The final week of April is upon us, and we’re happy that you’ve kept up with us! This month, we’ve broken down the exact steps of how to start vaping, find an e-liquid with a strength that suits you, and a guide to finding the best e-cigarette kits for you.
There’s only really one last step in the vaping journey we’ve not addressed and that’s upkeep! Whether we’re talking about cleaning, replacing, or fixing, upkeep is an essential step that can’t be overlooked if you’re keen to continue vaping as the best way to consume nicotine effectively. So, to round off this month, we’re going to break down what you can do to maintain your vape kit, and the best ways you can save money going forward.
Maintaining the Battery / Mod
So, let’s start at the bottom and work our way up! Maintaining the mod of your device is an essential step you won’t want to miss if you’re eager to enjoy some long-term MTL or DTL inhales. Firstly, the base of your kit will be the part that your hands touch most of the time so it’s important you keep it clean and wiped free of bacteria. The mod of any device is typically the heaviest part and the ports will usually accumulate some serious dust and lint when it’s rolling around your pocket or bag. Getting this sort of debris out is important so you can keep charging your device.
A lot of mods are fitted with integrated batteries so you can just plug in and recharge as you go. That’s why it’s dually important to remember not to over-charge your integrated battery. For safety reasons, you shouldn’t leave your e-cigarette charging unattended or charging on a combustible surface. Devices can overheat which could be a fire risk on a flammable surface. The downside to built-in batteries is that if they are damaged the entire device ceases to function, ultimately meaning you must replace the full thing rather than just the batteries.
You should also be very wary about how you store your kit. Here are a few little steps you should follow to store your kit safely:
- Store e-cig upright. Doing this will ensure that the airflow channels are never blocked.
- Keep the device dry at all times.
- Always keep the mod away from direct sunlight.
- Keep away from extreme temperature changes - high temperatures and very cold temperatures can mess with the internal electronics.
Prolonging the Welfare of Your External Batteries
If your device isn’t fitted with an internal battery, looking after your external batteries is a step that’s super important and shouldn’t be overlooked. Battery care is fundamental for protecting yourself and the longevity of your device. Here’s a list of some of the best ways to shield the cells from deteriorating.
- Turn the device off when not in use. This will prevent any chance of accidental misfires from happening when the kit is rolling around your pocket or bag.
- Don’t mix your battery brands as these may have different discharge power.
- Use chargers that match the device brand as these will provide the power the device needs to be charged safely.
- Store batteries in a case and keep them in a cool, dry place.
- Buy batteries from a reputable source that carries the correct CE mark.
- Regularly clean batteries with a cotton bud to remove any dust or lint.
- Replace batteries every one to two years. Please make sure you dispose of your batteries properly too! You should always take them and dispose of them in recycling bins. Batteries of any kind are toxic. They are not supposed to be mixed with other waste products because their chemicals destroy the protective layer around landfills. This is one of the many reasons why there are designated battery bins that can take batteries away and recycle them.
Steps So You Spend Less Bank on Your Tanks
Your vape tank is a key aspect of the vape experience. They hold all your favourite e-liquid and have a drip tip that’s structured to deliver you the perfect inhale, so it’s a part that really shouldn’t be overlooked. We have an array of high-quality replacement tanks for a range of vaping styles which use a range of coils, all of which are suitable for a variety of vape kits and vape mods.
We get a lot of correspondence from people asking how they can prolong the longevity of their tanks. Often when people are out and about, they find they will knock over their vape kit, drop it on the ground, make mistakes on nights out etc. - while mods and batteries are often very durable, tanks are often made from either glass or polymer and can shatter. This can cause a serious mess and might be dangerous enough to cause a serious cut, especially when some broken glass is exposed. The best way to avoid this sort of problem is by simply being more conscious of your actions. We advise people to treat their kit like they treat their phone and never leave it on an elevated surface where it could potentially topple over.
You should also never wrap or try to cover the tank to protect it. This could lead to potential combustion problems when the device gets very hot, so you should avoid doing this at all costs.
