Vape pens have been some of the hottest devices in vaping this year, with many major vape shops like V2 Cigs UK working hard to ensure that they always have the latest devices in stock.
When you compare vape pens to the other type of small refillable vaping devices – pod systems – it’s not surprising that many intermediate vapers are grabbing vape pens when they’re ready to upgrade from their first vaping devices. Vape pens consistently deliver better battery life and usually produce much larger clouds than pod systems. They also tend to be more affordable for long-term ownership. That’s because, with a pod system, you usually have to buy an entirely new pod just to replace the atomizer coil. Atomizer coils for vape pens, on the other hand, tend to be much cheaper than new pods for pod systems.
This is your quick-start guide to owning any vape pen. If you have a new vape pen on the way, taking a moment to familiarize yourself with these instructions will help to ensure that you have a great experience.
How to Know Which Vape Pen Is Right for You
You should let your preferred inhaling style dictate the type of vape pen that you buy. If you’re a recent convert from smoking, you probably vape with the same mouth-to-lung inhaling style that you used as a smoker. As vapers gain experience, though, they often convert to a direct-to-lung inhaling style in an effort to create bigger clouds. Almost every vape pen on the market includes a tank, and you can look at the tank’s mouthpiece to determine whether the tank will fit your preferred inhaling style. If the mouthpiece is much wider than the filter of a cigarette, it’s a direct-to-lung tank. The bigger the tank’s mouthpiece and air vents, the freer the airflow.
What to Do Before Using a Vape Pen for the First Time
When you get a new vape pen, you need to do two things before using the device for the first time.
• Charge the battery fully. You’ll get the best long-term longevity with a lithium-ion battery if you charge it before using it for the first time.• Prime the coil. You’ll do this by opening the tank and putting a bit of e-liquid on all of the places where you can see the coil’s exposed cotton wick. Priming the coil helps to ensure complete saturation of the cotton, thus reducing the possibility of burning the wick. After priming the coil, reassemble and fill the tank. Wait several minutes for the cotton to saturate before you begin vaping.
How to Know When It’s Time to Change the Coil
A vape coil gets very hot during operation, causing extreme stress to the metal and to the coil’s cotton wick. Given the repeated stress, you can expect a vape pen coil to last up to two or three weeks at the absolute most. Generally, though, people don’t even get that much life out of their coils. You should expect to change your coil about once a week on average.
How do you know when it’s time for a new coil? Your taste buds will tell you. With a new coil, you get the pure flavor of your e-liquid and nothing else. Over time, though, residue begins to collect on the coil, and the residue changes the flavor that you experience when vaping.
• At first, you’ll notice that the flavor of your e-liquid no longer “pops” like it did when the coil was new.• After a while, you’ll notice a flavor note that tastes a bit like caramelized sugar. • If you continue using the coil much longer after that stage, you’ll notice a burned or charred flavor. At that point, the coating of residue on the coil is so thick that you can barely taste your e-liquid at all.
Exactly when you should replace your vape pen’s coil depends on how sensitive you are to those changes in flavor. Some people try to stretch their coils as long as possible to save money. Others can’t stand the change in flavor and replace their coils almost every day.
How to Change the Coil in a Vape Pen
To change the coil in a vape pen, you generally need to wait until the tank is empty. If the tank is a permanent part of the vape pen, you’ll access the coil by unscrewing the tank’s top hardware. In that case, the coil will be attached to the bottom side of the hardware. If the tank is removable, you’ll remove the tank from your vape pen and unscrew the tank’s bottom hardware. In that case, the coil will be attached to the top side of the hardware. Unscrew the coil from the tank’s hardware and discard it.
Above, this article provided instructions for priming a new vape pen coil. You need to do that every time you use a new coil to ensure that the coil’s wick is completely wet when you use it. Reassemble and fill the tank, making sure that you wait several minutes before you start vaping.
How to Make a Vape Pen Coil Last Longer
If you’re sensitive to the burned taste of e-liquid residue, you’re probably going to find yourself changing the coil in your vape pen more often than you’d like given the cost per coil. If you need a new coil almost every day, vaping can become very expensive. The good news, however, is that it is possible to make your coils last significantly longer – potentially even multiple weeks per coil. Getting that kind of coil life, however, may require you to change the e-liquid you use.
• The first way to make your coils last longer is by never giving them a chance to dry out. Always prime your new coils. When you vape, wait a few seconds between each puff to give the wick some time to absorb more e-liquid. Don’t keep vaping until the tank is completely empty; add e-liquid when the tank is low.• Don’t use heavily sweetened e-liquid. If your vape juice is as sweet as candy, it contains a large amount of sucralose. When it’s vaporized, sucralose leaves a residue that shortens coil life and causes an unpleasant burned flavor. If you switch to e-liquid that’s lightly sweetened – or not sweetened at all – your coils will last much longer.
This article appears in Apr 1 – Dec 31, 2019.
