The coil you set up in your clearomiser plays a key role in how your electronic cigarette works. It transforms your e-liquid into vapour, which is then inhaled through the drip tip.
The coil itself is comprised of a resistive wire and an organic cotton fibre. Thanks to its capillary action, the fibre soaks up the e-liquid and brings it into contact with the resistive wire, which is then heated when you press the battery switch. The liquid is then vapourised and rises through the chimney.
The coil is the only consumable of your vaping device. It's extensively used by your e-cigarette, so its lifespan is limited. Thus, you'll need to replace it on a regular basis, in order to maintain a pleasant vaping experience. Follow our advice to know when and how to replace your coil, and become an expert vaper!
Quickly change your clearomiser coil with our tutorial!
How does a clearomiser coil work?
An electronic cigarette's coil is made up of two parts:
- A resistive wire, made from Kanthal, stainless steel or Nichrome. Some are made from Nickel, specifically for temperature control modes.
- A wick of fibre, usually made from organic cotton and sometimes silica.
There are several types of coils, but their functioning remains the same.
One or more resistive wires, shaped into a coil, are wrapped around a wick of fibre. Thanks to its capillary action, the wick soaks up the liquid in the tank and brings it into contact with the resistive wire, which is heated by the battery and vapourises said liquid. The vapour then rises through the chimney to your mouth, via the drip tip.
The coil is one of the main components of your electronic cigarette. Their various formats allow you to modify your vape and achieve a customised feel. Whether it's the vapour, flavour, or temperature, it's the coil that determines what they're like.
It's used a lot, so it eventually wears out and needs to be replaced to ensure a nice rendition.
Most manufacturers offer you several coils for your electronic cigarette, sometimes sold individually, so you can change the vaping rendition with ease, and at a low cost.
How do you change a coil?
Obviously, you need to access your clearomiser coil first, and depending on the device it can be done in different ways.
However, most of the major brands like Eleaf, Joyetech, Aspire, or Smoktech use the same method of unscrewing the clearomiser's base to access the atomising chamber and the wick.
Whether the atomizer tank is full or empty, it doesn't change the process. Be careful though, and keep a paper towel nearby in case your clearomiser starts to leak.
How to replace your old coil:
- Unscrew the base of your clearomiser
- Remove the old coil
- Use this opportunity to clean the base and its threading
- Put the new coil in place
- Soak the coil with e-liquid
- Put the clearomiser back together
- Fill up the tank and wait for a few minutes
Your new coil is now set up! You must then prime it properly to ensure a flawless vaping experience.
How do you prime a coil?
Your electronic cigarette's coil always has some sort of fibre in it, whose role is to soak up the e-liquid and bring it into contact with the resistive wire.
Therefore, you must make sure that this fibre is correctly and permanently saturated with liquid. If you don't, it'll deteriorate when heated by the wire, and you'll get an unpleasant burnt taste.
To avoid this, we recommend you pour a few drops of e-liquid onto the visible cotton wick when setting up your new coil.
Then, leave your coil alone for several minutes inside the full tank, so that the fibre can absorb enough e-liquid. To speed up the process, you can inhale a few times through the drip tip without turning your electronic cigarette on. This forces the liquid to flow faster through the coil.
Finally, if you want to prime it in the best way possible, you can use your coil in several stages. Start by vaping at a low power if your e-cigarette allows it, then gradually increase the wattage to find your sweet spot, the best rendition your atomizer can offer.
To summarise:
- Set up your new coil
- Pour a few drops of e-liquid onto the cotton
- Put your clearomiser back together
- Fill the tank with e-liquid
- Screw your clearomiser back onto your mod
- Wait for a few minutes
- Fire your coil at a low power
- Gradually increase the power until you get the optimal intensity
When do you change a clearomiser coil?
You'll notice that your electronic cigarette's coil has a limited lifespan, regardless of its type or size. Note that ceramic and mesh coils have a slightly longer lifespan than the usual coils.
Your wicks work thanks to the dual action of the resistive wire and the fibre wick. These two components will naturally wear out when used repeatedly.
Indeed, heating the e-liquid will eventually clog up your coil. After a while, it will no longer offer you a satisfying vape, whether it's in regards to the amount of vapour produced, or the flavour rendition.
In the same way, the cotton also has its limits. For example, if you vape an entire tank of berry-flavoured e-liquid, it's likely that when you switch to a mango e-liquid it'll be tainted by the previous berry flavour.
It can also happen that you unknowingly vaped with an empty electronic cigarette tank. The cotton was heated without being soaked with liquid, causing it to dry out and deteriorate. This is commonly known as a dry hit, a very unpleasant burnt taste.
If you pour e-liquid into the tank and continue vaping after a dry hit, the resulting flavours will be spoilt by a disgusting charred taste. That means it's time to change your coil.
Moreover, after it's been used a lot, your coil's cotton can shrink and no longer absorb the liquid properly. As the liquid continues to flow no matter what, it can cause leakages.
To put it simply, you must change your coil as soon as your e-liquid's taste is altered, or if your clearomiser's rendition isn't satisfying.
Signs of when a coil needs to be changed
You must change your clearomiser coil when:
- You notice a significant change in the taste of your e-liquid.
- You get an unpleasant burnt taste.
- The coil's resistive value changes all of a sudden. For example, a coil with a 0.5 ohm value that goes up to 0.8 ohm is undoubtedly clogged and dirty.
- Your clearomiser inexplicably leaks. The cotton is probably old and doesn't retain the e-liquid well enough, preventing a good capillary action.
What is a coil's average lifespan?
When you use your clearomiser carefully, a coil lasts for about 2 weeks on average, regardless of whether you vape with a sub-ohm mod or an indirect inhale. However, it's important to note that depending on the e-liquids' composition, your coil will last more or less longer. If you have any doubts about your coil, don't hesitate to contact us, we'll answer all of your questions!