Yes, there’s no getting away from it; vaping is absolutely awesome, so you know how your e-cig kit works and how to get the most out of the e-liquid you’ve loaded it with to vape. But what if you don't know what you’re doing? Well, then you could easily experience a burnt hit now and then – and maybe too often. How to avoid them then – and what to do when you get them…?
Are you a chain vaper?
If your vape hits taste burnt and not of your vape flavours, one question to ask is if you’re giving your coils enough time to wick up. Chain vaping can cause this to happen. The reason for this is that not all atomisers can handle constant, long draws. Some wicks are better than others and require less ‘breaks’ between hits.
The best thing you can do if you’re a chain vaper is to look for wicks that have faster wicking abilities or a device with temperature control. You should also pay attention to how you’re drawing your vape. Too many quick, long draws in a row can dry a wick out fast.
Do you need to prime your coils?
When installing new coils, you have to prime them with e-liquid first. Once you fill your tank, you should also allow the coil to ‘prime’ for about five minutes to half an hour before using it. This will maximise the performance of your vape equipment and coil. Priming your coils and wick will help to prevent them from burning out early.
When you first start vaping after replacing your coil, it’s also important not to heat the coil head up too fast. You can find the wattage of your coil printed on the coil head or within the user manual for your device. This will tell you how high you should be pushing your coil once it’s primed, so leave a little wiggle room for increases. Start out slow with your vapes, or with low wattage points and then work your way up to the level that’s right for you.
Control the vaping temperature
Some mods have temperature control settings that will allow you to control the temperature pushing to your coil when you vape. Temperature control can prevent burnt hits. When you’re low on e-liquid, the temperature will cut power to your device to compensate. This simply causes a lesser hit, reminding you to refill your juice so you’re not vaping a dry tank.
Hitting a hotspot
A small number burnt hits are inevitable and there’s nothing you can do but throw out your old wick. Sometimes, a coil has a hot spot that, even with a saturated wick, will burn and taste like metal. You can’t always see the hotspot and you likely won’t find it on your wick. But you will continue to taste the metallic flavour through your wick, even if the hotspot is no longer there.
Once you’ve tossed your old coil, you can install a new coil that will pulse evenly. In order to ensure this happens, try pinching your coils lightly, or strumming over them to make sure they’re not touching. Never do this while the device is plugged in or while holding down the fire button.
Are your settings too high?
If your vape tastes burnt, it could be because you’re vaping at too high settings. This means that your wattage is set at a higher level than your coil can handle. Ohm’s law will help you calculate your optimal setting. It calculates the current, resistance, and voltage of your device. You should also review the suggested ratings in the user’s manual and sometimes you can find it printed on the coil itself.
The key to a satisfactory vaping experience is knowing how to use your equipment properly. If it tastes good, you’re probably set on a good setting for your device. If your vape tastes burnt, turn the wattage down.