How often do you change your *coils*?

[flexy123]

I just came across an article on vaping.com that was sent me through a newsletter from this forum, about "How often to change coils" <-- this article was really poor and just generally said vague stuff like "if your coil has worn down" or "stopped working properly" or your juice doesn't taste as it should, recommending to change coils (!) weekly or at least much more often than I do.

(I am a MTL vaper and I vape at a low 11 Watts, using standard 7-8 wraps self-wrapped micro coils which last me MONTHS....if not an entire year or longer)

The article didn't provide any insightful info whether changing your coils is needed and what the reason for it should be.

Mind you: When I do "maintenance", that is when I change my wicks, I also "burn off" coils at 16W or so...a few times and even brush them afterwards. But I only rarely actually put on a new coil.

Do other folks change their coils often? If so, what is the reason? Do you think there is a difference?

Related: To you actually (dry) pre-burn your wires before you use them to vape? Someone once mentioned there is a coating on wires which needs to be (?) burned off first. Here too, does everyone do that?

Ty!

 

[ChelsB]

I usually change my coils once a week with a tank I use daily. However, I vape VERY sweet juice which gunks up coils quickly. Mostly, I go by taste, you can definitely tell when it’s time for new coil/wick.
I always pre-fire (burn) my RDA coils, never for standard factory drop in coils

 

[Frenchfry1942]

Yes, sweet juices are the bane of properly performing coils.

Although, for me, I tend to remove the wick and dry burn the Coil with 20% more power. Then a small wire brush to get whatever is left. When I check the ohms afterwards, they are back to the original.

I do change the Coil though when the the metal slowly just breaks down from usage. About 4-6 weeks. Wicks...weekly.

 

[Beamslider]

I use RTA and dry burn coil and rewick once a week.

You should probably just change the coils when it no longer tastes good and not worry about it otherwise.

 

[john1211]

I rebuild/rewick every 4 to 5 days.

 

[Dropmyload]

Interesting topic. I have 4 tanks in use on a rotation basis, I also like sweet juices.

1. Zeus has a cheapo demon killer ss316 0.5 ohm coil in it. Temp control 400F, 20.5 w. Week 2 now, just rewicked.
2. Ego mega has a 0.5 ohm titanium clr coil in it, 3 weeks, temp control also, 400F, 19.5w, week 3 starting today. Rewicked every Saturday.
3. Super tank mini has Vaporesso euc coil in it, power mode 31.5 w, week 4. This coil outperforms the original one in taste by miles.
4. Super tank 25mm has original tobeco 0.5 ohm coil in it, week 3 starting today. Power mode 30.5w.

Dont ask, I like the 0.5 at the end of my wattage setting. Lol.

 

[stols001]

Well, it's vague because it depends on your juices, your wick, and your vaping habits. With that said, I have to think that "weekly" would be more directed to drop-in coils. Might need to rewick weekly or sooner depending on wicking (with rayon, it's usually less than weekly for me). I change when I get taste changes which tells me that my rayon wick is about to give up the ghost and leak everywhere. Coils I clean and dry burn probably my longest lasting coil has gone about a month, although I've rewicked it.

There really isn't much reason that I can see to recoil/rewick before it's necessary. If the vape is performing fine, that means the coil and wick are good.

Most of my drop-in coils last far longer than a week but I have many mods in rotation, so I am not chain vaping on one tank (anymore) and so my coil life is better (mostly because it is spread across several tanks but when I chain vape in the a.m. I can rotate and not overheat them which is best for coil life. I also started DIY and use much less flavoring and sweeteners, I don't even like the taste of many storebought juices anymore.

Hope some of this helps, best of luck.

Anna

 

[zoiDman]

I just came across an article on vaping.com that was sent me through a newsletter from this forum, about "How often to change coils" <-- this article was really poor and just generally said vague stuff like "if your coil has worn down" or "stopped working properly" or your juice doesn't taste as it should, recommending to change coils (!) weekly or at least much more often than I do.

(I am a MTL vaper and I vape at a low 11 Watts, using standard 7-8 wraps self-wrapped micro coils which last me MONTHS....if not an entire year or longer)

The article didn't provide any insightful info whether changing your coils is needed and what the reason for it should be.

Mind you: When I do "maintenance", that is when I change my wicks, I also "burn off" coils at 16W or so...a few times and even brush them afterwards. But I only rarely actually put on a new coil.

Do other folks change their coils often? If so, what is the reason? Do you think there is a difference?

Related: To you actually (dry) pre-burn your wires before you use them to vape? Someone once mentioned there is a coating on wires which needs to be (?) burned off first. Here too, does everyone do that?

Ty!

Time really Isn't a good way to say how long a Coil lasts.

Because one person might be doing MTL @ 12 watts with Unflavored. While the Next person might be using a Heavily Flavored/Sweetened e-Liquid at Triple Figure wattages.

I usually get about 30 ~ 40ml out of a Coil using Flavored Wicks and Unflavored. But I tend to replace a Coil Sooner than some. Because I like that New Coil/New Cotton taste.

 

[Northernshrink]

I rewick minimum once a week as for coils as long as there not distorted or the Ohms aren’t going wonky I just dry burn and carry on.

 

[gpjoe]

If we're talking about RDAs and RTAs, I change a coil if it stops working or the mood strikes me. Other than that - it's a dry burn and brush (and/or rinse), then re-wick. I have coils in some RDAs that are months old.

