A dry hit is one of the most dreaded experiences in vaping circles. Unfortunately, it’s almost inescapable, and every vaper might experience it at least once in their vaping journey – consider it some sort of initiation into the world of pro vapers.
Dry hits have a burnt taste and hit you without warning. If it’s your first time, a dry hit can leave you confused and wondering what has happened to your device. Some of the factors that explain the burnt taste in your vape are:
Too much wattage
Pumping too much power into your vape will burn your wick even if there's vape juice present. This is a common problem with box mod-style vapes with powerful batteries and massive power output. If you have a variable wattage battery, start with a low power setting and work your way up until you find a sweet spot instead of starting high and trying to work your way down.
Vaping too much too quickly
If you take large draws back-to-back, you’ll exhaust the vape juice that was soaked in the wick. Also, if you vape faster than the wick can soak the vape juice, you will end up with a burned wick and a scorched flavour.
Using the wrong kind of e-liquid
Using a disposable vape makes it almost impossible to use the wrong kind of vape juice because the devices come pre-filled. But if you have a refillable device, ensure you use the right type of vape liquid, particularly in viscosity.
Vape juices with high VG concentrations are thick and contain more sugar than other vape juice blends. The viscous juices can clog the device or the vapour path and prevent the vape juice from flowing freely, resulting in vape juice scorching. If you have to go with a high VG setup, ensure you have the right equipment to keep up with the viscous nature of the vape juices.
Old or scorched coils
If your refillable vape tank has a consistent scorched flavour, the coils are possible scorched. As a result, refillable tanks need the coils replaced or the entire tank in some setups. If your wick is not scorched, you have plenty of vape juice in the tank, but you still taste a burnt flavour; the next culprit could be the coils.
If your vape tank doesn’t have replaceable coils, You can buy a new vape tank. The goal is to replace the coils with new ones to get the vape working as it should.
What’s the Best Way to Prevent Burnt Hits on Vapes?
Now that you know what causes the burnt taste, you need to learn how to prevent them, to avoid subjecting yourself to the same experience repeatedly. With vapes, the primary goal is to keep the wick from burning. You can achieve this using several methods.
Keep your vape tank topped up
Not having enough vape juice in your vape tank is the leading reason wicks get burnt. Filling the tank regularly before it gets empty is the easiest and most direct approach to protect your wick and prevent burnt hits.
Prime the coils properly
For vape tanks with replaceable coils and wicks, you should always prime the coils. You can do this by pre-soaking the wick manually before turning your vaporiser on and letting it sit for about 10 minutes. The proper steps to prime the coils may vary from product to product. Just be sure to study your user manual to determine how to best prime the coils.
Don’t install too much wick material
This is one of those instances where less is better. Overstuffing too much cotton or other wicking materials will easily cause burnt hits. Too much wicking material means the material has a hard time becoming completely saturated, exposing part of the wick to direct heat. This increases the chance that you burn your wick, which creates that scorched flavour. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions on what kind of wick to use and how much of it you should use.
Use the battery and the right vape tank
Just because a battery and vape tank can attach to the device doesn’t mean it’s compatible. Having a battery that is too powerful paired with a tank with modest power requirements is a formula for frying your coils. You will constantly get the burnt taste and regularly change the coils.
When changing the battery of the vape tank, ensure you replace it with manufacturer-recommended options. It is also good practice to always start with low power settings and work your way up to find the ideal setting when using a vape for the first time.
Replace the coils regularly
Coils are among the most forgotten components in a vape. If you have an RBA-style tank, you should replace the coils on a set schedule to avoid the nasty burnt taste. When you know the coils are close to the end of their life, replace them before they begin to fail and produce those nasty hits.
Use the right vape juice
Most vapes don’t handle high concentrations of VG well. Going for a 50:50 blend is better and will provide better performance for the device and prevent clogging of the heating system and the coils.
Change your vaping style.
If, after getting the burnt taste, you can’t seem to find out what’s wrong with the device, the missing piece could be your vaping style. Try increasing the time intervals between your draws to give the wick enough time to saturate. Also, try taking shorter draws to avoid drying the wick.
Final Thoughts
You can also try other tricks like cleaning your coils and using disposable vapes instead to avoid dry hits and the burnt taste. Cleaning your device regularly and keeping a proper maintenance schedule will save you from the burnt taste and prolong the vape's life.