E Cigarette Coils and How They Work

Starting in 2012 e cigarette manufacturers and industry retailers began to introduce replaceable coil heads. Most atomizers/ vape tanks are now designed so as to make it easy to change the coils as well as more affordable however there are still some clearomizers such as the CE4 which haven't yet incorporated this technology.

The idea behind moving towards replaceable coils is primarily to save you (the vaper) money as non-replaceable clearomizers must be simply thrown away when done and the whole thing replaced (which is also wasteful). Replacing the coil where this is allowable pretty much makes your clearomizer as good as new and you have paid only for the replacement coils as opposed to a whole new clearomizer.

It is essential that when buying replacement coil heads that you buy the right type for your specific e cigarette device. There are varying styles of coils, some being top coils which have a longer stem and which are replaced via the top of the clearomizer, bottom coils which are replaced as the name suggests at the bottom of the clearomizer and there is a commonly used top coil version which is shorter that the long stem coil. While these coils all work the same and none of them are necessarily better than the alternative the difference between them remains that they all work / fit into different devices.

What Is a Coil Head For?

In order to heat your e liquid to produce a vapour which may be inhaled and exhaled you need to have a coil head. The coil head has an element (heating element) and a wick. While it's a fairly simple design and works the same way as any other coil you can't use your e cigarette without a suitable working coil in place. Simple but very necessary!

Inside a Coil Head

Inside a coil head you will see a wick and coil bundle (which together heats up or atomizes the e liquid), a base or base housing (where the wick and coil are sited in order for the coil wire to connect to the negative and the positive to be able to touch the battery pin), a flute (or stem) which channels vapour to the drip tip and seals it and a separate seal for keeping excess e liquid where it should be.

Properly connected these parts produce a working atomizer which will heat up your e liquid when the positive and negative points are connected (by pressing the power button etc).

When Things Go Wrong

1. The seal must be properly placed in order to keep excess liquid away from the coils which might in turn cause a leak.
2. A burnt-out wick causes nasty flavours and is ineffective. Coils are by their very nature disposable items and so will need to be replaced from time to time. If you are unsure what is causing the burning taste check the wick which if black and burned will need to be replaced.

Top Tips

To get the best use out of your coils and e cigarette device remember the following:

Be aware of the ohm level of your device as if the voltage is too high for the ohm excess burning will occur, potentially caramelising the e liquid onto the coil causing additional burning, an unpleasant taste / odour and damaging the coil.

Master your technique, when smoking very regularly and for longer periods of time remember that

1) you will run out of e liquid / battery power a lot sooner so be prepared for this.
2) When you vape constantly you don’t give the coils time to cool down or recover and so you may well burn these coils out more quickly. Be aware and take breaks or fewer puffs within a short space of time if you want to avoid this.

Be aware that some e liquids may also make your wick work harder, such as thick e liquids which may also result in burning.

It is a case of trial and error really, getting to know what your device and particularly what your coils do and don't like!

Leaking Coils

Nine times out of ten leaking issues are caused by sealing failures, either because the seal is not properly in place or faulty. Seals are rarely reported as arriving faulty and therefore it is important to ensure that your seal is properly placed. Seals are however a wear and tear items and do from time to time require replacement.