To rebuild your coil, you need a rebuildable atomizer (with or without a tank), or a clearomizer fitted with an 'RBA' deck.
If buying ready-made coils is the quickest and simplest solution when using an electronic cigarette, building your own coils has several benefits:
- The cost of consumables is rapidly amortised
- You can customise your build according to your tastes
- A larger choice of atomizers
To build your coil, you need:
- A spool of resistive wire (kanthal for example)
- Some fibre (silica, cotton, cellulose)
- A template (a screwdriver or micro-coil rod)
- A measuring tool (ohmmeter or electronic mod)
- An Allen key or Phillips screwdriver, depending on the atomizer
- A wire cutter and some scissors
What you need to build your own coil
You will find all these products in our Consumables and Tools categories.
Adding to this, there are applications dedicated to calculating coil values that can help you out, such as this one: http://vapez.fr/tools/coil/. Enter your wire information, the diameter of your axle, the number of coils and the number of curls to determine your build's value.
- 1- Cut a piece of wire, long enough so you can easily handle it
- 2- Curl the wire around your rod (or screwdriver) as shown below
Curling your wire around a micro-coil rod
- 3- Tense the kanthal wire to obtain an even coil
- 4- Curl your wire around the rebuildable atomizer's deck posts
Fitting your coil into the post holes
- 5- Block the wire whilst maintaining the coil in position
- 6- Cut the excess wire to avoid any short-circuiting
The fitted coil with an ohmmeter verification
- 7- Thread your fibre through the coil and trim the excess
Placing your fibre through the coil
- 8- Prime your coil by soaking it with e-liquid
Soaking the coil with e-liquid
NB : In regards to the distance between your coil and the airflow:
- If the coil is close to the airflow, the flavour rendition is stronger
- If the coil is far from the airflow, the hit will be stronger and the amount of vapour will be more important, at the flavour's expense
Is rebuilding your coil difficult?
Rebuilding your coil is an easy process. However, you will need a bit of patience and practise to get the desired result.
Why does my coil value vary?
1/ The coil is badly tightened
Always check your builds a couple of times before vaping, with an ohmmeter first, then with a battery (or mod) to spot any potential malfunction when heating. As the wire can dilate when heated, do not hesitate to tighten it a bit more afterwards.
However, be careful to not screw it too tightly with a thin wire, the latter can break if the screws are a bit too sharp and can cause some short-circuiting during use.
2/ The coil is badly fitted
Indeed, some rebuildable atomizers have a small deck and the dome can come into contact with your coils once it is put back into place. To avoid this, you can bring your coils closer to the connector posts.
3/ The connexion between the mod and the atomizer is faulty
To remedy this, you can clean and adjust the atomizer and/or mod's connector post, if they can be adjusted, by screwing or unscrewing them.
Caution: Never set up an atomizer whose coil is unstable on a mechanical mod before resolving the problem, otherwise it will cause a short-circuit and can harm you if the battery vents or explodes.
Why do I get an unpleasant or burnt taste (known as dry hits)?
On top of the coil's positioning, dosing the fibre is a crucial step when you build. If the taste is unpleasant, is it often due to an improper positioning or dosage of the fibre.
- A fibre that is too important or too packed prevents the e-liquid from flowing and reaching your coil. You will then vape on dried and burnt fibre, commonly known as a dry hit!
- If there is not enough fibre, or if it is too loose, it will cause leaks through the airflows, e-liquid rising through the drip-tip and a "warm" taste because the e-liquid is not vaporised properly.
There are several types of fibres and they do not all have the same characteristics
- The cottons: carded or Japanese. They absorb the e-liquid at a moderate speed and once soaked they swell up. Fit them in the coil without packing or strangling them too much.
- The cellulose wicks (Fiber Freaks): More durable over time, more resistant to heat and with a very important capacity of e-liquid absorption. Once soaked, they keep the same volume, they do not swell up. They are sold as strips so you can trim them easily once in the coil, and they will not resist and snag at all.
When do you rebuild your coil?
- You will have to replace the fibre when you will feel your e-liquid's taste alter, often after a few days, and when you will think it necessary. This process only takes a couple of seconds most of the time.
- You will have to rebuild your coil when it is degraded. This is quite subjective and it is up to you to judge when it is best to change it. However, it is recommended you regularly change your coil, once a week for example, in order to use your electronic cigarette in the healthiest way possible.
Related articles: How to make your own e-liquid? - What is the DIY practice?