How To Prime Your Vape Coil

You may have seen or heard references to priming vape coils and you could be wondering exactly what priming is.

Priming is simply the act of soaking a coil's wicking material in e-liquid prior to vaping. It’s easy to do and it’s important.

In this guide you will discover everything you need to know about priming your vape coils and why priming is so crucial.

What is a vape coil?

There are several types of vape coil. The term coil evolved because vape coils were pieces of resistance wire that were coiled. These days many coils feature mesh (strips of perforated metal) rather than coiled wires.

Vape coils are enclosed in metal casings called atomiser heads. These are now usually referred to as coils which is confusing as it would be more accurate to say that they contain coils. When you purchase products described as coils, it is atomiser heads that you are investing in.

Whether your atomiser head features a wire or mesh coil, that coil will contain wicking material that absorbs e-liquid. It is the e-liquid soaked into the wicking that is heated and vaporised by the coil when a device is fired.

All vaping devices feature coils which may be either built-in or replaceable.

How do you prime a vape coil?

You should always prime your coil before using a new device for the first time. You should also prime before vaping after replacing your coil. Remember that even the built-in coils that many vape pods feature will need priming, if you have allowed your pod to empty before topping up with juice.

As explained above, priming is simply the act of soaking wicking material with e liquid. Here’s how to do it:

1. Fill your tank or pod with e liquid. The procedures for filling tanks and pods vary, so always refer to the instructions for your device before doing this.
2. Close the filling port of your device or reassemble your device if you needed to take it apart to fill it.
3. Wait for the wicking to absorb e-liquid (5-10 minutes depending on your e-liquid).
4. Take a priming puff (puff without firing the device). This draws e-liquid into the coil.
5. Fire the device and take a short puff.
6. Start vaping or choose your preferred setting and then start vaping.

What else do you need to know about priming?

If your device features variable wattage or temperature control modes, set it to a low output or low temperature before taking your first puff after priming your coil. Following your first puff on a low setting, you can then choose your preferred setting and start vaping normally.

E-liquids that are high in propylene glycol (PG) will be absorbed more quickly than those that are high in vegetable glycerine (VG). This is because high VG e-liquids are thicker in consistency.

Why is it important to prime your coil?

Wicking material is dry before it is primed. If you attempt to vape before your wicking has properly absorbed e-liquid, there will be no e-liquid for the coil to heat and so the wicking will burn. Burnt wicking produces an unpleasant taste (a bunt hit) together with chemicals that are less than good for your health.

Once wicking is burnt, it cannot be rescued and will continue to deliver burnt hits.

If your wicking is burnt, you will need to replace your coil.

What about defective coils?

From time to time, you may find that your coil isn’t primed, even though you’ve waited an appropriate amount of time before vaping. This could be because the coil you have installed is defective – some are "dead on arrival".

Can you over prime a coil?

It is possible to over prime your coil by filling it with too much juice. Over priming is known as flooding and results in there being more e-liquid in your coil than the wicking material can absorb.

If your coil becomes flooded, your device will give off a gurgling or spitting sound when you fire it.

You can solve this problem by flicking your device to expel the excess juice from the coil and mouthpiece. Do this outdoors or into a sink to avoid flicking e-liquid onto your furniture or carpet.

When should you replace your vape coil?

At some point after you have started using your device or you have replaced your coil, you will notice that your puffs begin to taste less appealing. You may also experience burnt hits. When this happens, it is time to replace your coils.

How often you will need to replace your coil will depend on your usage and the nature of your coil. The more you vape, the quicker your coil will reach the end of its useful life. Mesh coils tend to last a little longer than wire coils and ceramic coils last even longer. You will soon understand how long your coils tend to last.

As it is inevitable that coils will need replacing, it is crucial to invest in spare pods and/or replacement coils. You wouldn’t want to find yourself unable to vape.

Our range features the replacement pods and coils from the leading brands that you may need.