How Long Do Vape Coils Last?

What’s a coil and why do I change it? Vaping Blog

If you’re new to vaping, then the lingo involved with Vaping may be confusing for you to understand, as well as getting to grips with your vape and all the things associated with it and knowing what does what. If you bought your vape from a vape shop, then chances are you would have had the in’s and out’s explained to you on setting it up.

But if you didn’t, or if you’re anything like me and have a memory like a sieve, you might have forgotten it but fear not, that’s what this blog is all about! We’re going to take a deep dive into looking at Coils, which are essentially the heartbeat of any vaping device, and why it’s essential to look after your coils and try and gauge the answer to the question of how long do vape coils actually last for?

Coils Do Have a Lifespan

Sadly, coils do have a natural lifespan – they’re not ever lasting things that will go on and on forever. After a specific time frame, they will eventually “burn out” and this is when they need to be changed with a fresh one, as your vape simply won’t function properly with a beat up coil.

The term “burn out” is referring to the cotton wick that’s found in every coil. This is where your vape juice is absorbed into, and is normally threaded through the centre of the actual wire coil, and is essentially the wick and helps the process of the liquid being heated up to produce the vapour you can then inhale and exhale.

How quickly a coil burns out changes from user to user and depends on the intensity of usage and how long you leave your vape between sessions. So therefore, it’s difficult to estimate exactly when a coil should be changed. But in general an average vaper may need to replace their coil somewhere every 2 weeks as a rule of thumb, but this can vary . A heavy vaper might need to change their coil more regularly as chances are they’re puffing a bit more than an average vaper and they’ll get a bit of a shorter lifespan on their coils. Swings and roundabouts as they say!

Worrying about looking out for the signs of when you need to replace your coil? Don’t worry. It’s easy to notice when your coil is heading south. Here’s some pointers on how to spot it…

burnt vape coil

A Taste Like No Other

If you’ve experienced the absolutely vile taste of a burnt coil, you’ll know exactly what I mean by the above heading, as it really is like nothing you’ve tasted before. You know that taste when you leave your toast in the toaster for a minute too long? When the vapour from your e-cigarette starts to taste like that, you know it’s time for a change.

In this case, the problem’s not with your e-liquid, but the coil you’re using to atomise it. If you refill your tank with fresh vape juice and you can still taste the burnt flavour and not the luxurious taste of your e-liquid, then that’s the tell tale sign that you need to change your coil.

image 14

Spot The Change In Colour

Most vape tanks or pods are clear and see through, so you can easily see how much vape juice is left in there and indicates as and when you need to fill it up. You can also utilise this as well to be able to check what colour your e-liquid is. T

he majority of e-liquids are clear or light yellow, but if your coil is burnt out it’s likely your liquid will be leaning more towards the darker orange or brown side as the colour from the burnt cotton will be seeping into your vape juice turning it into a different colour. Keep an eye on this and change your coil if this starts happening!

Drawing Might Become More Difficult

No, I’m not talking about drawing a picture! If your vape feels more difficult to draw from than when you first started – basically if it’s taking you a lot of effort to pull in to inhale – it’s a sign that your vape isn’t functioning at peak capability. I weren’t joking when I said that the coil in a vape is like a heart, if it isn’t functioning properly, then your vape isn’t going to function properly, simple really!

This is because it’s burnt out so it makes it harder for you to convert the e-liquid into vapour. Imagine trying to suck custard through a straw as this is what it’s like trying to vape with a burnt coil that doesn’t draw properly!

vape juice crackling on vape coil

Snap. Crackle. Gurgle.

No, we’re not talking about Rice Krispies.

If your device starts to make crackling or gurgling sounds when you inhale it means the coil is no longer efficiently heating the vape juice up to be turned into vapour. It’s basically just the vape juice building up and causing it a flood effect. This is another sure fire way to know when to replace your coil.

Vaping knowledge is vaping power

Hopefully this blog has helped clue you up a bit more on the topic at question and what signs to look out for when it comes to changing your coil.

They’re a relatively inexpensive thing to replace and it’s a small cost when it comes to vaping, so my recommendation would be to get a stock supply in, so that you’re never caught short if your coil decides to give up the ghost on you!