Experienced vapers know the frustration of experiencing a burnt taste when vaping can be very disconcerting, particularly if their vape experience should otherwise be smooth and flavorful. A burnt taste indicates something is amiss with their device – usually related to coil or liquid quality issues – so here are some common reasons your vape might taste burnt, with tips for solving the issue.
1. Burnt Coils
One of the primary sources of a burnt taste in vaping is worn-out coils, which heat e-liquid to make vapor. Over time, worn out coils may emit an unpleasant flavor into your vaping experience; older or overheated coils often create this unpleasant tang in vaping liquid and produce burnt flavors that ruin its taste and aroma.
How to Repair It: For coil issues, consider purchasing new coils as these typically last 1-3 weeks depending on usage.
Priming Your Coil Appropriately: Before installing a new coil, be sure to prime it by adding several drops of e-liquid directly onto its coil surface before beginning use. This helps avoid dry burning.
2. Low E-Liquid Levels
When your tank or pod runs low on e-liquid, its coil will find it harder to adequately saturate its wick, leading it to burn cotton or other material contained within. This results in dry, burnt tastes.
How to Solve It:
Refill the Tank: Make sure that your tank has enough e-liquid. If using a pod system, ensure that there is not too little left inside it.
Avoid Vaping On Empty: Its Avoid vaping until all e-liquid has been consumed so as to prevent coil burnout.
3. Wattage Too High
If the wattage you choose exceeds your coil’s resistance, the coil could overheat too quickly, leading to premature vaporization of e-liquid and burning before it even vaporizes properly. This is particularly problematic with sub-ohm coils which need specific wattage ranges in order to operate effectively.
How to Solve It: Adjust Wattage: Decrease the wattage until it meets the recommended range for your coil, typically located either on its packaging or device itself.
Employ the Appropriate Coil for Your Device: Make sure that the coil that corresponds with the wattage settings on your vape device is used.
4. Overheating the Coil
Vaping too frequently or too long without giving the coil time to cool can result in overheating, leading to burnt taste sensations from too hot of a coil heating up and burning through its contents.
How to Solve It: Take Shorter Puffs: In order to prevent the coil from overheating, shortening vaping sessions is key – do not chain vape as this will expose it to too much heat and cause the coil to become overheated. Take breaks between puffs to allow your coil to cool off properly.
Adjust Your Airflow: Devices with adjustable airflow allow more air to pass over the coil, helping it cool off faster and prevent overheating.
5. Unsafe E-Liquid VG/PG Ratio
Your choice of vegetable glycerin (VG) to propylene glycol (PG) ratio in an e-liquid can have an impactful impact on how fast its coil heats up. E-liquids with higher VG concentration may be thicker, which causes your coil to have difficulty with vaporizing it resulting in burnt flavors; on the other hand, higher-PG liquids tend to burn quicker at higher wattages.
How to Solve It:
Select an Appropriate E-Liquid: For maximum performance with lower wattages or pod systems, look for liquid with 50/50 PG/VG ratio; while for sub-ohm devices you may opt for higher VG e-liquids that ensure compatible coils.
Check for Thicker E-Liquids: If you’re using high VG e-liquids, ensure your coil can handle their thicker consistency
6. Poor Wicking or Dry Wicking
If the coil’s wick isn’t adequately saturated with e-liquid, this could result in dry burning – often occurring when old or absorbed liquid hasn’t been fully absorbed into it.
How to Solve It:
Check the Wick: Before beginning vaping, ensure the wick inside your coil is saturated. If it seems dry or damaged, consider replacing or priming it again as soon as possible.
Allow Your Coil to Soak: After replacing a coil, allow some time for the e-liquid to soak into its wick before taking your first puff to avoid burning cotton or other material in your coil’s cotton wicks. This may help avoid damaging cotton fibers.
7. Airflow Problems
Insufficient airflow can also contribute to burnt taste in an e-liquid product, leading to overheating and subsequent burning. When airflow becomes restricted, not enough air reaches the coil and can cool it down, leading to overheating that in turn causes burnt flavoring of your e-liquid product.
How to Solve It:
Adjust Airflow: Make sure the airflow is open enough for air to pass freely around the coil without overheating, if your device offers adjustable settings, experiment until you find the ideal combination.
Clean the Airflow Holes: Make sure there are no obstructions in the airflow holes of your tank or pod and clean if necessary.