 

[BackDoc]

ive always dry burned my coils but have found research indicating otherwise of late A chemist’s advice: Don’t Dry-Burn your coil | Vaping Post

 

[stols001]

That was interesting, I think. So, pulsing them gently is okay, but not dry burning? I usually do more cleaning than heating with a new wick (love those metal scrubbing brushes) but I do think a pulse and check might be useful. It's not really clear in the article what exactly consists of dry burning. It certainly is more efficient, however. But, given the relative ease of cleaning the coil, sounds like perhaps even pulsing isn't the greatest plan?

Anna

 

[bombastinator]

ive always dry burned my coils but have found research indicating otherwise of late A chemist’s advice: Don’t Dry-Burn your coil | Vaping Post

That seems to be talking about not dry burning Ni and Ti coils.

 

[KC0YNU]

FWIW
I have used factory coil tanks for a few years(Evod, Vivi Nova, Nautilus mini) and would/will only change the coil when my vape flavor starts to taste burnt. This has had some coils last months while some coils only lasted a couple of days.
YMMV
In moving now into RTA territory am planning on changing wick when flavor starts fading, and change coil when flavor starts to taste burnt.
Hope this helps some one

 

[BackDoc]

Ive been looking into it lately Stols and im leaning toward just changing the coils out or just washing them/tooth brush method

 

[stols001]

No, the article mentioned SS and kanthal as well. He's talking about all coil materials besides ceramic which he says hasn't been "tested" much yet.

Anna

 

[Just Me]

I am also a MTL vaper, and I vape at 10.6 Watts, also using 7-8 wraps self-wrapped micro coils (Kanthal A1, 28g), the first of which lasted me about a year. I use DIY unflavored almost exclusively, and a wick (rayon) lasts me probably 3 weeks. I just change the wick when the vape quality diminishes. When I pull the wick, I pulse gently to burn off the crud, let it cool a bit and run a little water over it. I might use an old toothbrush to gently brush off anything left.

Also, when building the coil, I first wipe the wire with alcohol, then pulse the coil a bit to make sure it's heating evenly before inserting the wick.

This might not the the correct or accepted way, but I don't like fiddling with my vape like many others do.

 

[BackDoc]

At the price of pre made coils or wire for that matter i decided its not worth the risk of potential heavy metal exposure

 

[stols001]

Yeah, I don't like it either. I'd be perfectly happy just scrubbing/cleaning the coil more to avoid that potential hazard, it's not that hard.

For me, though, I am willing to spend more time cleaning a coil, as installing one is like my biggest challenge with my fine motor tremor and etc. Wire is cheap, but I only have so much "decent" times of day where I can recoil an RTA, and sometimes it's easier to just clean it thoroughly. I do like to pulse it, but if they're gentle pulses, I can't quite figure out how harmful that might be. I mainly do it to make sure the dang coil is operational, and hasn't come "untethered" some how before I do EVERYTHING, only to stick it on my mod and get a "no atomizer" warning because there was a short or a leg broke off or something. That is a truly annoying moment that I have no desire to repeat, honestly.

Anna

 

[zoiDman]

ive always dry burned my coils but have found research indicating otherwise of late A chemist’s advice: Don’t Dry-Burn your coil | Vaping Post

From you Linked article...

Why is a dry-burn dangerous?
A dry-burn is dangerous for 3 reasons:

1. The coating of oxidized material that is formed in surface can peal off during vaping and be transferred to the lungs at the same time as the aerosol, in the form of microscopic particles, or particulate matter.
2. The particulate matter can cause allergies. Nickel, for example, is recognized for causing skin rash, itching, redness. Ni is also a carcinogenic compound when combined to carbon monoxide (CO), a product of incomplete carbohydrate combustion. Hence, this type of toxicity is probably less relevant in the case of e-cigarettes than for combustible tobacco products.
3. The particulate matter can also be toxic for the organisms. It is, for example well described in the case of welders exposed to Mn oxides.

For the chemist, a dry burn may amplify the normal corrosion process on the surface of the coil and prematurely deteriorate the quality of the heating element. Toxic (for Mn) or carcinogenic effects (for the Cr(VI), a more oxidized form compared to Cr(III)) are improbable since the dose is very small.

---

1: Metal Oxides form Very Strong Bonds at the Surface Boundary of an Metal Alloy. These Bonds are Not easily broken as anyone who has Polished a Metal to make it shine knows. I haven't seen any Credible studies that have shown that Oxides are migrating either Physically or thru a Chemical Redox in e-Liquids/Vapor.

2: Yes. Metal Particulates can cause Allergic Reactions. And in Extreme Cases, while High Levels of Exposures, some Very Significant Health Risks. But once again, these Particulates would need to travel form the Coil into the Vapor Stream.

3: Welders and or Metal Workers can be at Significant Risk to Particulate Exposure. Because they often work in an Environment where Metals are routinely Ground causing Airborne Particles. The Same can not be said for a Vaper. Also, Welders are at a Higher Risk because they can Inhale Fumes coming off Molten Metals.

All Metal Alloys will experience Accelerated Corrosion when they are Heated. But the Amount of acceleration is Directly Proportional to how long a Metal is Heated. That is why a Toaster one day breaks. Or a Light Bulb burns out.

But these Time Scales seem somewhat Disproportional to how long an average Vaper will use a Coil. And for how long a Coil is kept at an Elevated Temperature via Dry Burning.

Whether or Not to Dry Burn is something that a Vaper needs to decide Him/Herself. But I think that the Causality of some Known Risks has, at best, been be wrongly applied to what we do and they way we do a Dry Burn. And at Worst, fueled FUD.