Very popular today, the electronic cigarette is gaining new followers every day. Before starting with a vape, however, you must know how it works so that, when the time comes, you can replace the faulty elements yourself. Among these components, the main consumable inside the electronic cigarette is the coil. Thus, we will be able to see how to maintain an electronic cigarette resistance, change it and prime it. You can then optimize the life of your resistance!
How does an electronic cigarette work?
The electronic cigarette is a device composed of interdependent elements. We can first mention the battery or the rechargeable batteries. When the vaper presses the Power/Fire button, the battery delivers a current which will then heat the resistance.
The latter consists of three elements: a body, holding a resistive wire on which is fixed a cotton wick. The body is more or less open to the e-liquid reservoir. When the tank of the clearomizer is well filled, the wick soaks it up completely by capillarity. Thus, when the current crosses the resistive wire, it is a wick soaked in e-liquid that it will heat. This generates vaporisation, without combustion, and thus gives rise to the vapour of the electronic cigarette.
Said vapour is then routed to the mouthpiece (the drip tip) through the chimney. The vape or only has to pick it up to inhale it. To learn more about the types of inhalation, we invite you to read our tutorial on choosing direct or indirect inhalation.
How to maintain the resistance of an electronic cigarette?
Resistance plays an essential role in the operation of the e-cigarette since it is what will allow the production of vapour. As a major component, it is, therefore, necessary to properly maintain its electronic cigarette resistance to extend its life. To do this, there are various tricks.
No “dry hits”:
What is Dry Hit? The dry hit is the number one enemy of a vaper’s resistance. This happens when the latter heats a wick that is not sufficiently soaked. Indeed, if the level of e-liquid in the clearomizer is too low, the wick will no longer be soaked enough. As a result, the resistance will heat a dry wick, hence the burnt taste that can be obtained with its clearomizer. This is called a “dry hit”.
In detail, it should be understood that each time the vaper inhales, the e-liquid contained in the wick empties a little to refill by capillarity. If the vapour has the bad habit of inhaling, the wick will empty rather than fill. There will therefore be an imbalance between the two. It is to avoid this that it is necessary to make reasonable suction and always ensure that the tank is at the right level.
The level of PG/VG of your vape e-liquid can also play on this point. To find out more, discover our tutorial on which e-liquid for which electronic cigarette?
Patience after each resistance change:
If you have just changed the resistance of your e-cigarette or if the device is new, you must first fill the tank and then wait about ten minutes before vaping. And for the most impatient, starting your electronic cigarette resistance well is important. So also remember to pour a few drops of e-liquid at the level of the small outer holes that overlook the wick. This will make it possible to soak the cotton of the resistance well to avoid the acrid taste in the mouth.
Choose the power of the resistor carefully:
Several ranges of values exist for the resistors of the e-cigarette, and they will not all be used at the same power. It is therefore advisable to think carefully before choosing a new complete kit or clearomizer and to see the type of resistance offered with it. Indeed, a resistance used at low power will take less long aspirations with little rest time between them. The resistance value is indicated in ohm. The lower this number, the more resistance will be made to be used at high power.
For example, if you opt for a resistance of 1.6 ohms, its range of use is between 10 and 14 Watts. You will then tend to use the device at 14 Watts or, this maximum power risks damaging the resistance more quickly. With a resistance of 0.5 ohms, however, the range of use can be between 14 and 19 Watts. You can then stay on the 14 Watts, that is to say, the low value instead of choosing the maximum, which risks damaging the resistance more quickly.
In this example, you will therefore vape at the same power of 14 Watts, but the first uses high power while the second is limited to low power. The latter option is more advantageous. It will therefore be important to compare vape models to find the one that best suits your style of vaping.
Note: always adjust the power of your battery/box according to the recommended range of use, and often engraved on the resistance itself. Setting the wattage too far below the recommended range of use could cause leaks. Setting the wattage too much above the recommended range of use would reduce the life of your resistor.
Rely on your vaping experience:
At first, we recognize that we are all a little clumsy. We then accumulate small errors that can then serve as lessons. Over time, you gain experience and then you end up knowing when to stop vacuuming because otherwise, you’ll dry out the wick too quickly.
We also learn to press the button lightly, because the more you press it, the more you will increase the temperature of the resistance. Consequently, it will heat the wick faster and dry it out more quickly. The dry hit is therefore likely to show the tip of its nose!
Finally, when you start to get used to the chosen device, you can determine when you have to stop sucking so as not to dry out the cotton too much. We also know how long to wait for the next suction, and the time for the wick to re-soak again.
Store the electronic cigarette in an accessory dedicated to this purpose:
You should avoid storing your electronic cigarette in a jumble in your bag or your pocket. It can indeed happen that another object in the bag inadvertently presses the Fire/Power button of the device. It will then start automatically, this will empty the e-liquid tank and damage the resistance.
Regularly clean the resistance:
It is important to regularly clean the resistance of the electronic cigarette to remove the dirt that may have accumulated there. Indeed, put in a pocket, the electronic cigarette can pick up dirt via the drip tip, and this dirt can then accumulate towards the resistance. Preferably, it should be done once a week or when you notice a drop in the performance of your device. However, this drop in performance should only occur after two to three weeks of use. Here again, you can therefore rely on your experience and replace the resistance with feeling.