Why Does My Vape Taste Burnt: Causes and Fixes

Who wants their vape device to give off a burnt taste? Absolutely no one! After spending time, effort, and money finding the perfect flavor and e-liquid blend, why would anyone tolerate that sooty odor in their mouths? Of course, you cannot avoid it forever. Now and then, you might get a burnt taste as you inhale on your vape device. When that happens, you cannot stop yourself from asking this question: Why does my vape taste burnt? Well, we know why and we know how to stop it.

Today, we will take you through some of the most common reasons your vape device might taste burnt and exactly how to fix it.

The Coil Needs to be Changed

Let’s not waste any time getting into it. The first alleged suspect on our list is always the coil. If you have been using your current vape coil for a while and it tastes burnt, it probably needs changing. It is vital that you change your coil regularly to ensure your vape is working at its best and producing the optimum vapor and flavor experience. Changing the coil is quick and simple, and replacement coils are not expensive, considering the ever-increasing price of tobacco cigarettes and the dangers of using them.

For the average vaper, a coil usually lasts around a week or two. If you do not use it too often, though, it could last up to a month.

Solution: Replace the vape coil. If you do not know how to do it, explore the internet for DIY videos. You can also refer to the instruction manual of your device or get in touch with our experts at CSVAPE. Just give us a tinkle and our people will guide you.

The Tank Needs to be Refilled

If there is not enough e-juice in the vape tank or pod, that burnt taste will flood your mouth as soon as you inhale on the device. A quick and easy fix is to buy and use rechargeable disposable vapes. These products do not need to be refilled. However, if you prefer refillable devices, you must top up your tank. Otherwise, the battery will burn the wicking material inside the coil instead of the e-liquid in the tank, producing a harsh, unpleasant, and acrid taste.

Solution: Keep the tank constantly topped up with e-juice and never let it get too low or run out completely. This does not just prevent burnt hits but also prolongs the life of your vape device’s coil. In tanks with a large glass section, it will be easy to see when the liquid is running low. Conversely, in pod kits, it may be less obvious that you are running low on e-liquid. Best practice is to inspect the pod periodically and fill it up with e-liquid regularly.

The Coil Needs to be Primed

Why does my vape taste burnt? Maybe you have not primed your coil. When you install a new one, it must be primed before it can be used. Priming basically means filling the device with e-liquid and leaving it for some time. This allows the juice to fully saturate the wicking material. If you start puffing on the device before the cotton is fully saturated with e-liquid, you risk burning the cotton, leading to that unpleasant taste that we have been discussing all this time.

Solution: Whenever you buy and install a brand-new vape coil, prime it. Not sure how to prime the coil? We can help you out.

The Power Settings Need to be Dialed Down

Most models of today feature adjustable power settings to let the user adjust their device to suit their needs. A lower power setting will produce a cooler, less intense vape experience, while a higher power setting will put more power through the coil of 50mg vapes online, producing warmer and more intense vapor. However, if you set the wattage level too high, the coil will not be able to cope with it and produce a burned taste instead of your favorite flavor. Also, once the wick burns out, it will always taste funky until you replace the coil with a new one.

Solution: Start with a lower power or wattage setting on your device and slowly increase it until you find the optimum level. If it tastes burnt or feels too hot, reduce the power. Check the manufacturer’s guidelines on your device to see the recommended wattage for each device or coil resistance. Usually, the recommended wattage range is printed in small text on the side of each coil. As a rule of thumb, if the resistance of a coil is above 1.0 ohms, the wattage should be between 10W and 16W. If the resistance is below 1.0 ohms, the sweet spot will be between 18W and 50W.

The Coil Resistance Needs to be Checked

There are numerous vape brands out there, and each company offers coils in varying resistances. Whenever you buy a new kit, it may come with separate coils in the box, and in most instances, the two coils will have different resistances. This provides you with an opportunity to try both and see which one suits your vaping needs better. Just remember that they will require different power levels to perform optimally.

A higher resistance will need less power than a lower resistance to produce the same amount of vapor and heat from the coil.

This example can possibly clarify the situation.

If you have been using a 1.2 ohms coil at 18 watts for some time and you switch to a 1.8 ohms coil and continue to use the device at 18 watts, you may find that your device is tasting burnt. This happens because the higher resistance coil does not need as much power to get up to the required temperature to vaporize the e-liquid in the coil. You need to reduce the power or device wattage and find the sweet spot for that particular coil. On the other hand, if the coil resistance is lower than you have previously been using, you will want to increase the power to get the kind of hits you desire.

