What Does a Vape Coil Do?
The coil is the heating element inside your vape tank or pod. When you press the fire button (or take a draw on an auto-draw device), the coil heats up and vapourises the e-liquid soaked into its wicking material. Over time, this wicking material degrades and residue builds up on the coil, which affects the flavour and vapour production of your device.
How Long Do Coils Last?
On average, a vape coil lasts between one and three weeks, depending on several factors:
- How often you vape — Heavy use wears coils out faster.
- E-liquid sweetness — Sweeter e-liquids caramelise on the coil and gunk it up more quickly.
- Wattage — Running your coil at higher wattage than recommended can burn it out prematurely.
- Priming — Not properly priming a new coil can cause it to burn out immediately.
Signs Your Coil Needs Replacing
Keep an eye out for these telltale signs:
- Burnt taste — The most obvious sign. If you're getting a harsh, burnt flavour, your coil is done.
- Reduced flavour — When the flavour starts tasting muted or "off", the coil is wearing out.
- Less vapour — A noticeable drop in vapour production usually means the coil isn't heating efficiently.
- Gurgling sounds — While this can have other causes, a worn coil can contribute to gurgling and spitting.
- Dark e-liquid — If your e-liquid turns noticeably darker in the tank, residue from the coil may be discolouring it.
How to Replace a Coil
Replacing a coil is straightforward. Here's the general process for most tank-style devices:
- Empty any remaining e-liquid from your tank.
- Unscrew the base of the tank to access the coil.
- Unscrew or pull out the old coil and discard it.
- Screw or push the new coil into place.
- Reassemble the tank and fill with e-liquid.
- Prime the coil — Apply a few drops of e-liquid directly onto the exposed cotton on the new coil. This saturates the wick and prevents dry hits.
- Let the filled tank sit for 5–10 minutes before vaping to allow the coil to fully saturate.
For pod systems, coil replacement usually involves simply swapping the entire pod or clicking in a replacement coil, depending on the design.
Tips to Make Your Coils Last Longer
- Always prime new coils before use.
- Don't chain vape — give the wick a few seconds to re-saturate between draws.
- Stay within the recommended wattage range printed on the coil.
- Use e-liquids with less sweetener to reduce gunking.
- Keep your tank topped up — vaping on a low tank can expose the wick and cause dry hits.
Need replacement coils? Browse our coils and pods collection to find the right ones for your device.
