Hello and welcome to ECF!
Maintenance depends on the atomizer, really. Some are disposable. You use them until they don't work anymore, then you replace the entire atomizer. Some have replaceable heads (the part that contains the coil/atomizer). When those start to taste off, you can just replace the head. For most
tanks with replaceable heads, you can buy a 5 pack of replacements for around $6-7 (online prices) or you can buy them individually for around $2.50-3.00. It will of course vary, depending on what type of tank you choose.
How long a coil lasts depends on a few things. Some of the liquids gunk up a coil quicker than others. Some of it comes down to personal taste (I like fresh coils myself, so I clean my coils every 2-3 days, see below).
Many people extend the life of their atomizers by cleaning them. Methods of cleaning can be as simple as soaking overnight in water or alcohol and rinsing off. Even better cleaning can be achieved by doing what is called a "dry burn" where you expose the coil and pulse the battery until the coil glows (you can search the forum for "dry burn" for more info). This burns off much of the caramelized
juice that has baked onto the coils (kind of like the self cleaning cycle of an oven). You'd then rinse the coil off and reassemble it. What you choose to do is kind of up to you and how involved you want the process to be. Many people just opt for replacing the coils, as they are not too expensive.
Now, batteries will eventually have to be replaced as well. They are rechargeable, but eventually they start to hold their charge for shorter periods. I think the number of charge cycles that can be expected for an ego battery is around 300? This is all variable as well. Sometimes you'll get a battery that lasts practically forever, and sometimes you get one that doesn't make it to 6 months. Many will last a year, no problem.
Please feel free to ask any questions. We love to help newbies!
