A guide to vape coils and how long they should last.
In this article...
When your coil goes, it’s never a pleasant experience. It can cause spitting, leaking and then there’s the horrible burnt taste. But if you’re a new vaper, you might be wondering “how long should my coil last?”. Well, let’s take a look at what it is, how to tell if it’s burnt and how to replace it.
What is a vape coil?
A coil, sometimes called an atomiser, is one of the two consumable parts of an e-cig with the other being your e-liquid.
They work by absorbing juice from the tank, receiving power from the battery and heating up a wire or mesh. This is what produces the vapour that you inhale. Mesh coils give better flavour
Your coils will either be removable or built into a disposable pod (centre), but every e-cig has one including disposables. Removable coils are either screw in (left) or push fit (right).
How long should my coil last?
Most coils last about a week or two, but this changes depending on what kind of coil you use. Each resistance, usually written as ohm or Ω, gives you different vape experience. These are usually grouped as mouth-to-lung (MTL), restricted direct to lung (RDL) and direct-to-lung (DL).
MTL coils
MTL coils are usually between 1.8ohm and 1.0ohm. They are tighter to draw on and more closely mimic a cigarette. With these coils you take the vapour into your mouth and then inhale it into your lungs, just like smoking.
Liquid: These coils work best with high PG or 50/50 liquids, which includes bar salts and nic salts.
Lifespan: You normally get around a week or two when used with most liquids. Bar salts are really high in flavour, so you’ll only get about a bottle or twos worth from a coil. If you try to use high VG juice then you might not even get a day.
RDL coils
RDL is a middle ground between MTL and DL. They can be vaped as either an airy MTL or tight DL. The coils range between 0.8ohm and 0.6ohm and are often found in pod kits.
Liquid: Just like MTL kits, 50/50 works great with them. They can also handle slightly thicker juices such as 60/40 VG:PG, but using this will slightly impact the lifespan of the coils.
Lifespan: Again, you generally get a week or two out of these coils when using 50/50 or nic salts. Bar salts and heavier VG liquids might cause a shorter lifespan.
DL coils
When vaping DL coils, you usually inhale directly into your lungs. Kits that use them are often high powered and they produce large and dense clouds. They’re usually between 0.4ohm and 0.15ohm and run anywhere from 30W up to 100W.
Liquid: 50/50 or high VG is recommended for DL coils. If you use 50/50 then you might go through your liquid a bit quicker, but your coils generally last longer. We advise against using bar salt and PG heavy liquids.
Lifespan: The lifespan of DL coils can vary wildly depending on power setting and the kind of liquid that you use. As a general rule of thumb, they get 1-2 weeks when using 50/50 and up to a week when using high VG liquids.
| Liquid Type | MTL | RDL | DL |
| High PG | 1-2 weeks | 1-2 weeks | not recommended |
| 50/50 or Nic Salt | 1-2 weeks | 1-2 weeks | 1-2 weeks |
| Bar Salt | 1-2 bottles | 1-2 bottles | not recommended |
| High VG | not recommended | up to 1 week | up to 1 week |
Now, these are just estimates as there are a few things that can influence the lifespan of a coils, which are:
- How often you vape
- The sweetness of the liquid
- What power you’re using your kit at
- If your kit is faulty
How do I tell if my coil needs changing?
There are a few ways to tell if your coil is on its way out. They don’t all happen, but there are some definite telltale signs.
It will taste burnt
This is the one most people associate with a coil that has come to the end of its life. There will be a burnt taste that is just horrible.
Your coils tastes different
Sometimes the coil won’t taste burnt, instead it will taste strange. Maybe the flavour will vanish or become very muted or it’ll taste strange.
The device is leaking
When the wicking material (usually cotton) starts to degrade your device can begin to leak. This is because it can’t absorb the liquid as well as it should be able to.
Your vape begins to gurgle and spit
For the same reasons as leaking, your kit could begin to gurgle when fired or spit liquid into your mouth.
No atomiser/coil found error
Sometimes your kit will recognise that your coil needs changing before you do. If it has a screen then it could display a message along the lines of “no atomiser found” or “coil read error”. If your e-cig doesn’t have a screen, the activation light will flash when you try to vape it. This could be a fault with your device or a problem with the coil (if it’s new), but most of the time it’s just telling you to put in a new one.
How to replace a vape coil
Step 1 – Remove the old coil
The first step is to remove the coil. The way you do this changes depending on the tank.
Traditional tanks have a screw off bottom and then the coil screws into the base, like the D19 tank shown here.
More advanced or modern tanks have a screw off bottom and the coil is push fit into the top of the tank. Simply pull the old one out. This is same case for pods that use coils.
It’s best to attempt this with as little liquid as possible in your tank, but there still might be a bit of leaking. A bit of tissue to hand is always a great idea.
Step 2 – Prime your new coil
Priming a coil is a simple, but very important step. All you have to do is add a few drops of liquid into the centre of it and, if you want to be thorough, adding some to the wicking holes on the side.
This ensures that the coil is nice and soaked with liquid, so that it doesn’t burn the first time that you fire it.
Step 3 – Insert your new coil
Now it’s time to put your coil back in. Like we discussed in step 1, this will change depending on what tank you use. Either screw or push your coil back into place.
It’s important that you make sure that it’s fitted properly, but don’t over-tighten it.
Step 4 – Fill your tank
With your tank or pod back together, it’s time to fill your tank.
It’s always best to leave a small air bubble to stop the liquid being pushed through you coil and causing a leak.
Step 5 – Wait
Now that your tank is filled with liquid, it’s a good idea to let it sit for 5-10 minutes to let the coil properly soak up the liquid.
This is really important if your kit uses disposable pods, as you can’t prime the coil.
Once your time’s up, vape away! You won’t need to do this again until you start to experience the signs of a dead coil described earlier.
