Your vape coil can burn out and lead to your device not delivering the desired experience. If you use a vape device long enough, it’s not made to last forever, and you’ll discover a failure somewhere in the equipment. That will likely be your vape coil, but it could also be other things.
Vape coils are needed to vaporize an e-liquid in the vape device. A basic vape device is not overly complicated. A vape coil is a wrapped spiral wire set around a wicking material. The material is usually cotton. One end of the spiral wire is connected to a positive terminal of the device battery, while the other is connected to the negative terminal. The battery heats the coil. As the coil heats, the e-liquid is heated up until it hurts into a vapour, inhaled.
Vape coils are not made to last forever. They heat up and cool down repeatedly, and eventually, the wire loses the ability to conduct current. It may take lots of vaping to get to that point, but for any coil, failure is inevitable. Fortunately, they’re very easy and affordable, costing only a dollar or two to replace.
Let’s learn how to tell when a vape coil is bad and whether a replacement is needed.
When to Replace Vape Coil
Some vape users replace their vape coil every week or two. If you’re a heavy user, you might need to replace your vape coil this often. If you vape more casually, it may take a month to get to the point where you need a new vape coil. Please note that a vape coil will not typically last longer than 4-6 weeks before requiring a replacement.
If Your Vape Tastes Burnt…
A burning taste in your vape can come from the vape coil deteriorating. What you’re tasting in the burn are trace amounts of heavy metals from the coil. Do not continue inhaling a vape product at that point. You don’t want any amount of heavy metals going into the body. Replace your vape coil as soon as possible.
If You Hear Your Vape Gurgling…
A vape coil with some wear and tear may not be able to effectively vaporize the e-liquid in the device’s wick anymore. Excess liquid may end up in parts of the device where it’s not supposed to be. This is where you start to hear a gurgling or bubbling noise.
No vape device should be gurgling for any reason. If you hear those sorts of sounds, the first thing to do is check the coil, switch it out for a new coil, and see if the issue persists.
If Your Flavor Is Different…
If you have a favourite vape flavour and you know what it tastes like, and then you buy it, and it tastes different or wrong, it could be the coil. Before a coil gives out completely, as it deteriorates, it can alter the flavour of an e-liquid, sometimes in very subtle ways.
If you notice changes like this in your vaping, your coil may be beginning to give out. Try a replacement coil to determine if that’s the cause of a flavour change.
If You’re Getting Less Vapor Than Before…
As less current travels through your coil, your flavour may turn weak, or you may notice you’re getting much less vapour than you expect. That’s because the coil is struggling to vaporize the e-liquid. A bad vape coil is one of the only possible causes of getting less vapour than you expect.
For a fix, all you have to do is replace the vape coil. If everything else in your vaping device or vape pen works as expected, this should resolve the problem.
How to Make Your Vape Coil Last Longer
From the moment you install a vape coil, the clock is ticking for it to eventually give out but don’t worry. You can do a few things to make your vape coil last longer and prolong the moment when you know your vape coil is bad.
- Manually soak your vape coil to prime it before installing it on your device.
- After installing a new vape coil, take the first few hits on a low wattage and increase it gradually.
- Avoid extra-sweet vape juices or e-liquids as a high concentration of sweetener will damage coils faster than normal.
- Use clear e-liquids and vape juices whenever you can. Coil gunk from thick or sweet e-liquids is more likely to cause issues. Clearer e-liquids are less likely to produce coil gunk.
- Always keep your device filled with e-liquid to avoid having the coil vaporize air. A dry hit like this may lead to premature coil burnout.
