ‘memory’ reduces the capacity of subsequent charges and, consequently, also the future life of the battery in each device.

Let’s take an example.

Suppose we have an old phone from the 2000s; the battery is half full and we decide to recharge it. According to the memory effect, the battery will ‘believe’ that that is its maximum lifetime, so it will tend to last half its capacity even on subsequent charges.

So, does this also happen with e-cigarettes?

Let us try to answer this question.

Read also: How flavor extraction from tobacco works and why beginners should avoid it

The memory effect and lithium batteries: has anything changed from before?

New types of batteries, such as those based on lithium-ion and lithium polymer, offer a better and greater ability to retain their charge when not in use, while not exhibiting a memory effect when partially discharged.

That’s right, you read that right.

The memory effect has nothing to do with new batteries.

In fact, most people who have a proper charger no longer have to worry about this phenomenon.

On the contrary, today’s batteries tend to ‘suffer’ from overcharging and undercharging.

Paradoxical, don’t you think?

In fact, it is not strange that you have heard that it would be preferable not to discharge the mobile phone below 20% and not to charge it above 80%. This would ensure a longer battery life.

But what about electronic cigarettes?

In this case, you can sleep peacefully: you can charge your e-cig battery to 100% without the risk of damaging it, because it has a control system that does not ‘stress’ it.

Doesn’t your e-cig battery last as long as before? Maybe the problem is not the memory effect

If you decided to read this article and find out about the memory effect of the e-cigarette, then it is likely that your battery has lost its bite.

If that is the case, let’s find out why.

As you may have guessed, the cause is not related to the memory effect, as this is an aspect of nickel batteries.

So, what is the real problem?

You should know that electronic cigarettes have a predefined number of charge cycles, so it is likely that your device has simply ‘run its course’.

In this case, the best solution is to replace the battery. However, it is important to be very careful during the procedure to avoid overcharging.

Once this is done, you can resume vaping with complete peace of mind. 😊

Read also: What do ohms indicate in the electronic cigarette? Guide to resistance choice

Conclusions

In this article, we have discussed the memory effect of batteries. As you have seen, electronic cigarettes are exempt from this phenomenon for two reasons: