Question about Dual Coil vs Single Coil

[Arnie H]

I have a question for those more knowledgable than myself in this area.

I see some replacement heads/coils that are listed as dual coil @ 1.5 ohms. So I am wondering what is the difference between a dual coil @ 1.5 ohms and a single coil @ 1.5 ohms?

Does the dual coil require more power and drain the battery faster?

Any other pros and cons between them? Vapor production/etc.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Royaldrunker]

For example if you build a single coil at 3 ohms
Than replicate and build an exact coil at 3 ohms

The outcome would be 1.5 ohms

The dual coil cuts the resistance in half

So to achieve sub ohms at 0.5 ohms you would build 2 coils at 1 ohm each

So dual coils will drain battery faster and go through juice quicker, but will produce more vapour and potentially more flavour

 

[Arnie H]

For example if you build a single coil at 3 ohms
Than replicate and build an exact coil at 3 ohms

The outcome would be 1.5 ohms

The dual coil cuts the resistance in half

So to achieve sub ohms at 0.5 ohms you would build 2 coils at 1 ohm each

So dual coils will drain battery faster and go through juice quicker, but will produce more vapour and potentially more flavour

Umm, thanks. Still a little confused but I think I understand. So these heads/coils that are being sold as 1.5 ohm dual coils, means the whole assembly has an actual combined resistance of .75 ohms? And this is the reading I will get on my meter? Or are they two 3 ohm coils yielding 1.5 ohms in combination? If the latter then the power drain should be equal to a single coil @ 1.5 ohms.

 

[Jazzi Mike]

If a DC is sold as having 1.5 ohm, it means it has two 3 ohm coils running in it.

 

[Arnie H]

So would be the same resistance as a single coil that is 1,5 ohms right? Same resistance, but different power drain perhaps.

 

[Royaldrunker]

Different power drain yes
Also dependent on what you vape at volts or wattage will have a big impact from single to dual coils

Its all personal preference

 

[dr g]

So would be the same resistance as a single coil that is 1,5 ohms right? Same resistance, but different power drain perhaps.

Same power drain. Different performance.

 

[DKP#]

I have a question for those more knowledgable than myself in this area.

I see some replacement heads/coils that are listed as dual coil @ 1.5 ohms. So I am wondering what is the difference between a dual coil @ 1.5 ohms and a single coil @ 1.5 ohms?

Does the dual coil require more power and drain the battery faster?

Any other pros and cons between them? Vapor production/etc.

Thanks for the input.

The battery sees no difference
The dual coil 1.5 ohm is two 3 ohm coils (in parallel) so would need twice the voltage to generate the same heat per coil as you would with a single. Which would also give you twice the battery drain.
You can get more vapor using 2 coils.
Another way to look at it is that you can get the same amount of vapor but run the individual coils cooler with less chance of burning the liquid.

 

[Myk]

I like 1.5Ω coils. If I was vaping a 3Ω coil I'd have slightly more volts going to it than I do when vaping a 1.5Ω coil.
Making a 1.5Ω dual I can't run it at the same wattage I normally run a 1.5Ω coil. I have to crank it up (nearly double the wattage I'd normally run a single 1.5Ω). I have to do this because it's actually a 3Ω coil I'm trying to heat up which I require more volts to run (it's 2 3Ω coils but electricity doesn't really care about that).

Forgetting about wattage, when using a dual 1.5Ω I have to run it at the same voltage that I'd run a 3Ω coil at. This draws more amps which not all batteries can supply (the battery only sees the total resistance and doesn't care that it's actually 2 3Ω coils).

In theory vapor production is increased. If you're buying a premade dual that should hold true. If you're making your own, IME, that's not always the case.
IME even when vapor production isn't increased flavor production is as long as you're able to push them as if they were the 3Ω coils they are and not the 1.5Ω coil the battery sees.
IME a 1.5Ω dual takes a while to heat up, to speed that up by adding more voltage leads to burning flavors.
IMO dual works out much better at sub-ohm or as low of ohms as your mod can handle.

 

[Myk]

Same power drain. Different performance.

In theory, except in practice you need more power to power the higher ohm coils that the battery sees as a lower ohm coil. That means more amps.

 

[vicflo]

resistance in parallel is a current divider. the extra power drain is from need a higher voltage to get decent throat hit.

I personally like dual coils with juices that I prefer "cooler" than normal... like menthols or some fruity stuff. creams/coffees/tobaccos/baked stuff i prefer on single coil setups.

 

[Myk]

Here are the numbers for me (although different flavors, coil types and heads).
1.5Ω single, 3.24v
1.5Ω dual, 4.2v

(I actually get more vapor from the single because it's a ribbon wire micro-coil dripper.)

Let's look at it a different way.

You like 1.5Ω singles at 3.24v.
You make a dual with those exact same coil builds, it's not a 1.5Ω resistor as far as the battery is concerned, it is a .75Ω resistor. The voltage remains a constant through the circuit and the coils are a constant, so the voltage to make those 1.5Ω coils satisfy shouldn't change.

3.24v @1.5Ω = 2.16 amps/7w
3.24v @.75Ω = 4.32 amps/14w

 

[dr g]

In theory, except in practice you need more power to power the higher ohm coils that the battery sees as a lower ohm coil. That means more amps.

