As an avid cloud-chaser, the single most important element of your vape should be your coils. That sweet cloud of vapor comes from the thick sticky e-juice. However, if you haven’t properly prepared your replacement vape coils, you may be in for a nasty dry hit and can shorten the lifespan of your coils, trust me, we know!

There are countless videos and articles on how to prime a coil. Some are quite extreme while others lack the necessary information you need (either as a beginner or a pro).

A fresh coil can deliver delicious flavor for days to weeks on end, but only if it’s primed properly. Let’s take a look now at some ways to ensure the lifespan and potential of your new coil.

How to Prime Your Vape Coil?

The simplest way to prime your coil is to fill your vape tank with your preferred e-liquid and leave it alone for about 5-10 minutes. The dry cotton inside the coil will have time to naturally absorb the e-liquid and you’ll be ready to take your first hit! 

1. Slowly drip eLiquid Through The Coils Cotton 

The best way to prime your coil is by carefully releasing a few drops of liquid onto the coil’s cotton. Many coils have small breaks in the metal wall (airholes) that show the white cotton on the sides. This may help speed up the priming process and ensure all of the coil’s cotton is fully saturated. 

2. Wait Two Minute and Apply More

After you’ve initially released the e-liquid onto the fresh coil, wait a few minutes to allow the dry cotton to soak up the liquid. Then add a few more drops to ensure the coil’s cotton is fully saturated. The reason behind this is that fresh coil cotton is tightly wound and very dry. You’re essentially lubing up the coil’s cotton for a smooth and flavorful first hit. 

3. Add the Coil To Your Tank and Inhale Without Activating the Device (Dry Pull) 

When you finish priming, install your coil on the tank. Before you put the tank back on your device, take about 5 deep puffs from your tanks mouthpiece. This will help the juice soak in a bit more. Give it another two minutes before you put the tank in and start using your vape.

Some methods include closing the airflow slots and sucking (without firing) to speed up the process, a method known as the dry pull. This helps to pull as much e-liquid through the cotton fiber as possible, thus resulting in a fully saturated coil. This step isn’t required, as it’s best to let the cotton soak up the juice naturally, but can be useful if you’re in a hurry or excited to try a new flavor for the first time. 

4. Break in the Coil By Slowly Taking a Few Hits 

Once your coil is fully primed and ready to go, you might think that it’s okay to take a full-strength pull. But not quite! You’ll need to break in the coil with gentle short hits to avoid burning the freshly saturated cotton.

Lower your wattage to about half of your preferred wattage (i.e., if you vape on 100w, start off at 50w). This step requires patience, but is essential for the life of your coil. Take a quick pull or two with the low wattage, then gradually increase by 10w. Repeat until you reach your desired wattage! 

Benefits of Priming Your Coil

Some vapers argue that you won’t need to prime your coil or that it’s a waste of time. However, consider this example: brand new car owners are advised to wait until they reach a certain mileage to “break the car in” before they can really “open up the throttle.” The same is true for vapes; let’s go over some of the benefits of priming your coil.

More Intense Flavor 

One of the greatest advantages with having a primed coil is you can experience the flavor as it intensifies. Low-wattage hits that build up to full-wattage hits will blossom in flavor; you’ll get to experience the improvement of the flavor with each increase in wattage. This can also help you appreciate the final flavor once you reach the desired wattage. 

Less Burnt Hits

Burnt hits are the bane of a vaper’s existence. A nasty burnt flavor instead of the sweet flavor you were expecting can completely ruin your vaping session and cause your nose to wrinkle in disgust. Dry hits can actually burn your throat and cause you to cough uncontrollably as your lungs attempt to rid themselves of the offending flavor. A primed coil can prevent the appalling flavor and continue to give that smooth flavor you crave. 

Longer Lifespan of Your Coil

Priming your coil can help keep the cotton saturated and prevent burning the coil’s cotton. This can drastically reduce the longevity of your coil. 

How Long Should You Prime Your Coils? 

The longer you can leave your coil alone to soak up the e-liquid the better, kind of. Realistically, a primed coil should be ready to go after 5-10 minutes, but if you can hold off for half an hour, even better! Some extreme vapers even recommend leaving your coil overnight to ensure every possible bit of cotton gets soaked with your preferred e-liquid.

Additionally, the type of e-liquid you use can dictate the amount of time necessary to prime a coil. High PG e-liquids will soak into your coil’s cotton faster, as they’re not quite as viscous.

High VG e-liquids will take a little longer to saturate the coil’s cotton fully due to the thickness of it. Before you prime your coil, be sure to check the VG/PG ratio and adjust the prime time accordingly. 

Why Do You Need to Prime Your Coil? 

It’s crucial that you prime your vape coil for several reasons, but most importantly, it can help prevent the occurrence of burnt hits. Burnt hits take place when there is not enough e-liquid in the cotton to create vapor. You’ll essentially be inhaling the vapor of burnt cotton.

Vaping can be pleasant unless you're tasting badly burnt toast. Burnt cotton also gives off harmful chemicals if inhaled.  Any seasoned vaper will confirm the unpleasantness of the experience, but it happens more frequently than you might think. Keeping your coils primed can help minimize the occurrence of a burnt coil.

Besides it being burnt, you definitely want to extend the life of your coil. Coils can burn out quick, especially with sweet flavors (aka coil killer ejuices). 

Can You Over Prime a Coil Aka Flooding? 

Ever hear the phrase “too much of a good thing can make it a bad thing?” This is especially true when priming a coil. When you start, don't put too much liquid on your coil. It's best to do a little bit and let it soak in before you attach it to your tank. It will be better to 

Certain high PG vape juices are notorious for this, as are higher resistance mouth-to-lung tanks. It’s best to let the coil soak up the e-liquid naturally for a few minutes rather than rushing the process.

FAQ

What is a Vape Coil?

A vape coil is the simplified name of a “replaceable atomizer head.” Essentially, it’s what turns the e-liquid into a smooth plume of vapor. The wicking material soaks up the e-liquid. It then heats up the coil then uses the coil wire to heat up the e-liquid in the cotton to vaporize it. Your inhalation draws the vaporized liquid upwards, and when you exhale, the vapor spews forth in beautifully scented clouds. 

The majority of e-cigarettes and vape box mods with refillable tanks utilize an atomizer head composed of coil wire and wicking material (usually Japanese cotton and ceramic wire).

What's the Lifespan of the Average Coil?

The lifespan of your coil depends on a few factors. The first and foremost typically depends on how frequently you vape. If you’re vaping nonstop all day, your coil may reach the end in a very short amount of time.

Another thing that can shorten the lifespan of the coil is where it came from. Unfortunately, many coils are made as “replicas” of official brands. You’ll want to verify the authenticity of the coil by scanning the QR code on the back to ensure it’s actually made by the brand on the product’s packaging.

Many people also don't talk about this but using a sweet vape flavor can kill your coil quicker too. This is because sweet flavors often use more vegetable glycerin which can break down your coil quicker.

Your settings can also make a difference on how long your coils lasts. Always check the manufacturer’s wattage recommending for your coil and follow those wattages to prolong your coil’s useful life.

Lastly, if you let the coil dry out (don’t keep your tank adequately filled) or use a low viscosity e-liquid, the heat from firing up the atomizer can burn the coil, thus preventing the cotton from absorbing the e-liquid efficiently.