Regular, sub-ohm, DIY and pods.... With so many choices, it may be hard to figure out what suits your vaping needs and how to make them last longer and work more efficiently. We can help you out with some great information!

Coils and Atomizers... Why two words for the same thing?

Simply put, the word coil is just a faster way of saying Atomizer. Atomizers are defined as a small heating element (a coil) that vaporizes e-juice wrapped with a wicking material that draws the liquid onto the coil for vaporization. Atomizers are usually used in tanks so it has an ample juice supply around it at all times. The wick is usually made of cotton. The coils used can be made from wire or mesh to optimize your vape experience. The coils vary for every tank due to their size, shape, materials and ohms used.

In the case of DIY vapers, some people make their own coils for use in RDA, RDTA and RTA tanks to create huge plumes of vapor. With the use of these coils, the wick is actually stuck through the coil and not wrapped around it.

Pod Systems use a similar set up as the atomizer but are even smaller and they use synthetic fibers instead of cotton to create vapor. The coils used here are usually above 1 ohm and have been designed for mouth to lung vaping.

What is an ohm and why is it important to my vape experience?

Ohms are everything when it comes to coils! An ohm is a unit of resistance used when creating a coil. The lower the resistance, the more electricity will flow through the coil; The higher the resistance, the less electricity will flow through the coil. Higher ohms are great for people who are new to vaping and are looking to extend their battery life. Sub-Om coils are better for those who don't mind a little extra heat for a "warm vape", carry extra batteries and are looking for competition sized clouds. 

Types of Coils and Uses

Regular Coils

We call an coil that is 1ohm or higher a Regular coil, because they are meant for vaping the standard 60% PG/40% VG blends of e-liquids due to the lower heat generated by the coil. The lower heat is best for our standard e-liquid because it is less likely to burn the e-juice depending at what voltage you are vaping it at. Since the e-liquid is a little thinner, you may use more of it when you vape. These are easily replaced and easy to use once you have primed them for use in your tank.

Sub-Ohm Coils

These coils are anything that is under 1.0 ohms. In tank coils, the ohms range from 0.15 to 0.5 usually and they all have their "sweet spots" for vaping. Sub-ohm coils are best for thicker solutions like our High VG Blends and most Premium e-liquids due to the higher Vegetable Glycerin content, the e-juice is thicker and flows slower through the wicking material. The lower the ohm, the higher the heat needed and that will drain your battery a bit faster than with Regular coils, but your clouds will be bigger and the flavor of the vape will be a little more intense. A small con is that these coils can burn out a little faster than regular coils due to the amount of electricity being sent through them. These are also easy to use once you have primed them.

DIY or Pre-Built Coils

At this level vaping is a little more advanced as you have chosen to start making your own coils or installing pre-builds to rebuildable tanks and drippers to achieve maximum flavor, vape clouds and an extra bit of money because your coils lasts a longest amount of time. We offer the supplies and tools you need to make your own coils or install pre-built ones into your favorite RDA, RTA or RDTA. *The process for creating your own coils is difficult to explain online, so we recommend visiting one of our stores for more assistance.*

Pod Systems

These coils are built into a cartridge that carries the juice for your Mod. Some companies, like Phix and JUUL offer pre-filled pods so you can just plug it in and get to vaping. Other companies like Aspire, SMOK, Joyetech and Mi-Pod offer refillable pods that you can choose exactly what flavor you want to vape. The Pods are best when Salt Based Nicotine e-liquids are used due to their coils having higher ohms. These Salt Based Nicotine e-juices are very strong and more similar to the feel of a traditional cigarette. Their coils last a long time and when one coil goes out, you have a new pod ready and waiting to fill up.

How to Make Your Coils Last Longer

Prime Your Coil           

When using Regular and Sub-Ohm Coils is is absolutely essential to ready the cotton or mesh with your e-liquid before using it. Following these simple steps to maximize your coil life and vape experience.

1. When you are ready to use a new coil open the package and look at the top part of the atomizer. You will be able to see the coil or coils and everything that is wrapped around it is the wicking material.

2. Take your bottle of e-juice and wet the material. You will notice the color of the material change and that means it is starting to absorb the liquid. Make sure to put liquid in any holes around the coil where you can see the material. You may need to turn the coils to see all of the holes available for the juice.

3. When you see that all of the material is saturated, insert the coil into your tank and fill your tank to cover the entire coil.

4. It's important you allow the coil to sit for a minute or two to continue absorbing the e-liquid onto the wicking material.  You can speed up this process by drawing through the mouthpiece without pressing the power button on your mod., this is called a "dry pull". *If the coil is not fully saturated, it can scorch the wicking material and leave a burnt flavor for the life of the coils. It can also increase the chance of the coil burning out faster.*

5. Once your coil is ready, you will want to turn down the voltage or wattage that you are using and take a few small hits to ensure that everything is saturated and ready to vape. You can raise the volts or watts higher as you vape until you reach your "sweet spot". 

***A note, every e-juice is different and has a different "sweet spot". Juices can also taste different at different levels and may reveal new and interesting flavors of the e-liquid. Play around with your temperature and see what you enjoy! Just be careful if it starts feeling too hot or starts having a burnt taste as that may indicate you have surpassed the max level fro the particular flavor.

Good Vaping Habits

• Once you have primed your coil and found your sweet spot, you will want to make sure that you don't over-hit your coil. 
• Take a break in between vaping and allow the coil to get ready for your next hit. Too much heat will reduce the life of your coil and too much of the juice could be vaporized leaving it too dry.
• Monitor the level of e-liquid in your tank. Hitting your e-cig when it is low on juice could also cause your vape to give you a "dry hit" and scorch the wicking material or burn out the coil completely. Make sure that you keep your tank at least a quarter full to have the best experience.
• If you start noticing a gurgling noise, this means you have too much e-juice on your coil. This can indicate that you may need to turn up the voltage or wattage or that your coil is not working properly. You can try to exhale into the tank while wrapped in a paper towel to expel the extra e-liquid. Try to vape on a higher level to see if that has cleared the problem. If this continues to happen, you may need to replace your coil.
• If you are noticing your e-juice tasting different or if it starts tasting burnt, look at the wicking material around your coil. If your e-liquid is a lighter color it should be a nice amber color. If you notice it is brown or black, you definitely need to change your coil. If your e-juice is darker, you will need to use your discretion as to the time to change it. Vaping on a coil that is old will detract from your experience and you will immediately see the difference when you put in a new coil.

If you still have questions, don't hesitate to pick up the phone or stop by one of our stores for more info! We would love to see you!

Vape on everyone!