Vape technology has come on leaps and bounds over the years. Vape coils in particular have seen some of the biggest developments, with new materials and designs being developed to increase lifespan and maximise your vaping experience.
Despite the advances made, coils still have a finite lifespan. Even the best performing coils, used carefully will eventually start to lose flavour, vapour production, or just start tasting pretty nasty and burned.
You can learn more about when to tell if your coil needs changing in our blog. If you’ve found this blog however, chances are you are wanting to get an idea of just how long your vape coil might, or should last.
Read on as we explore how long coils last, and a few things to bear in mind to get the most out of them!
How long should a vape coil last?
No matter the device or e-liquid you use, changing your coil on a regular basis is good practice. Doing so means you will always be getting optimum flavour and vapour, helping keep you satisfied on your vaping journey.
The overall longevity of your vape coil can depend on the following factors:
- Coil type
- Coil resistance (ohms)
- Type of vaping device/kit
- Frequency of your vaping
- E-liquid type
With so many different coil types available, there is no one hard and fast rule that can apply to all, but as a general rule-of-thumb we recommend changing your vape coils every 7-14 days (one-two weeks). This is of course dependent on the factors above, which could increase or decrease that estimation.
You can learn more about how to pair the right e-liquid, device, and coil in our guide: How to vape properly, but checking the device packaging carefully and experimenting with your new kit is often the best way to find the perfect balance of performance for your own needs.
Top Tips for Maximising Vape Coil Lifespan
Getting to know yourself as a vaper will dictate what kind of experience you are after. Some just want a quick and easy cigarette alternative to satisfy cravings, others might want more of a hobbyist experience with bigger clouds and high-vg e-liquid flavours.
No matter your journey, following these 5 top tips will help keep your coils fresher for longer and keep a smile on your face with every puff!
1) Watch your wattage
Watts is the unit of measurement that almost every vaping device will use to tell you it’s current power setting. Big sub-ohm devices (which you can learn about here) use higher watts to power big coils with high resistance designed to take the heat. Smaller devices intended for 50-50 e-liquids use less power by comparison as the e-liquid is thinner and vaporises more easily to produce more discreet clouds.
In either case, take note of the power needed for your chosen coil/device – the packaging should tell you this. if not obvious, check the coil itself; in most cases the ohm rating of a coil and the optimal wattage range will actually be embossed onto he coil.
Stick within the recommended range and you will avoid burning out your coil.
2) Prime your coil
When inserting a brand new coil, even if you fill your tank right up straight away, it’s best practice to drip a tiny bit of juice onto each wicking port on the coil. Doing this means the cotton within will be primed and won’t burn if you get a bit excited and start puffing before the juice in your tank has had time to soak in.
If you forget to prime it, make sure you leave it for at least 5 minutes to give it chance to soak and avoid dry burn!
3) Avoid artificial colours
Thankfully at LiQuid, even our Dessert flavoured juices don’t use excessive sweeteners or any artificial colours. This is not the case for many brands however, who chose to use colourings to make their juices seem red or blue etc… most e-liquids will be clear to dark amber, anything else is likely artificially added.
When using these juices regularly, the colourings clag up the coil, often causing it to crackle. Over time, this decreases the coils lifespan quite a bit and can even impact your overall vaping experience – avoid them where you can!
4) Avoid excessive sweeteners
Just like colourings, artificial sweeteners can clag up and degrade your coil. Most vape juices will utilise sweeteners in their recipes a little, often in the flavourings. In small amounts this is fine, but some – particularly shortfill and high-VG juices – will contain more, and while tasty they won’t help your coil last very long.
5) Watch out for dry burn
Dry burn can be caused by a few things: too much power, damaged wicking material, using the wrong e-liquid for you device. no matter the reason, when it occurs, dry burn can ruin your coil.
It sounds as you would expect, the cotton or other wicking material in the coil has not soaked up the e-liquid, and so when the coil heats up as the device is fired, the wicking material burns. This leaves a very nasty taste and sometimes smell, so should be avoided at all costs!
To avoid it, simply stick to the safe power range given on your coil, make sure you pair the right device with the right e-liquid (sub-ohm with HVG / +ohm with 50-50 or nic salts)
Take care and Enjoy the Journey
We hope this advice helps give you a better idea about how long a coil should last, and the factors that can extend or reduce that longevity – if you’re feeling confident and want to get started, there’s no better way to vape than with a LiQuid Subscription. Join today to start saving time and money!
