What Affects Coil Lifespan in Vaporesso Devices and How to Extend It

By shane margereson

Nothing ruins your day quite like that first burnt hit from a knackered coil. One minute you're enjoying your vape, the next you're coughing and getting a mouthful of what tastes like Satan's armpit.

If you're sick of changing coils more often than you'd like, I've got some solid advice on what kills Vaporesso coils and how to make the buggers last longer.

After years of using Vaporesso kit and helping countless customers sort their coil issues, I've picked up a fair few tricks that'll save you both cash and hassle. Let's dive into what's murdering your coils and how to stop it.

E Liquid: The Sweet Killer

The single biggest coil killer isn't how you vape, it's what you vape. Not all e-liquids are created equal when it comes to coil life.

Sweeteners: The Coil Assassin

Those dessert and candy flavours might taste lovely, but they're absolutely brutal on coils. The sweeter the juice, the quicker it'll gunk up your coil. This is because most e-liquid manufacturers use sucralose (basically liquid Splenda) to make their juice taste sweet, and this stuff doesn't vaporise, it caramelises and builds up on your coil like burnt sugar on a pan.

I've seen a heavily sweetened juice turn a brand new Vaporesso GTX coil black in less than two days. The same coil with a less sweet juice might have lasted two weeks. It's that dramatic.

Worth noting that those Chinese-made bar liquids have more sweetener in them than a bowl of pure sugar and destroy pods and coils quicker than most other e-liquids on the market.

Buying UK juice is not only better for flavour and quality, but I can assure you that you'll get more life out of your coils. We all should support small UK vape juice brands a little more with the economic outlook right now.

High VG Juices in Pod Systems

Vaporesso's pod systems, like the XROS series, are designed primarily for 50/50 or 60/40 (VG/PG) e liquids. Try to run 80/20 juice in them, and you're asking for trouble. The thick juice doesn't wick fast enough through the small ports, leading to dry hits and burnt coils.

For Vaporesso pods, stick to 50/50 or 60/40 for best results. If you're using a beefier Vaporesso device like the Gen with an iTank, you can go thicker with 70/30 or even 80/20 as those tanks have larger wicking ports.

The Clear Juice Trick

Want a dead-simple way to extend coil life? Use clearer juices. As a rule of thumb, the darker the e-liquid, the more sweeteners and other coil-killing ingredients it contains. Clear or slightly tinted juices tend to be much kinder on coils.

That's not to say you can't enjoy your sweet dessert flavours, just be aware of the trade-off. You'll be changing coils more frequently with them.

Wattage: Finding the Sweet Spot

Every Vaporesso coil has a recommended wattage range printed right on it. Ignoring this is a fast track to a burnt coil.

Too High: The Instant Kill

Running your Vaporesso GTX or GTi coil above its recommended wattage is like redlining your car everywhere you go, it might work for a bit, but something's going to give out quickly. Too much power means the coil gets hotter than the juice can wick, leading to dry cotton and burnt hits.

I've seen customers running the 0.8Ω GTX coil (rated for 12-20W) at 30W and wondering why they're getting through a coil every couple of days. It's like using a blowtorch to light a candle, complete overkill.

Too Low: The Slow Killer

Surprisingly, running too low can also reduce coil life. When you don't give the coil enough power, the juice doesn't fully vaporise. Instead, it caramelises on the coil, building up gunk that gradually chokes the coil.

This is especially true with sweeter juices, which need proper heat to vaporise as completely as possible.

The Goldilocks Zone

For maximum lifespan, start at the lower end of your coil's recommended range and work up until you find your sweet spot. For most Vaporesso coils , that's often about 60-70% of the way through the recommended range. For example:

GTX 0.8Ω (12-20W): Best around 16-17W
GTX 0.3Ω (32-45W): Sweet spot around 36-38W
GTi 0.2Ω (60-75W): Optimal around 65-68W

This gives you good vapour and flavour without unnecessarily stressing the coil.

Proper Priming: The Birth of Your Coil

How you treat a coil in its first few minutes of life has a massive impact on how long it'll last. Priming isn't just helpful, it's essential.

The Proper Priming Method

For Vaporesso pods with built-in coils (like the XROS series):

Fill the pod and let it sit for at least 10 minutes
Take a few dry pulls (without firing) to help draw liquid into the coil
Start at a lower wattage than you normally would for the first few puffs
Gradually increase to your preferred wattage over 5-10 puffs

For tank coils like the GTX and GTi series:

Drop a few drops of e-liquid directly onto the exposed cotton in the intake holes
Assemble the tank and fill
Let it sit for 10-15 minutes (yes, really, patience pays off here)
Start at a low wattage and work your way up gradually

The Impatience Tax

I can't count how many messages we've had from customers saying, "I filled my new pod and took a hit straight away, but it tastes burnt!" That's the impatience tax. You've just wasted a coil because you couldn't wait 10 minutes.