Solution: Increase or decrease the power or wattage of your device to match the resistance of the installed coil. It is best to consult the manufacturer’s recommended wattage range for the coil or device to ensure you are getting the best experience.

The Right E-liquid is Required

It is of the utmost importance that you select the right e-liquid for the vape kit you use. Each kit is designed to be used with a certain type of e-liquid, and if you use one that is either too thick or too thin, it could produce a burnt taste. Using the wrong e-juice can also damage the coil or cause leaking.

How will you know which is the correct e-liquid for your vape product? The main thing to look out for when selecting an e-liquid for your device is the VG content of the e-liquid. This will determine the thickness of the juice, which will be the cause of a burnt taste from your vape. For simplicity, we can split e-liquids into two main groups.

1.    VG E-Liquids

VG means vegetable glycerin, which is a primary component of e-liquids. Such products are predominantly sold in short-fill bottles of 50ml to 100ml with 0mg nicotine strength. You add a dash of nicotine to give the liquid your preferred strength. These liquids have a high VG content, generally 60%-70% or higher. VG is thick and produces large clouds of vapor. Nearly all pen kits and most pod kits are incompatible with high-VG e-liquids.

A vape kit compatible with VG e-liquids will generally have some or all of these features;

•    Sub-ohm coils, i.e., the coil resistance is below 1.0 ohms.
•    Large wicking holes in the coil – this is so the thicker liquid can easily soak into the cotton wick. These coils are generally quite large, too, compared to the ones in regular vape pens.
•    Most kits compatible with VG e-liquids have an output range up to 50W. Some even go up to 220W or higher. Just because your device goes up to these levels does not mean your coil can handle that power, and it does not guarantee VG e-liquid compatibility.
•    You will want a device with an airy or loose draw rather than a tight draw that is akin to smoking cigarettes. The airy draw lets you inhale the vapor directly into your lungs (DTL vaping) rather than into your mouth first (MTL vaping).

2.    PG E-Liquids, 50/50 E-liquids, and Nicotine Salts

PG stands for propylene glycol. PG e-liquids, 50/50, and nic salts are the types of e-liquid sold in 10ml bottles and come in different nicotine strengths. These three e-liquid variants have one thing in common: their VG content is 50%. This means that the e-liquid is thinner and that the coils with small wicking holes will be able to sufficiently wick the e-liquid to the coil. These liquids are best for devices like pod kits, pen kits, and devices that use coils above 1.0ohm.

Using such an e-liquid in a device designed for high-VG liquid can be fine, but quite harsh, too. However, there is a chance that the tank will leak because of the thinner liquids flooding the coil, and your device may taste burnt, as the juice is too easily vaporized by the coil.

Solution: Pick the right e-liquid for your device. If you still need guidance on how to choose e-liquids, we are here for you.

Disposable Vapes Tasting Burnt

If you use a prefilled disposable vape, and if it tastes burnt, it is likely that your vape is running out of e-juice. Your only option is to buy vapes online from CSVAPE. Generally, people run out of battery before they get to vaporize all of the e-liquid. Then again, most disposables that we offer can be recharged.

Prefilled vape products usually come with a predetermined number of puffs that you can expect to get out of them. However, these are often based on small and short puffs. If you take long, deep puffs on your disposable vape, you could expect significantly fewer puffs from the device. 

Solution: If your disposable vape gives off a burnt taste, you should try the following to see if you can get a bit more out of it.

•    Leave more time between puffs to allow the wick to be saturated with e-liquid again.
•    Shake the device vigorously to help distribute the e-liquid in the wick to the coil.
•    Take smaller puffs.

Wrapping Up

With these causes and solutions, you do not need to ask yourself, “Why does my vape taste burnt?” anymore. Unfortunately, there are times when these steps may fail. When that happens, know that you have run out of e-liquid and it is time to replace the pod. Alternatively, you can visit our website to browse and buy our wide range of pod kits and disposable vapes.

We genuinely hope that this information helps you. If you want to suggest more causes of why a vape might taste burnt and how to fix it, do tell us!

Must Read: How to Hit a Vape: Learn How to Do it the Right Way

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