To get the best performance out of your e cigarette, regular cleanings are essential. Residue from e liquid can build up in your vape and impact your overall experience. However, not all vapes require the same kind of upkeep - it really depends on the type of e cigarette you use and the components it has.
What are e cigarettes and how do they work?
E cigarettes or vapes are battery-powered devices that work by heating e liquids, which are generally flavored and contain nicotine. E cigarettes are considered smoke-free alternatives, which do not involve tobacco combustion, and thus, do not generate cigarette smoke. The absence of combustion should be substantiated on a product-by-product basis.
E-cigarettes come in many different sizes, forms, and with different customization options.
Different types of e cigarettes usually include:
-Cigalikes (or ‘cig-a-likes’), which are designed to look very similar to a cigarette, often even including a light at the tip to replicate the cigarette’s glowing lit end.
-Pod vapes, which work with a closed vape pod or refillable vape pods containing the e-liquid.
-Vape pens, which are small and thin, and have a refillable tank and replaceable coils.
-Box mods, which are large devices with multiple changeable elements that allow for advanced customization.
What are the different e cigarette parts?
Many e cigarettes, like vape pens and box mods, are made up of a few key components:
The battery: the power source of the e cigarette.
The tank: the part of the e cigarette that gets filled with e liquid - which needs to be cleaned regularly.
The coil: the wire surrounding the wicking material in an e cigarette that gets electrically heated to vaporize e liquid. Sometimes the coil, or even the coil, wick and casing all together are referred to as an atomizer. The coil needs to be replaced regularly.
E cigarettes with pod-based systems utilize e liquids that come in disposable cartridges (or “pods”) which eliminate the need for a traditional e cigarette tank. Most pod vapes do not require coils either, as the element that gets heated is built into the disposable pod.
Why do you have to clean your e cigarette components?
For e cigarettes that do have a tank and coil, these parts need to be maintained because they come in contact with e liquid. E liquid remnants can build up in the e cigarette, and if that residue is heated again and again, the performance, taste, and experience from the e cigarette can be negatively impacted.
How to clean a vape tank
You should clean your e cigarette tank on a regular basis, but especially every time you change the flavor of your e liquid. This will prevent residue from building up and will also ensure that you get the best flavor experience possible.
To clean the e liquid tank, start by disassembling your e cigarette after switching it fully off. Detach the tank from the rest of the e cigarette and remove the coil. Make sure that any remaining e liquid is emptied out. Remember to follow the safety warnings and user guides provided by the manufacturers.
Next, always based on the manufacturer’s safety instructions, completely disassemble the tank, and place all tank components into a bowl of warm water. Do not include the coil in this. Wash the tank and its components gently and give them a good soak and scrub if needed and if manufacturer’s safety instructions allow that.
When you’re done, give everything a good rinse off with clean water, and dry them off with a clean cloth before letting everything air dry. Once all components are completely dry, reassemble your tank and e cigarette.
How to clean a vape coil
The heating element in many e cigarettes is in the form of a coil, and a clean vape coil is important for a great vape experience. When you vape, the e liquid is absorbed by the wicking material surrounded by the coil, which heats up to vaporize the e liquid. E liquids leave a thin film of residue when they are vaporized which causes the vape coil to collect remnants of decomposed e liquid.
This means that if your e cigarette utilizes a coil, there is no way around it, you will need to clean and replace your coil regularly. The build-up of this residue on your coil or wick will occur no matter how clean the rest of your e cigarette is, and can negatively impact the taste of your vape. Cleaning vape coils is not truly possible, as getting them wet will just cause them to burn out. The only thing you can do to ensure your e cigarette is properly maintained is to regularly change and replace your coils.
What e cigarettes don’t require regular cleaning?
While e cigarettes that have a tank and coil will certainly require tank cleaning and coil replacements, other types of e cigarettes, like those with pod-based systems, do not require this type of maintenance.
Pod vapes utilize e liquid-filled cartridges or capsules. Once the pod runs out of e liquid and performance declines, all you need to do is replace the pod. This means there is no need to clean any e cigarette tanks with pod vapes. Many vapes of this kind have the heating element and even the mouthpiece built right into the pod, so even those get replaced along with the pod.
So if you want to avoid the cleaning process, check out the IQOS VEEV vape, which works with prefilled pods that you can discard after you use them!
E cigarettes are not risk free. They deliver nicotine, which is addictive. They are intended for use by adults who would otherwise continue to smoke or use nicotine products and are by no means a cessation method. Undoubtedly the best choice a smoker can make is to quit tobacco and nicotine use altogether.
