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Why Does My Vape Get Hot?

Your vape is an electrical device that delivers power to vapourise e-liquid, at times it will get warm. But sometimes you might notice that your e-cig is getting hotter than usual.

We are going to look at why your vape might get hot, how to troubleshoot the problem, and fixes to this problem.

Are Vapes Supposed to Get Hot?

The short answer is yes. Your e-cig is basically designed to get hot. A vape battery provides power to the coil in your e-cig, this energy transfer has a by-product, heat. This is usually centred in your vape battery.

But it is not cause for concern. It is the same heat as if you were on your mobile for a long call, or if you were using your games console for an extended time, they will be warm to the touch.

As long as you are using a regulated e-cig, it will be full of safety features to keep you vaping safe.

The same can be said for your vape tank, if you are vaping a lot for an extended period of time you might notice that your tank, specifically around the base, is very hot to the touch. Again, this is nothing to panic about, it is simply a transference of energy. As your coil is getting hot while you vape, some of the heat is transferred to the metal of the tank.

Your atomizer gets extremely hot as you press your button to vape. The coil has to get hot to vapourise your e-liquid into a gas form and allow you to inhale it. If you could look at a coil on its own, it actually glows hot. But it is safely contained inside your atomizer head, so there is nothing to worry about.

That being said, if your vape is getting very hot, so hot you can’t touch it, or it stays hot for an extended period of time, there might be something amiss.

This is usually nothing to panic about, and it can be resolved easily.

What Are the Most Common Causes of a Hot Vape?

Hot vapes are a fairly common occurrence, and it’s often perfectly treatable. Let us have a look at the common causes of a hot vape;

Hot Coils

Your coils heat up as you press the button on your vape. If your coils are sub-ohm, they produce even more heat. As you vape, some of that heat is transferred to your tank. This is completely normal, but if you are noticing it a lot try to limit the amount of vapes one after the other.

Coil Gunk

Sometimes the type of vape juice you are using can make your vape too hot. If you have an e-liquid that has a high sugar or sweetener content, it can cause what is known as ‘coil gunk’. This is literally caramelised vape juice that coats your coil and wicking material. When this happens, your coil cannot vapourise your juice properly, and it just sits in the tank heating up as you press the button to vape. Change your coil to a new one to stop this from happening.

Restricted Flow

If you have your airflow closed off almost all the way, it means there is hardly any air from outside going across your coils. There is no dissipation of heat, so it is all transferred to the surrounding tank. Try opening your airflow slightly to let that cool air in.

Chain Vaping

If you chain vape, as in vape one after the other without a break, you are not giving your tank or battery any time to cool down. This can cause it to become quite warm to the touch. Try and knock the chain vaping on the head to give your vape a break, this will stop the heat build-up.

What to Do If Your Vape Tank Is Getting Hot

The number one cause of your vape tank getting too hot is chain vaping, as mentioned above.

If you are taking long draws, one after the other with no break in between, then the heat produced by your coil and vapour is building up in your tank and into the top of your vape battery.

You have to give your tank and mod time to cool down between vapes. Take a draw, then give it a little moment before you vape again. This gives any heat time to dissipate.

If you find yourself consistently chain vaping as you aren’t getting enough kick from your e-liquid, then you might need to go up a strength in nicotine.

If you aren’t chain vaping, then the likelihood is your coil has an issue. Try changing your coil to a new one, making sure you prime it properly.

Why Does My Vape Get Hot When I Inhale?

Vapour is warm when it comes off your coil. A liquid has been in contact with a hot wire coil, which has changed its state from a liquid to a gas. What cools it down before it gets to your mouth is airflow from outside.

If your airflow is restricted, it is stopping cooler air from running over your coil and delivering the vapour to you.

Try opening the airflow to allow more air into your tank.

If this doesn’t work, then the chances are the power is set too high for the type of coil in your tank. Try opening the airflow and turning the power down.

How Hot Should A Vape Coil Get?

Thanks to temperature control vaping, we know that coils get to an average temperature of 300°C / 570°F. As you can see, this is a high temperature, but it doesn’t stay that hot for a long time.

It takes a moment or two to reach that heat, this is known as ramp up time. It then starts to cool down when you stop vaping and cools down quickly.

A coil can exceed this temperature, especially if there is an issue. That is when your surrounding tank will get too warm.

If your vape coil is on its last legs and needs changing, it can get too hot as it is having to work harder and use more power to ramp up. If it is suffering with coil gunk, the same symptoms are exhibited.

Buy Replacement Vape Coils here

Why Does My Vape Get Hot When Charging?

Overcharging is a cause of your vape getting hot while charging. While most e-cigs have overcharge protection, you should never leave your e-cig on charge without you being there.

As your vape battery is charging, energy is being inputted into the chemicals of your battery. This does generate some heat, and depending on the chemical composition of your battery, will depend on how much heat is produced. This is the same in your mobile phone, you will notice that gets warm when charging too.

But your vape battery should never be too hot to touch. If it is, then you need to immediately take it off charge and stop using the battery, as there might be an internal problem.

Always ensure you are using a charger specifically made for vape batteries, and never leave your vape unattended when it’s charging.

Read: Battery Safety Guide

Why Does My Vape Battery Get Hot?

As you are vaping, your vape battery will get warm. As previously explained, it is the same as if you were using your phone for an extended call. As your battery is producing power, there is a chemical reaction taking place, which gives off a by-product of heat.

External factors can affect the heat of your vape battery too, if it is in warm direct sunlight or near a heat source such as an oven, avoid these things.

The trick here is when to recognise if your vape battery is too hot.

If your vape battery is damaged in any way, it might get too hot, too fast. It will also get hotter than normal if it has reached the end of its life and needs replacing, at this point it will have to work much harder to produce power and thus gets warmer.

Externally your e-cig should be able to cope with up to around 60oC, but at this temperature externally, internally it is even hotter, up to around 80oC; but these are absolute maximum. At these temperatures, you are in danger of your battery being irreparably damaged.

If your battery is ever too hot to touch, move it away from any heat source, outside if possible. Wait for it to cool down completely and then safely recycle it. At this point, you will need a replacement vape battery.

Buy a Replacement Battery here

Summary

This was a look at why your vape might get hot, top causes, and how to cool your vape down.

Remember, if you are ever concerned about the heat your vape is producing; stop vaping, move it away from heat sources and contact our customer service team who will be more than happy to help.

To vape safe read our Battery Safety Guide or for more info check out our Guide to Batteries.

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