Cotton needs time to fully saturate, especially in the dense, packed coils used in modern devices. Skip this step, and you're essentially vaping dry cotton, which instantly burns and ruins the coil permanently.

Chain Vaping: Give Your Coil a Breather

Vapes aren't designed to be puffed on constantly like a cigarette. They need recovery time between hits.

The Wick Can't Keep Up

When you chain vape (taking puff after puff without breaks), you don't give the cotton enough time to re-saturate with e liquid. This leads to dry spots, which lead to burnt cotton, which leads to a knackered coil.

This is especially true for high VG juices, which move more slowly through the wick due to their thickness.

The 30-Second Rule

A good rule of thumb, especially for higher wattage vaping on devices like the Luxe XR Max or Armour G, is to wait about 30 seconds between extended puffs. This gives the coil time to cool slightly and the wick time to fully re-saturate.

If you find yourself wanting to chain vape, consider:

Dropping your wattage slightly
Using a higher nicotine strength so you need fewer puffs
Switching to a device with better wicking capability

Other Coil Killers to Watch Out For

While e-liquid, wattage, priming, and chain vaping are the big four, there are a few other things that can shorten your Vaporesso coil's lifespan:

Empty Tank Vaping

Letting your tank or pod run too low before refilling can expose part of the coil's wicking ports to air, leading to partial dry hits. Always try to refill when you've got about 1/4 of the liquid left.

Hot Car Syndrome

Leaving your vape in a hot car or direct sunlight thins out the e-liquid, potentially leading to flooding, spitting, and coil degradation. It can also weaken the seals in Vaporesso's pods, leading to leaks that waste juice and damage coils.

The Pocket Squeeze

Keeping your Vaporesso pod device in a tight pocket or bag can sometimes cause pressure on the pod, forcing too much juice into the coil and flooding it. This is especially true for the XROS series. A flooded coil leads to gurgling, spitting, and a shortened lifespan.

Real World Coil Lifespan Expectations

So, how long should your Vaporesso coils actually last? Based on my experience with their range:

Pod System Coils (XROS, Vibe, etc.)

With clear, less sweet juice: 1.5-2.5 weeks
With moderately sweet juice: 1-1.5 weeks
With very sweet, dessert juice: 3-5 days

Sub Ohm Tank Coils (GTX, GTi)

With clear, less sweet juice: 2-3 weeks
With moderately sweet juice: 10-14 days
With very sweet, dessert juice: 5-7 days

These are rough averages for moderate vapers. Heavy vapers might see shorter lifespans, while light vapers could get even more mileage.

Quick Emergency Fixes for Dying Coils

Sometimes you're stuck with a dying coil and can't replace it immediately. This isn't something I'd recommend, but if it's this or reach for a pack of the stinkys, then here are the two options I've personally used. Even though I own a vape business, yes, even the best of us get caught off guard ever so often.

The Rinse and Dry Method

For tanks with removable coils like the GTX and GTi series:

Remove the coil and rinse under warm (not hot) water
Blow through it from the bottom to force water through the cotton
I've used a hand blower before when I've been out and about or a hair dryer when I've been on holiday, but make sure that the cotton is 100% dry
Reprime as if it were new

This won't restore a burnt coil to new condition, but it can remove some of the built-up gunk and give you a few more days if you're desperate.

The Power Flush

For pod systems where you can't remove the coil:

Empty any remaining e liquid
Fill with plain VG (available at most vape shops)
Vape normally for 5-10 puffs
Empty again and refill with your normal juice

The VG helps dissolve some of the sweetener build up without adding more to the problem.

Final Thoughts

Getting maximum life from your Vaporesso coils isn't rocket science, but it does take a bit of care and attention.

The four horsemen of coil apocalypse, sweet juice, improper wattage, poor priming, and chain vaping, account for most premature coil deaths.

If you're tired of constantly buying new coils, try switching to a clearer juice, staying within the recommended wattage range, priming properly, and giving your device adequate breaks between puffs.

Your wallet (and your taste buds) will thank you.

Remember, even the best coil will die eventually; it's a consumable part.

But with these tips, you should be able to get the maximum lifespan from every Vaporesso coil you use.

Stay safe and happy vaping!

Tagged:

Coils E-Liquids Tips Vaping