How to Look After Your Vape Kit

A bit of basic vape maintenance is the difference between a kit that lasts a year and one that dies in three months. None of this takes long. The daily stuff is 30 seconds, the weekly clean is five minutes, and knowing when to change your coil saves you money on replacements.

This guide covers pod kits and sub-ohm setups. If you've just set up your first kit, our priming guide covers that first step.

Daily Habits

Don't let it run dry. This is the single biggest coil killer. When the e-liquid drops below the wicking holes, the cotton burns and the coil is finished. Top up before the pod looks empty, not after.

After that, just wipe it down. E-liquid is sticky and it builds up fast around the pod connection and mouthpiece. A tissue after you've been vaping stops it turning into a crusty mess.

And store it standing up. We see so many kits come back with leaking issues that are just down to someone leaving it on its side in a bag. Gravity pulls liquid away from the coil and into gaps it shouldn't reach.

Weekly Kit Clean

Five minutes on a Sunday evening. That's the routine most of our staff follow and it keeps kits running for months.

For pod kits, pull the pod out and clean the contacts on both sides with a cotton bud. E-liquid builds up here and causes misfires and weak hits. Check the pod for cracks while you're at it, especially around the mouthpiece. Blocked airflow holes? Toothpick.

Sub-ohm setups need a bit more. Take the coil out and check the cotton. Dark or charred means it's time for a swap. Rinse the tank parts (not the coil) with warm water, dry everything, then reassemble. Worth checking the O-rings on the tank glass too. They're the rubber seals that stop leaking, and they do wear out. Spares usually come in the box.

Once a month, give the mouthpiece and tank a wash with warm water and a drop of washing up liquid. Never get the battery section wet. Just wipe that down and clear pocket fluff out of the charging port with a dry toothbrush.

When to Change Your Coil

Most coils last one to two weeks. Sweeter flavours and high VG shortfills gunk them up faster than nic salts do, so coil life varies depending on what you vape.

Our coil life calculator estimates how long a coil should last on your liquid and daily usage.

A burnt taste that won't clear after refilling is the obvious sign it's done. But coils also fade gradually. If the flavour has gone flat compared to when you first put it in, that coil is on its way out. Dark residue on the mesh or cotton confirms it.

Pod kits are simple here. The coil is built into the pod, so you just replace the whole thing. Sub-ohm tanks need you to unscrew the old coil, fit the new one, prime it, and refill. Our coils and pods guide walks through both.

Batteries and Knowing When to Replace

Don't drain your battery to zero every time. Regularly running flat shortens the lifespan. Most pod kits charge via USB-C in under an hour, so topping up at around 20% is easy enough. Heat is the other thing to watch. A kit left in a hot car or on a sunny windowsill won't last as long, and the e-liquid can start tasting off.

If you use a sub-ohm kit with removable batteries, keep them in a case. Loose batteries in a pocket with keys or coins is a real fire risk. Not being dramatic, it does happen.

The kit itself should last 12 to 18 months with basic care. You'll know it's done when the battery won't get through a day, buttons stop responding, or the pod connection plays up after cleaning. At that point, you're better off putting the money toward a replacement than fighting a losing battle with a worn-out kit.