Our comprehensive vape coil guide will ensure you know how to handle your coils safely and get the best vaping experience out of them.
For anyone who is new to the world of vaping, practicing correct vape coil handling should be one of your top priorities!
Experienced vape shops, such as Vape Town, should always ensure that all their customers, especially new users, are fully informed about how to get the best longevity and vape experience from their vape coils.
Our vape coil guide will tell you everything you need to know to start vaping correctly.
What is a vape coil?
First things first - you need to know what a vape coil actually is. Simply put, it’s the heart of your vaping device. Most manufactured vaping coils consist of a wire (heating element) and cotton. The battery heats the wire which, in turn, heats the e-liquid soaked cotton and this makes the e-liquid turn to vapour.
What are ohms in vaping?
Your vaping device will be able to tolerate a certain range of ohms. This is the unit of resistance that is defined by the coil.
The lower the resistance, the more electric current will be able to pass through the vape coil. This generates more heat and produces more vapour and flavour.
But, be aware that when you vape at a lower resistance, you will get through more e-liquid and your battery life will suffer.
What is a sub-ohm coil?
A sub-ohm vape coil has a resistance of less than 1 ohm. The vape coil will contain a thicker wire with larger wicking holes to increase the airflow.
You will be able to use more power and the thicker wire means that more surface area is in contact with the e-liquid soaked cotton. This creates larger vapour clouds and carries more flavour from the vape juice.
Sub-ohm coils and tanks will only work on a mechanical or regulated mod capable of handling them.
Improper use can lead to damaged vaping kit, or injury to yourself and others. If in doubt, always check with your vaping supplier to ensure you have the correct kit for what you’re trying to achieve.
We would also suggest an e-liquid with 6mg of nicotine, or lower, for use with sub-ohm coils. Sub-ohm tanks and atomisers produce a higher throat hit than their standard resistance counterparts. Any more than 6mg of nicotine could taste burnt or harsh.
How do you prime a vape coil?
Whenever you change your vape coil, you will first need to ‘prime’ your new coil. Priming a vape coil means you are preparing it to accept heat and product the best vapour. You must follow these 7 simple steps before you power your vaping device.
- Drip e-liquid into the hole at the top of the vape coil
- Allow the e-liquid to soak in between drips and keep going until the cotton is fully saturated
- Flick any excess vape juice from the vaping coil and insert into your vaping device
- Fill your tank with e-liquid and allow to soak for 15 minutes
- Take a few puffs without power
- Lower the power (if available on your battery/mod) and take a few more puffs
- Raise the power (if available on your battery/mod) at regular intervals until you’re back to your preferred level
Is it bad to vape with a burnt coil?
If you don’t prime your vape coil, you may get a harsh burnt taste when you vape which is pretty unpleasant. At this point, the vape coil is unusable and you will need to start again with a replacement.
If the coil is insufficiently primed, it will take longer to get the burnt taste but, even so, your coil will not have had as long a life as if it had been correctly primed in the first place.
When should I change the coil in my vape?
The length of time you get out of a vape coil will vary depending on a number of factors:
- The amount of usage
- Power settings
- Chosen e-liquid
- Proper priming
You will recognise the need to change the coil in your vape when you start to get the burnt taste mentioned above. At this point, make sure to follow all of the priming steps again with your replacement coil.
Rebuildable vape coils
These are not recommended for beginner vapers as they carry certain risks. Before you venture into rebuildable coils, you must know about multimeters and electronic devices in general.
- Always test a rebuildable vape coil with a multimeter before it is used - not doing so is entirely at your own risk
- Faulty coils WILL blow electronic devices
- New coil units must first be used on a strong basic mod that has short circuit protection or, better still, a testing rig
- No new rebuildable coil should be used on an electronic device until known to be safe
Always vape responsibly
We are here to help you and we want to be sure that you know how to get the best from your vaping equipment. However, Vape Town cannot be held responsible for damage if there is any modification to the kit we supply. We are also not responsible for any damage caused by misuse or mishandling of coils and rebuildable coils.
Should you have any other queries about the safe and proper way to handle vape coils, please don’t hesitate to contact us.