Vaping Safety, Hacks, and Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Vaping safety and Hacks
• Common vaping errors and tips for avoiding them
• Getting the most out of coils, tanks, vape kits and e-liquids

I've been vaping now for quite a while and used my fair share of vape kits and gone through countless millilitres of vape juice. During this time, like many, I’ve made a few mistakes but also found some cool tips to prolong vape kit lifespans and get the best experience from e-liquids. The following guide for vaping safety, hacks, and common mistakes to avoid will look at some of what I’ve learned from personal experience and that of industry veterans here at Totally Wicked.

Vaping Safety and Avoiding Extreme Heat

First and foremost, always buy your vape supplies from reputable retailers! These are specialist vape shops and here at Totally Wicked, our staff are trained to give the best possible advice especially for new vapers looking to vaping as a smoking cessation tool. It might seem more convenient to purchase vapes from your local corner shop. But it’s likely the retailer isn’t trained on industry standards and you can’t always be 100% sure that what you’re purchasing is a legitimate vape product^[1].

Once you have your new vape kit, it’s best to read the little booklet that comes with it or download it from the vape’s listing on site. These pamphlets offer tips on maintenance, best practices for longevity and any troubleshooting that may occur. You will also find instructions for switching the device on/off or changing settings such as airflow, wattage and voltage.

Avoiding extreme temperatures is essential. It's also advisable to not leave vapes in your car during the high heat of the UK summer. Leaving vapes unattended while charging is also a big no-no and you won't know if your vape is overheating if left for too long.

In 2020 the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy published guidelines for charging vape batteries which included advice on charging your vapes overnight, regularly checking them and unplugging once the battery is fully charged^[2].

Staying Safe at Bonfires with Vapes

With bonfire night just around the corner, it's worth mentioning that disposing of vapes by throwing them into the fire could cause serious injury to you and others around you. Don't stand too close to the fire with the device in your pockets or hand.

Best Vaping Hacks and Tips for Vapers

Vaping hacks are a great way to get the most out of your vaping experience. Over time, I made a few mistakes which meant more expense and a not very good vaping experience. These human errors I encountered can easily be avoided by following these simple tips:

Coils, Tanks and Pods

Avoid overfilling the pod/tank: Overfilling can lead to "flooding" and potential for the e-liquid to leak. Try to always leave a small air pocket at the top. Tanks and Pods are usually top filled or side filling. These all follow the golden rule of leaving an air bubble.

Priming is priority: Once you've filled a new pod or tank with your favourite e-liquid, it's important to let it sit for 3-5 minutes. This allows the coil to absorb the e-liquid and avoids premature burning out. If priming isn't done correctly, you will likely get a burnt taste when you initially try to vape the e-liquid. Even if a coil seems OK, lack of priming can mean a much shorter coil life. This can lead to replacing them more often.

Matching the e-liquid with the right resistance (in ohms): Check the PG/VG ratio. Higher resistance coils (1.0ohm>) are commonly paired with high PG e-liquids. For vape juice with high VG, and a thicker consistency, the go to resistance is generally sub-ohm (<1.0ohm).

Vape and Pod Kits

Choosing the right kit: Consider where you are at. If you’re new to vaping then my best advice is to start with the flex Pro refillable. This kit offers a convenient, simple and easy way to start vaping. Alternatively, for those upgrading from disposable vapes, the flex Pro Pre-filled pods offer the same convenience with better flavour.

Upgrade for more control: After a while, you might want to start "experimenting". Vape kits such as the arc Mini 2 or the hugely popular Tornado GTL, offer customisable airflow, wattage and voltage settings.

E-liquids

Buy high quality vape juice: When buying vape juice, a reputable retailer should be your source. Most of the e-liquids available at Totally Wicked are manufactured right here in the UK. We only use the highest quality ingredients when formulating our vape liquids, and we rigorously test each batch, making sure you get the optimal vaping experience.

Get to know nicotine strengths: The highest nicotine strength allowed by law is 2.0% (20mg/ml). Our highest strength of 1.8% can be found in the Red Label range, among others. When using vapes as a smoking cessation tool, its good practice to choose your nicotine strength based on how many cigarettes you smoke or smoked a day.

Flavour choices: E-liquids are available with an array of flavours, Red Label has over 60 to choose from. Our most popular flavours are Menthol, Iced Blackcurrant and Tobacco. Our other top selling range is the VLTZ bar salts, while the choice isn’t quite as wide as Red Label, the flavours excel if you prefer stronger and sweeter vape .

Getting the Best vape Experience

Ultimately, getting the best experience from vaping requires some level of knowledge. Following my hacks and tips can help save money by purchasing the right coils, tanks, vape kits and e-liquids, straight from the off. Totally Wicked is a specialist vape shop and we have stores right across the UK. Pop into one of them if you’re not sure where to start. Alternatively, contact our customer service team for help with getting started or any issues you may have come across.

References

[1] Newark: Illegal vapes worth £18k seized in shop raids – BBC News

[2] Take charge of battery safety when using e-cigarettes – GOV.UK