I Bought My First E-Cigarette... Now What?

So you bought your first e-cigarette also known as a vape. Now what do you do? How do you set up your first e-cig? Where does the e-liquid go? What’s a coil?

 First of all let us go over the actual components of a vape.

The Mod: This is the battery and powerhouse of a vape. Whether it’s a pod-based device or a sub-ohm setup the functionality is the same. The hardware that provides power to the other components of your vape. Some have built in batteries and some with external batteries, usually 18650 lithium Ion (Li-ion) batteries. Whereas internal batteries are usually lithium polymer (LiPo).

External Batteries: Usually 18650 Li-ion cells that you charge in an external charger. Please be sure the plastic sleeve on the outside is not damaged.

Tank/pod: The tank or pod has one purpose and that is to hold the e-liquid and vaporize it. This saves users from the old way of having to add liquid every couple of puffs. Most tanks hold upwards of 5mLs of e-liquid.

Coil: These come in all shapes, ohms and sizes. Most coils are not compatible with other tanks or pods. They are usually manufacturer specific. Each brand may offer 5 or 6 different types of coils for the same tank/pod. From .16ohm to dual coil to mesh. The selection may be confusing however, most tanks come with 1 or 2 coils so if you are unsure of which to use just order the same style as the ones it came with.

Drip Tip: You may notice on certain tanks that the top where your mouth goes is removable. This is the drip tip. Named from the infancy of the industry where we had to drip e-liquid through the drip tip into the coil chamber as tanks weren’t as common. These are usually 510 drip tip however there are all shapes and sizes. If yours breaks you can get replacements very cheap, so don’t throw away your tank just because of the drip tip missing.

Now that we know the components of the vape we should look into how to set them up. The easiest way is to break this down into hardware types and e-liquid types. The reason being is setup may be different for each device.

Sub-ohm vape setup

1. Does your vape have replaceable batteries? If so time to load them in, making sure there is no damage to the exterior of your vape batteries.
2. If your tank is pre-installed let’s take it apart and prime the coil. First, take the coil out and drop a couple of drops on the cotton inside. Then add some drops to the wicking ports on the outside. Make sure the cotton looks saturated but not completely soaked where it is spreading liquid everywhere. Install the coil into the tank and then fill tank.
3. Don’t start vaping on it just yet, we want to prime the coil of your vape tank a little more. Close the air holes on the tank and inhale. This will wick more e-liquid into the coil to ensure it is saturated. Do this a couple times, you don’t need to go crazy on this part.
4. Almost all vapes turn on by clicking the power button 5 times fast.
5. Select an appropriate wattage for your coil. Almost all coils have their wattage range on the packaging or the coil itself.
6. Double check that you have done the steps correctly otherwise you may end up with what is called a “dry hit” this means there isn’t enough e-liquid on the cotton in the coil and you are just burning the cotton. It usually tastes horrible and burnt. If you experience this sometimes the coil can be permanently damaged.
7. Now it’s time to enjoy your vape. If you see your liquid running low in the tank then be sure to refill.

Pod Devices with replaceable coil

1. Remove pre-installed coil and prime by dripping your salt nicotine or freebase e-liquid onto the cotton and the wick ports.
2. Install coil into pod and ensure it is seated fully.
3. Fill pod with e-liquid of your choice.
4. Before turning on inhale with pod separate from device. Do this a few times to prime the coil.
5. Install pod into device.
6. Turn on device.
7. Enjoy

Pod Devices without replaceable coil

1. Remove pod from device
2. Open pod filling port
3. Pr-efill e-liquid of your choice into the pod (salt nicotine preferred)
4. Before installing into device be sure to inhale from mouthpiece a few times to prime the internal coil.
5. Allow pod to sit for a few minutes to allow the wick to saturate.
6. Install pod into device.
7. Enjoy

As you can see the steps are very similar. However the importance of priming the coil are a big part of whether the vape will taste good. There is always a “break in” period for vape coils, this can be the reason for muted flavor or burning the coils early. It’s an overlooked step as many just want to add e-liquid and vape. Unfortunately this step can be a big part of whether vaping is enjoyable for some. Many get discouraged due to improper setup. If you ever need help setting up your vape please reach out to us here.

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