Free shipping over £15

Same day dispatch (4pm Mon-Fri)

20,000+ 5 star reviews

Cashback on every order

HOW TO KNOW WHEN TO REPLACE YOUR VAPE COIL

How do you know when your vape coil needs replacing?

Even if you are new to vaping, you probably already know that replacing your vape coil periodically is one of the most important aspects of maintaining a vaping device.

Before you consider replacing your coil, you need to know when your vape coil should be replaced. You will incur unecessary costs if you replace your coils too quickly. But if you continue using a coil (or pod with a built-in coil) when it is well past its prime, you will negatively impact your vaping experience.

It is important to understand why you need to regulalry replace coils.

Nothing lasts forever and coils certainly don't! With regular use, their performance will diminish either because their wicking material has become burnt or e-liquid residue has accumulated.

Vape Coils

Why Do Vape Coils Burn Out?

The two key components of any vape coil are the heating surface and the wicking. Any issues with one or both of these components will end the life of a coil.

Burnt Wicking

Whether coiled metal or a strip of metal mesh, the heating surface becomes hot enough to vaporise e-liquid when the device concerned is fired. Wicking material is present to soak up e-liquid from the tank or pod and it is the e-liquid absorbed by the wicking that is vaporised by the heating surface.

Should the wicking material become dry because the tank or pod is empty, it will burn when the device is fired. Once the wicking is burnt, you will experience a nasty burnt taste when you inhale.

It isn't possible to repair burnt wicking and so the coil must be replaced.

E-Liquid Residue

As you vape, e-liquid residue may start to accululae on the heating surface of your coil. Sweet flavours and those high in VG are more prone to producing residue. Eventually, the presence of residue will impact the performance of the heating surface by limiting its ability to vaporise e-liquid. The residue will then start to burn and deliver unpleasant puffs.

How do you identify burnt wicking?

A burnt wick will produce a nasty burnt taste and puffs that irritate your throat. Your puffs will feel harsh and the burnt taste may overwhlem your flavour.

You can confirm that your wicking is burnt by taking a look at the material through the wicking ports (holes) in the atomiser head. If you know that your tank or pod was empty at any point, then burnt wicking is the likely culprit regarding the unplesant taste in your mouth.

Even a very small dark spot will cause a noticeable change in the coil's flavour. There is no way to fix burned cotton. Although it's technically possible to repair the coil by replacing the cotton, you'll probably find that doing this is not really worth the trouble. It's far simpler to replace the coil.

How do you address burnt wicking?

Should you find that you're constantly burning your wicking, here's how to preserve your coils:

  • Always prime your coil before vaping with it.
  • Avoid vaping at extremely high wattages.
  • Always keep your device set to a power level that's within the recommended power range for the coil you're using. Remember that you may need to vape at an even lower wattage if you prefer very long, deep puffs.
  • Don't chain vape. Always wait a moment between puffs to give the wick some time to absorb more e-liquid.

How do you identify an issue with e-liquid residue?

When a layer of residue forms on the heating surface of your vape coil, it probably means that you are using e-liquid sweetened with sucralose.

Sucralose is a potent sweetener that can enhance vape juices with certain flavour profiles including fruit, dessert, bakery and candy. It's become very common in recent years for e-liquid producers to sweeten their products, but sucralose is problematic in that it leaves a dark residue behind that slowly diminishes the flavour you experience.

A build-up of residue will initially result in heightened sweetness but the residue will eventually burn giving you a burnt sugar taste and eventually a more sour burnt note.

You can confirm that a coil has been impacted by residue by inspecting the heating surface. If residue is present, that surface will be dark and discoloured.

How do you avoid residue build-up?

If you find that sucralose residue is causing you to replace your coils more often than you'd like, there's a very simple solution to that problem - stop using sweetened vape juice. While it's undeniable that sucralose is very tasty, it does shorten the life of your vape coils.

If you're a heavy vaper, you may find that a new coil installed at the beginning of the day has already begun to taste like burned sugar at the end of the day. Switching to unsweetened e-liquid can extend the life of your vape coils from a day or two to a week or more.

In Summary

regardless of what you do, your coils will eventually burn out. But you can lengthen their lifespans by choosing unswetened flavours, priming your coils correctly and keeping your tank topped up. It also pays to vape at the recommended temperatures for your coils.

Bundle & Multibuy Deals Available!

Save more when you stock up on your favourites.

Shop Now