Keeping your vape batteries in perfect condition is essential if you want to get the most out of them with respect to longevity and safety. But what do you do if the wrap on your vape battery becomes loose or damaged?… You learn how to re-wrap a vape battery of course!…
In this post we’ll talk about the importance of maintaining the condition of your vape battery, specifically in terms of it’s ‘wrap’. We’ll also take you step-by-step through the process of how to re-wrap a vape battery.
However, maintaining the wrap of the battery is only a small piece of the battery safety puzzle. For further info, please be sure to take a look at our battery safety tips.
It’s also worth pointing out, although we’ll be talking about 18650 batteries, the process is exactly the same for other size batteries. The process is the same for 18350’s, 20700’s, 21700’s, 20650’s, even the everyday batteries such as double A’s (AA) and triple A’s (AAA).
The outer wrap is there to protect the battery casing and provide a barrier between the metal housing and any possible external contact. If the battery wrap is damaged (frayed, torn, ripped etc) it could cause a short circuit.
Using a battery in this condition is extremely dangerous! If the exposed metal comes in contact with your vaping device it could potentially catch fire or even explode!
The same is true of a battery not transported properly. For example, if carried loose in your pocket…
The whole metal casing of the battery itself is ‘Negative’ and the contact at the very top of the battery is ‘Positive’. This positive contact is isolated and protected from the casing with a circular paper barrier (insulator) held in place with the battery wrap.
WHAT IS A BATTERY WRAP?
A battery wrap is a heat shrinkable PVC sleeve that slots over the battery. The sleeve should be long enough to protrude over the top and bottom of the battery by approximately 3mm.
When heated, the sleeve shrinks around the battery encasing it. All that will be visible is the bottom (negative) part of the battery (which is important for earthing) and the top (positive) part of the battery surrounded by the paper insulator. This paper insulator is held in place by the battery wrap and isolates the positive contact from the rest of the battery.
IS IT SAFE TO USE A BATTERY IF THE WRAP IS DAMAGED?
No.
You should never compromise safety. The condition of the battery wrap is extremely important in terms of whether the battery is safe to use. The outer case of the battery needs to be protected at all times to avoid any possible shorts.
In a nutshell, you need to make sure that no part of your battery (with the exception of the positive and negative contacts!) is exposed!
CAN YOU RE-WRAP OVER THE EXISTING WRAP?
No, believe me I’ve tried.
You are right in thinking two layers of protection are better than one.
BUT…This will make the battery too thick to fit in the majority of mods.
You want the battery to slide easily in and out of the vaping device. If it’s hard to push in (easy ladies), it’s never going to come out!
CAN YOU RE-WRAP A BATTERY MORE THAN ONCE?
Yes.
There is no limit on the amount of times you can re-wrap a vape battery. Provided of course, you always remove the existing wrap as mentioned above!
The battery can be re-wrapped as often as needed to guarantee the wrap is in good condition
WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO RE-WRAP YOUR BATTERY?
- Because the original wrap is damaged and exposing the metal case. It could be very dangerous to use this battery in this condition. Never use a battery where its wrap is damaged.
- It is far cheaper to re-wrap your battery than to throw it away and get a new one.
- Identification of a paired (married) set of batteries. Having the same wrap (a custom wrap) on a paired set of batteries makes them easily identifiable.
WHERE TO BUY YOUR BATTERY WRAPS?
You’re spoilt for choice here!
A huge variety of online vape retailers stock battery wraps, just do a quick Google search and you’re sure to find what you need. If you want a quick recommendation, FastTech have a wide range of different wraps, as do eBay and Amazon!
Equally the majority of vape battery suppliers sell them together with the paper insulators. We would recommend Fogstar!
WHAT TOOLS DO I NEED TO RE-WRAP A VAPE BATTERY?