Another thing you should be wary of is broken seals. As time passes, seals will tear or may fracture due to wear or over-tightening which will cause your tank to seep vape juice. Top-fill and bottom-fill tanks will have a seal between the tank and cap. Over time, with constant re-filling and tightening of the cap, the seal can and will eventually wear out or split. Many vape kits and vape tanks come supplied with spare seals, so you’ll be able to fix any problems that arise. To fix this issue you must press the replacement seal tightly in place.
Overfilling is another issue that often causes problems. Too much e-liquid can cause the coil to become flooded and may leak past seals when replacing the cap. Many tanks have recommended fill levels to prevent leakage and other problems caused by overfilling.
Using the right coil in your tank is also important. Coils are designed for different vaping styles and have different wattage and resistant ratings. Choosing the wrong coil for your style of vaping can result in too much e-liquid passing through the coil. This extra e-liquid, instead of being turned into vapour, may leak through the air intake ports, or worse, will be sucked out of the drip tip into your mouth when you vape.
Leakage will also occur if these seals are damaged through over-tightening to your tank. Coils have seals fitted between the top and the base of the tank. These seals prevent e-liquid from leaking into the top chamber, through the air intake ports, or even into the battery chamber. The tank may also leak e-liquid if your coils aren't tight enough to create a seal.
Everything You Need to Know About Maintaining Your Coils
Chances are, over the course of your vaping career, you’ll spend a large proportion of your budget on coils. These are the part of your vape kit that ignite your e-liquid. Coils are fitted with a quantity of wicking material that absorbs the vape juice, and a matrix which heats it up and then turns it into vapour. During the ‘firing process’, coils go through a rapid ignition procedure, so will become worn down the quickest of any vape component. You may have read or heard about mesh coils. These coils are slightly different to traditional ones because they are not made of wires, instead they are made of a mesh strip. This mesh strip is wound into a tight cylinder shape which spreads the e-liquid more evenly across the wicking material. In some cases, more advanced and high-end mesh coils might utilise multiple mesh strips that work together for greater vapour production. The main and only difference between a regular coil and a mesh coil is the heating surface being made from a strip of mesh rather than a twisted wire.
Regardless, coils of any kind become quickly worn down and you should always keep healthy coils in rotation to avoid a dry hit. There are a few steps you should always follow when learning how to take care of your coils.
- Firstly, you should always prime your coils. Without adding juice to your coils before you insert it into your atomizer, you can instantly impair your coils and produce a “dry burn” (also known as the unpleasant taste that no vaper wants to experience!). You can almost instantly burn your coils before you even begin to use them if you don’t completely soak and prime your coils beforehand. We recommend waiting between 5-10 minutes after you fill your tank up before you start vaping to ensure that all areas of your coils are completely primed and ready.
- Secondly, the higher the wattage your e-cigarette is set at, the more vapour you create and the more juice you use. Constantly vaping at a high wattage can cause your coil to struggle and keep up with absorbing more juice, resulting in your coil becoming quickly burnt out. So, when you insert a new coil, we advise starting at a low wattage and then work your way up but if you begin to feel or taste as though you are not getting the flavour you expect, simply lower your wattage. Depending on which atomizer heads your e-cigarette requires, depends on the recommended wattage that you need to set it at (these are usually advised).
- Using the right e-liquid is also super important! The thicker the liquid, the slower it takes to draw the juice through your coils which can result in dry puffs and burnt wicks! The thinner the liquid, the easier it is for your wicks to be quickly re-primed after a vape. High VG e-liquids can take longer to wick your coils due to the thickness of the liquid causing problems for your e-cigarette. So make sure you use a liquid with a PG/VG ratio that’s right for you!
- It’s also important to keep your tank topped up with a constant supply of juice to ensure that your coils will never run dry! The less juice that is in contact with the tank, the slower it takes for the coils to soak as quickly and selected coil heads require a certain level of juice for it to be able to reach the wicking areas of the coil. A decline in performance (less vapour) and weak flavour are more clear signs that your tank needs to be refilled.
So that just about wraps it all up! This month, we're so happy that you've stayed with us and have hopefully learned some vital information about how you can maintain your vape kit, and save yourself some money. It's a little tricky in the beginning, but we find that once you learn as much as you can in the beginning, you'll always benefit in the long term!
