Atomisers a crucial part of the vape device so it goes without saying that they require a little maintenance from time to time.
Atomisers are often rather costly. With a multipack often coming to around 10 to 15 pounds and atomisers needing to be replaced every few weeks at the least, it can often be difficult to maintain them and get the most out of them.
But what is an atomiser? How does it break, and when do you know it’s time to replace them? These questions are ones that vapers all around the world have had to grapple with whilst they work out how to get the most out of their vape devices and e juice.
What is an atomiser?
An atomiser is the part of the vape device which is heated up by the battery and coil. In turn, it heats up the vape juice which is saturated in the wicking cotton surrounding it. This means that the atomiser must be a conductor of electricity, enabling it to interact with the battery in the vape device as well as being compact yet sturdy enough to have the coil and wicking cotton wrapped around it.
Signs you need to change your atomiser
Atomiser coils don’t last forever. The combination of prolonged use and its regular contact with heat means that it will wear out, just like any other metal device or component. There are a range of different reasons why you may need to change your atomiser, and you may encounter several or none of them.
Burnt taste
The taste of the vapour you inhale may change over time. The reason for this is that the coil attached to your atomiser may have begun to wear down, and so burns your e juice too quickly. It may even begin to oxidise and allow you to inhale metal particles, tainting your vape juice with toxins. Whilst these are still nowhere near the amount of toxins found in tobacco smoke, it is still detrimental to the ethos of vaping, and to your own health, to inhale these impurities.
Juice leaks
Your device may begin to leak vape juice, either out of the mouth piece or through the drip tip or tank. This is due to the vape juice in your device not being vaporised properly, or could be the residue which has congealed around your vape device boiling and spitting back out, leading to spit back, when a vaper is met with burning hot vape juice, either in their mouth or on their hands. Not exactly desirable!
Poor vapor production or taste
It may also be the case that no vapor is produced at all. Usually a sign of a degrading atomiser can be seen in a less than satisfactory taste and a dramatic decrease in the amount of vapour being produced. This usually comes down to the atomiser not heating up fully or at the speed that it used to, leading to harder draws and less taste satisfaction.
Find a new e liquid
E liquids come in many different flavours, mixes and of course, qualities. The cheapest vape juices may not be the best for the health of your device, amassing more gunk into your device or even reacting badly with the metals. This is why it’s a good idea to shop around for vape juices better suited to your device. This will need some trying and testing to find the one which works the best with your device, but a good general indicator is that the higher the propylene glycol ratio, the better it is for your device. This is usually down to the fact that vegetable glycerine si thicker and more viscous than its more liquid counterpart.
Lower voltage
The power input of your vape device being higher will mean that your device is having to strain its components with processing more electricity and power. The higher the amount of work your device has to do, the quicker it will become worn out. To counterbalance this and to help your atomiser last longer, try investing in a variable voltage device, giving you more control over the electrical input.
Give your vape a deep clean
Cleaning the internal components in your vape device will mean taking the device apart and giving it a deep clean. This means cleaning each part individually, usually in a bath of hot water or some sort of strong alcohol such as ethanol or even vodka to make sure you have killed the bacteria and lifted the gunk.
Drain the atomiser
As an extension of cleaning all the internal components of your vape device, try turning the atomiser head brass side up. This will allow you to drain the liquid from within it. To ensure you don’t experience a dry hit when reinstalling your atomiser head, vape at a lower temperature and allow your atomiser to warm up after draining.
