There is no doubt that the vaping industry has has helped to offer people a true alternative to traditional cigarettes, and there are many different reasons why people make the switch over to e-cigarettes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here we will go through the vaping A-Z, highlighting important vaping items and terminologies to help you make sense of this ever changing landscape. There are lots of buzzwords you may never have heard of before, but we are here to get you ready to know your squonkers from your RTA’s!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An often overlooked but crucial aspect to an e-cig, the airflow allows you to fine tune the amount of air which circulates through the coil, and also helps you to reach that perfect draw. Many e-cig tanks come equipped with an airflow, although there are some out there which feature a ‘fixed’ airflow, to ensure you have that ideal vape every time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No battery, no e-cig! One of the core components of an e-cigarette, the battery<\/a> supplies power to the coil, which in turn produces vapour. Available in many different sizes and capacities, the battery allows e-cigs to have adjustable power, creating more or less vapour on demand. Some pen style e-cigarettes retain a set power output (known as regulated output), which maintains a consistent vape right up to the point you need to charge it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The heart and soul of any E-cig, the coil<\/a> soaks up your e-liquid and produces vapour when powered by the battery. Coils are available in many different forms, but serve the same purpose as each other, you can even build your own. Remember that coils are a consumable item, so you will have to change them periodically to keep your e-cig in tip-top condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Disposables<\/a> are single use kits that are a fantastic starting point for new vapers. They’re ready to go right out of the box and last for around 600 puffs. Most of these kits are available in 2%, with some in 1.0% or nicotine free. Popular brands include Elf Bar<\/a>, VLTZ<\/a> and SKE<\/a>. It’s not the most cost-effective way to vape, but are very convenient for taking out and about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n E-liquid is one of the most important items used with an e-cigarette. Without it we wouldn’t be able to vape at all! There are many, many options of e-liquid<\/a> available to vapers, with different mixes existing to provide greater throat hit, or better vapour production depending on personal preference. Finding the right e-liquid that is not only well suited to your coil, but to your own personal taste is crucial so you can always enjoy vaping your e-cig. There are three main components to e-liquid; Propylene Glycol (PG) which provides the throat hit, Vegetable Glycerine (VG) which determines vapour production and Nicotine, which satisfies those cigarette cravings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the best things about vaping in my opinion; the sheer scale of e-liquid flavours available is staggering, with virtually every taste catered for. Tropical smoothie? Check, Roll up tobacco? Check, Roast chicken??? Hmm while technically the answer is yes, perhaps that’s a debatable one! When you find the right flavour to vape, it makes everything more enjoyable, although it can take a lot of trial and error before you settle on your all day vape. E-liquid flavours can be extremely subjective, so it’s a good job that there are many thousands of different flavours out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The dreaded noise you sometimes hear when you inhale on your e-cig, which generally indicates a flooded coil. The good news is that this is usually quickly resolved by getting some tissue and flicking your e-cig in a downward motion to expel trapped e-liquid within the central tube of your tank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not quite the vaping equivalent of a Prius, rather a more advanced option which is not advisable for most vapers. It refers to a mechanical mod, where the connection of the e-cig tank sits directly on top of the battery. A good knowledge of ohms law and battery safety is required for anyone thinking about vaping with a hybrid e-cigarette.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The IBVTA<\/a> (Independent British Vape Trade Association) is a not-for-profit organisation, which features members consisting of the biggest e-cig manufacturers, vendors and importers. The IBVTA has supported the vaping industry in many ways, mainly fighting for vapers rights and assisting members with the implementation of the TPD \/ TRPR regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is an alternative term for e-liquid<\/a>. Most vapers describe e-liquid in this way and it is perhaps more commonly used than the original name itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kanthal is a wire used within many e-cig coils, which heats up and vapourises e-liquid when power is supplied. Vapers who prefer to make their own coils for use on a rebuildable atomizer generally opt for kanthal, as it is easy to work with and doesn’t require any additional settings like temperature control to operate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before the term sub-ohm was widely used, coils which were 1.0ohm and under were simply known as low resistance coils. E-cigs using a low resistance coil can produce more vapour and will generate additional heat thanks to the higher power used from your e-cig battery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This term refers to an e-cig which is usually more bulky in appearance when compared to ‘pen style’ of cig-alike devices. Mods usually feature a screen of some sort which displays all the key vape settings currently being used, allowing for greater customisation and a fine-tuned vaping experience. In addition to this, e-cig mods can provide higher power output, meaning that a wider range of tanks can be used without having to change the device you are using.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nicotine is what the body craves when you quit smoking. It is a core component to e-liquid and helps to satisfy urges for a traditional cigarette. Nicotine is available in varying strengths to help vapers choose the right option. There is often a misunderstanding that nicotine is the main element which contributes to cancer in smokers, however this is not true. The 4,000 chemicals found within traditional cigarettes are the leading cause of health problems, rather than the nicotine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vapers who use a mechanical mod, or any other unregulated device, need to know about ohm law before using this type of e-cig. Ohms law is a mathematical equation, which determines how much wattage will be delivered depending on the coil resistance and battery voltage. Ohms law is used with regular e-cigarettes as well, to ensure the correct voltage\/wattage is delivered to keep you vaping safe. To give a rough example, the lower the ohm resistance of a coil, the more wattage is required to produce vapour, whilst a higher ohm resistance coil, requires less wattage to produce vapour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You may have heard this term used quite often, and for good reason as it is an important aspect to consider when changing your e-cig coil. Priming refers to the method of ensuring that your coil has sufficient e-liquid on the wicking material prior to vaping. Priming is completed by either dripping e-liquid directly on to the wicking material until saturated, or by leaving your e-cig coil to sit within the tank after it has been filled with e-liquid for roughly 10-15 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n QC Charging refers to a more recent technology, which allows e-cigarette batteries to be fully charged up to 50% faster than it was previously possible, using 2A of power. Any e-cig which is QC charge compatible can be used with suitable wall adaptors, such as the TECC QC2.0 Charger to benefit from this useful feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n RTA stands for ‘Rebuildable Tank Atomizer’ while RDA stands for ‘Rebuildable Dripping Atomizer’. An RTA functions in a similar way to a normal e-cig tank, except it uses either a coil vapers build themselves, or a pre made coil which you can purchase separately. You also need to assemble the wicking material by threading cotton through the centre of the coil to complete the build. An RTA holds e-liquid within the tank and is topped up in the same way you would do a normal tank. RTA’s produce more vapour and better flavour than a traditional e-cig tank, which has made them popular with vapers looking to upgrade to something more substantial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An RDA, strips away the tank aspect, instead vapers drip e-liquid directly onto the coil\/cotton before vaping. RDA’s are well suited to vapers looking to create huge clouds of vapour, and are often seen on mechanical mods or Squonkers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Be it bar or nic, salts make for an extremely smooth vaping experience. Basically, they balance the PH of the nicotine so you don’t feel the throat hit. Nic salts<\/a> are more traditional and are often found in 0.5%, 1.0% or 2.0%. Bar salts<\/a>, on the other hand, mimic the same extreme flavours as disposables. This means that single use vapers can move onto an open tank kit and save a lot of money.<\/p>\n\n\n\nC – Coil<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
D – Disposables<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
E – E-liquid<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
F – Flavours<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
G – Gurgling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
H – Hybrid<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
I – IBVTA<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
J – Juice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
K – Kanthal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
L – Low Resistance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
M – Mod<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
N \u2013 Nicotine<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
O – Ohms Law<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
P – Priming<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Q – QC Charging<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
R – RTA\/RDA<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
S \u2013 Salts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
T \u2013 Tank<\/h3>\n\n\n\n