Why does my vape taste burnt and how to fix it
Has your vape device suddenly started tasting like it is burning? Here is everything you need to know to fix it.
Vaping is becoming increasingly popular here in the UK. The NHS are using Vape Devices in trials to help patients quit smoking. Scientists have proven that vaping is up to 95% less harmful than smoking, so it makes perfect sense to switch to vaping to try to get away from cigarettes.
Vaping is a Healthier Alternative to Smoking
Scientists are hailing vaping as a healthy alternative to smoking. It offers effective nicotine replacement therapy by hitting the back of the throat with a similar sensation to cigarette smoking. NHS England estimate that vaping is better than nicotine replacement therapy at helping those hooked on nicotine to quit harmful cigarettes.
Further to this, PHE’s reports that Vaping is not a gateway to smoking as was previously theorised. Instead, people who start vaping do it for the wealth of flavours available to them. Smoking does not have the same rewards for the dopamine centres of their brain as some of the popular vape juices do.
With so many people turning to vaping, we are delighted to pass on our knowledge and help new vapers learn. Let us look at what you can do when your vape tastes burnt.
Burnt Hit Vs Dry Hits
First things are first: is your vape dry? If there is no liquid in your vape device, your coil will taste like it is burning. This is just common sense. If your coil has nothing to burn, it will only taste of the burning itself. If you do this too often, you risk damaging your coil. Therefore it is important to stop using your vape from the moment you taste burning.
There are other reasons why your vape might taste of burning, even if there is still liquid inside. While we call this first type of burnt hit a ‘dry hit,’ it is not truly a burnt hit. Let us talk about the many causes of burned hits.
What Causes a Burnt Hit?
A burnt hit has many causes. You are running low on e-liquid. If your tank levels are too low for the coil and wick to properly soak up the e-liquid, then you are burning a dry coil, even though there is vape juice in the tank. Top up and try again.
Secondly, your burnt hit could be the result of vaping too quickly. If you are hitting your vape repeatedly in a short space of time, that cotton coil does not have the time it needs to soak up all that lovely juice. Again, a coil without any vape juice is a dry coil. Try waiting a little before you take the next puff. We know it is hard when the juice is so good!
Like vaping too quickly is not priming a new coil. If you have just replaced it, then it needs time to soak up the juices before it works without burning.
Third: the power. If you turn your power away up to the top possible heat, then you vape quickly without letting the coil soak in new juice, you are more likely to cause a burning sensation than you are without. That burning makes your cough and nobody wants that, so take your time and ease off the heat.
Fourth: the wrong coil heads can influence the burned taste. Coils which are not soaking up enough vape juice for your desired heat and strength are useless to you. They will burn off the juice before you take a hit, thereby giving you nothing but burning.
Should I Dry Burn?
Dry burning your coil means running the heat while the tank is empty, without vaping the resulting smoke. The reason for doing this is to get rid of the last of the product on the coil before switching to a new flavour. We do not recommend this and neither do the scientists. It is bad for both the vape and the coils.
If you have burnt out your coil doing this, you can check these vape kits products for a replacement: https://vapedirect.com/collections/vape-kits
How to Tell if Your Coil Is Burnt?
If your coil is burnt it will taste burnt on every hit. Top up the tank, lower the heat, and listen for a gurgling sound. If it is gurgling, the liquid is flooding the coil which becomes overwhelmed with juice and cannot heat properly.
If your vape pen starts making much less vapor than before, your vape juice tastes sour or acrid, or you cannot produce a good puff, check your coil. You can try soaking it in ethanol before you clean it.
Why Does Your New Coil Taste Burnt?
Your new coil may taste burnt if it has not been properly primed. Priming is allowing the vape juice to fully saturate the coil head before we use it. The cotton fibres in the wick inside the coil are tough, made for durability. The vape juice needs to completely soak these tough fibres before it will give off a flavourful hit. Instead, your new coil will only taste of burning because it is burning dry.
We suggest filling the tank with new vape juice, attaching the new coil head, and allowing it to soak for at least 15 minutes before you use it. If you taste it and it is still acrid or sour, then you need to leave it a little longer.
Top Tip: Store your coil head in a plastic container beside the flavour of e-liquid it corresponds to. This will save on cleaning coils when making the switch between flavours.
How Often Do You Have to Change Coils?
If you vape heavily, you may need a new coil every week. If you vape only in the evenings or for fun, one new coil a month will do. We suggest you use a different coil for each flavour of e-liquid. Otherwise, invest in some ethanol alcohol to soak the coils overnight.