- Scissors to trim the sleeve if it’s the “on a roll” type
- Hairdryer or heat gun to apply heat to shrink the sleeve
- Hobby knife or ceramic tweezers to remove the old wrap
- Battery
- Battery wrap
- Paper insulator (if the old one is damaged)
HOW TO RE-WRAP A VAPE BATTERY; STEP-BY-STEP
Ok, so let’s delve down and show you step-by-step exactly how to re-wrap a vape battery…
It’s not essential, but where possible, make sure the battery you’re re-wrapping is NOT fully charged. This is just a safety precaution in case you accidentally puncture the outer metal casing or short the positive terminal.
HOW TO RE-WRAP A VAPE BATTERY; STEP #1
Start by removing the old wrap completely. Always start from the bottom of the battery to reduce contact with the positive terminal. Either use your finger nail or start it off with a hobby knife.
DO NOT puncture or scratch the metal casing.
Keep the small circular paper insulator as you will be re-using this in the next steps. Check the outer metal case for any signs of damage. If at this stage you do find a puncture in the metal case, discard the battery! It is NOT safe!
Just make sure you dispose of it properly…
HOW TO RE-WRAP A VAPE BATTERY; STEP #2
Prepare the new wrap and slide it over the battery. Be sure to leave approximately 3mm overhang at the top and bottom of the battery.
HOW TO RE-WRAP A VAPE BATTERY; STEP #3
Next place the paper insulator on the positive terminal. If the paper insulator is damaged, replace with a new one.
HOW TO RE-WRAP A VAPE BATTERY; STEP #4
Use a hairdryer to apply heat to shrink the wrap around the battery. I usually start at the bottom of the battery, working my way to the top.
Make sure the hairdryer does not blow away the paper insulator! This has happened to me more times than I care to admit…
Do not over heat the battery or wrap, just enough for the wrap to shrink nicely around the battery.
HOW TO RE-WRAP A VAPE BATTERY; STEP #5
The final step is to give yourself a pat on the back…
That’s it. You’ve successfully re-wrapped your battery.
Make sure the wrap fully covers the battery and is intact. If you are not fully happy with how you’ve wrapped it, take it off and start again!
OPTIONAL STEP #6
You may want to add a label onto the battery noting its Continuous Discharge Rate (CDR) and mAh so you know its characteristics. You could always add the date at which the battery was purchased so you know how old the battery is.
CONTINUED SAFETY OF THE BATTERY
Now you have re-wrapped your battery(s) and it’s looking as good as new, make sure you do the following to keep it that way…
Always check the condition of the battery every time you insert it into your mod or when charging!
When transporting your batteries, always do so in a battery case or sleeve!
By now you should know all about battery wrapping and exactly how to re-wrap a vape battery! And hopefully you still have all your fingers!
We hope you found this post helpful, please share or leave a comment below! Happy Vaping!
Comments 8
Tips on how not to blow away the paper insulator w/ the hair dryer? Thanks!
Hi Nicki,
Thanks for your question. When purchasing new paper insulators, the majority of them now are sticky backed so they remain in place when applying heat to the battery. With the original ones you have to be careful as they will blow off when using a hair dryer if you have it on to higher setting.
Keep the speed of the hair dryer on a low setting. Also apply heat from the bottom of the battery working your way to the top. Direct the hair dryer below the top of the battery so the wrap starts to shrink while the insulator is in place. Lastly, you can use a pencil to hold the insulator in place to stop it blowing away while applying heat. Hope these tips help.
Thanks. This was super helpful!
Hi Jo,
Thanks for the kind comment! Glad you found it useful.
This was a brilliant guide and within ten mins I’ve wrapped 10 batteries and still got my fingers lol Thanks for the help and quidance . Happy vaping
Hi Kev,
Thanks for the great comment, appreciate it. Glad you found our guide helpful and re-wrapped your batteries but more important you’re still alive to tell the tale.
Cheers again.
Whoa, didn’t know this can be done as well. I threw a lot of batteries away and also used them with damaged wraps. When you think that you know everything, but still every day you can learn something new. Keep up the good work with articles 🙂
Hi Luke,
Thanks for the comment. Wrapping your 18650 batteries is super quick and easy yet often overlooked! Glad you liked the post 🙂