5 Tricks for Getting the Most from Your Sub-Ohm Tank

The most popular vaping attachments available today are sub-ohm tanks. People love sub-ohm tanks because they produce great flavor and huge vapor clouds. Sub-ohm vaping devices are also easier than ever to use; it’s easy to find a one-button vape pen with sub-ohm compatibility today. All that you need to do is fill the tank, press the button and enjoy. As user friendly as sub-ohm tanks have become, though, there’s still a lot that can go wrong with them. Sub-ohm tanks contain high-wattage atomizer coils that can generate extreme heat. They also usually have cotton wicks – and a sub-ohm coil can burn and ruin a dry cotton wick in no time. Sub-ohm tanks have adjustable airflow settings. They usually have different types of coils available. Because there’s so much variability in how you can use a sub-ohm tank, you may have to tinker with a new tank a bit to dial in your ideal vaping experience. Is your new sub-ohm tank less wonderful than you hoped it would be?  We’ve got five tips that can help you get the most from a sub-ohm tank.

The one great weakness of sub-ohm tanks is that the coils aren’t exactly cheap. If you need to replace your coil every day, vaping can become quite expensive. Do you find that your sub-ohm tank coils drop in vapor production or begin to produce bad-tasting vapor after just a day or two? When you remove a used coil from your tank, examine it closely under light. Is the coil covered with a dark crust? Has the wick around the coil turned brown or black? It’s likely that you have a taste for sweet e-liquids. Sucralose – the most common e-liquid sweetener – leaves a dark crust on atomizer coils because it doesn’t vaporize fully. Vapers call that crust “coil gunk” – and a very sweet e-liquid can create enough coil gunk to ruin a new coil in less than a day. What can you do? Try some different e-liquids. Many e-liquids taste surprisingly sweet without added sweeteners. If you can find a sweetener-free e-liquid that tastes good to you, you’ll find that your coils last much longer.

Most vaping product manufacturers optimize their sub-ohm tanks to produce the most possible vapor because many vapers feel more satisfied when they’re blowing large clouds. One problem with prioritizing cloud production above everything else, though, is that many tanks use very open airflow to achieve that level of cloud production. Air doesn’t taste like anything – and if you introduce too much air into the vapor pathway, you’ll find that the vapor doesn’t actually have much flavor because the air is diluting the vapor. If you’d like a richer flavor when vaping, close your tank’s airflow slightly. While closing the airflow will reduce the tank’s vapor production a little, you’ll find that it also makes the flavor much richer.

If your sub-ohm tank pops or spits hot e-liquid into your mouth when you try to vape, it’s because excess e-liquid is pooling on your atomizer coil. The e-liquid closest to the coil vaporizes, and the vapor escapes through the pool of e-liquid causing an audible “pop.” What can you do about a popping sub-ohm tank? Try increasing your device’s wattage slightly. The e-liquid may not pool as much if the coil gets hot enough to vaporize it fully. You may also find that closing your tank’s airflow a little reduces spitting. Don’t forget that your e-liquid choice can also affect the way in which your tank performs. Do you have a very large sub-ohm tank with wide wick holes? A thin e-liquid can flow through those holes too quickly and flood the coil. Try an e-liquid with a higher percentage of vegetable glycerin.

Do you get a burned taste when vaping or find that the vapor seems hot and overly harsh? It’s likely that your coil is drying out while you’re still in the middle of your puff. To combat that, you should first look at the recommended wattage range for the coil you’re using. The wattage range is usually etched on the side of the coil. Keep your device within that wattage range for the best experience. Do you like to take long, deep puffs when vaping? You’ll need to stay on the low end of the recommended wattage range because tank manufacturers expect your puffs to be no longer than about three seconds. If you continue to experience a problem, you might have a tank with smaller wick holes – and smaller wick holes require thinner e-liquids for efficient wicking. Try an e-liquid with a higher percentage of propylene glycol.

If you aren’t happy with the vapor production of your sub-ohm tank, the first thing to remember is that all tanks are not created equal. To produce enormous vapor clouds, an atomizer coil needs plenty of surface area. More coil surface area equals greater vapor production. There are plenty of smaller sub-ohm tanks out there that produce ample vapor but definitely will not win any cloud competitions. They simply don’t have the surface area. If you want a tank that generates huge clouds, you may need to upgrade to a tank with larger coils.

If you’re already using a tank with a large coil, you should check the coil’s recommended wattage range. The largest sub-ohm coils often have recommended power levels above 100 watts – and if you have a single-battery vaping device, you’re going to have trouble reaching that wattage. For the best experience, you may need to switch to a dual-battery mod. If you’re still not satisfied, try increasing your device’s wattage and taking shorter puffs. A heavy twisted, braided or Clapton coil requires a bit of ramp-up time to reach its peak temperature. Increasing your device’s wattage will help your coil heat up more quickly – just keep your puffs short to avoid burning the cotton.

Guest contribution by Smokly.