No that's not theory. With the resistance being the only variable you are given, the only statement you can make about it is it will have the same battery drain as another coil of the same resistance (a single fixed voltage is assumed, it's senseless to try to introduce another variable). Performance could be different, which is what I said.

How a given coil setup responds compared to another is entirely driven by its build. It's completely possible and quite easy to build a single coil that needs more power than a dual coil at the same resistance, for the same performance.

 

[Myk]

No that's not theory. With the resistance being the only variable you are given, the only statement you can make about it is it will have the same battery drain as another coil of the same resistance (a single fixed voltage is assumed, it's senseless to try to introduce another variable). Performance could be different, which is what I said.

How a given coil setup responds compared to another is entirely driven by its build. It's completely possible and quite easy to build a single coil that needs more power than a dual coil at the same resistance, for the same performance.

Which is what makes it an "in theory, but in practice" statement.

Yes in theory a 1.5Ω dual coil will drain exactly the same as a 1.5Ω single because all the battery cares about is it has a 1.5Ω resistor strapped to it either way. But in practice you have to turn up the heat on the dual meaning you increase the drain.

 

[dr g]

Which is what makes it an "in theory, but in practice" statement.

Yes in theory a 1.5Ω dual coil will drain exactly the same as a 1.5Ω single because all the battery cares about is it has a 1.5Ω resistor strapped to it either way. But in practice you have to turn up the heat on the dual meaning you increase the drain.

No, you don't "have" to do anything to a dual coil vs a single coil. And in fact it's quite possible you would have to turn *down* the heat on the dual coil. In either event PERFORMANCE varies which is exactly what I said in the original response.

The only time a dual coil necessarily increases battery drain is in an unregulated situation, when using dual coils lowers resistance. But the OP's example specified fixed resistance.

 

[degnr8]

OK, so slightly off topic here, but it makes more sense than starting a new thread. I'm happy with the amount of vapor I'm getting but would like more heat and TH without lowering my resistance. Would dual coils do this for me?

 

[Myk]

No, you don't "have" to do anything to a dual coil vs a single coil. And in fact it's quite possible you would have to turn *down* the heat on the dual coil. Introducing that other variable is pointless (even before you consider that power IS battery drain so making it variable renders the question moot).

The only time a dual coil necessarily increases battery drain is in an unregulated situation, when using dual coils lowers resistance. But the OP's example did not lower resistance.

Why do you insist on confusing the issue for people? You pulled this exact same crap on me when I finally got my head wrapped around what was going on with dual coils. Luckily I had people other than you explaining it to me to go back to.
In real life situations I have NEVER heard of anyone turning down the power on a dual coil, not bought duals or homemade duals.

The OP's example does "lower" the resistance because inside of the 1.5Ω dual coil atty is two 3Ω coils that will need to be treated like they were a 3Ω coil. 1.5 is lower than 3.

My suggestion to the OP is disregard everything dr g has to say on this, he is obviously not trying to help, only to confuse (like usual).
If you can't increase your voltage or you don't like 3Ω coils you will not be happy buying 1.5Ω duals. This can be seen all over this forum with people buying duals when all they have are eGo batteries or some other fixed voltage device.

 

[Baditude]

I'm gonna sit in the back row and watch how this turns out...

Carry on.

 

[dr g]

Why do you insist on confusing the issue for people? You pulled this exact same crap on me when I finally got my head wrapped around what was going on with dual coils. Luckily I had people other than you explaining it to me to go back to.
In real life situations I have NEVER heard of anyone turning down the power on a dual coil, not bought duals or homemade duals.

I have dual coil setups that are more power efficient than single coil setups of the same resistance. So now you've heard of one.

The OP's example does "lower" the resistance because inside of the 1.5Ω dual coil atty is two 3Ω coils that will need to be treated like they were a 3Ω coil. 1.5 is lower than 3.

You want to talk about confusing the issue, THIS is confusing the issue.

My suggestion to the OP is disregard everything dr g has to say on this, he is obviously not trying to help, only to confuse (like usual).
If you can't increase your voltage or you don't like 3Ω coils you will not be happy buying 1.5Ω duals. This can be seen all over this forum with people buying duals when all they have are eGo batteries or some other fixed voltage device.

Your problem is, as you said, you only recently got your head wrapped around dual coils and circuits. You have not yet figured out the big picture of how everything works together in the system. Focusing on varying power is far, far more likely to confuse someone than focusing on performance at the same power.

You are addressing specific situations, what you are passing on is anecdotal information rather than explaining the whole concept. You are thinking within a very small box. Consider what a 24 gauge 1.5 ohm coil would perform like vs a 1.5 ohm dual coil carto at 10 watts.

 

[Myk]

I'm gonna sit in the back row and watch how this turns out...

Carry on.

Actually I know where it was going and was bowing out. I gave the OP my numbers, I told them what happens around the forum when people jump to duals without the right equipment, I even warned him about what dr did with me when I was having the same questions. If they choose to listen to dr it shouldn't be too expensive of a lesson.


And yes dr g, I know different weights of wire play a part. If you remember (which I'm sure you don't because this seems to be a game you play here with everyone) it was wire weight that you tried to confuse me with, although you were claiming the other direction. Your heavier wire is going to take more to heat up. Time or energy the mah will add up, TNSTAAFL.