Engineer Powers Home With Upcycled Vape Batteries

Quick Smiles:

• Chris Doel built a battery bank from 500 discarded vape batteries to power his home off-grid.
• He gathered vapes from friends, shops, and festivals, then tested and wired the batteries together.
• Doel’s viral YouTube video showcases his creation and promotes smart reuse of e-waste.

British engineer Chris Doel found inspiration in the overlooked potential of disposable vapes, repurposing their lithium-ion batteries into a giant rechargeable power station for his home.

By collecting 500 used vape batteries and assembling them into a 2.5 kWh battery pack, he ran his house off-grid for eight hours, powering even energy-hungry appliances.

He explained that seeing disposable vapes tossed away sparked the idea, as the batteries inside have years of potential life left.

“None of these components are disposable. They should never really be thrown just straight in the bin, so them being marketed as ‘disposable’ just seemed insane to me.”

After months of sorting and assembling the batteries, he used 3D-printed cases and careful wiring, including fuses for safety, to build his impressive setup.

Doel is now working to add solar charging so his system can run continuously or top up at night.

His journey, documented in a popular YouTube video, has inspired thousands to consider new ways to fight e-waste.

“These things last for years and years,” he said, encouraging people to look for long-term solutions.

Let Chris’s ingenuity inspire you to spot the hidden treasure in tech we might throw away—share this uplifting story with a friend!

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