TIPS AND TRICKS FOR VAPE MOD MAINTENANCE

Vape mod maintenance is an important part of ensuring that your mod remains functioning properly and safely. Proper maintenance will also save you money, as you will spend less money replacing parts that have reached their end of life prematurely. In this blog post, we'll look at all of the parts of a typical vape mod and discuss what you must do in order to keep it running like new.

PARTS OF A VAPE MOD
A vape mod will consist of a few parts. The tank is that part that holds the juice. Inside the tank is a coil. We will use coil and head interchangeably in this post because the coil is contained within the head. The coil is the electrical element that heats the juice in order to vaporize it. For the purposes of this blog post, those two parts will be treated separately. The tank attaches to the mod itself, usually through a 510 connector. Finally, there are batteries inside of the mod that provides the power. 

If you have been vaping for a while now, then you are likely already familiar with all of these parts. If you are reading this before starting your vaping journey, then you'll become familiar with them soon enough. Each of these parts has its own maintenance needs. Some parts simply need to be kept clean. Others might need periodic replacement. Coils, in particular, are disposable.

CLEANING THE TANK
There are many different models of tank out there produced by a wide variety of manufacturers. Instructions on how to disassemble your tank will come with it when you purchase it. Generally speaking, they will be screwed together in at least one place. After unscrewing it, you'll be able to pull the glass, plastic, or metal body off to be replaced if necessary. Many models of tank come with a replacement body in case the first one breaks. When the tank is apart the coil will unscrew.

Once your tank is fully disassembled, inspect all of the parts. Most tanks have rubber seals that keep everything from leaking when it is assembled. Over time this rubber can wear down. If the seal on your tank is starting to wear away, it could be time to consider replacing it. A worn seal will not allow the body of the tank to fit on properly. The result of this could be anything from the inability to assemble the tank at all, or a leaky tank once it has been assembled.

If the rubber seal is okay, you'll want to take a cotton swab dipped in alcohol and use it to clean all of the parts. You should do this every time you change the juice. If you are continually topping off the same juice, be sure to empty it out and perform this level of cleaning at least once a week.

Once a month or so, you'll want to do a deeper clean. To do that, perform the same procedure as above. After that, fill a container with soapy water and let the tank sit in it for a few hours. Give it a good shake or swirl every hour or so. Afterward, rinse it out really well before reassembling it. Make sure that you do not soak your coil.

COIL MAINTENANCE
Coils are the part that you will be replacing the most often. There is no getting around the fact that they will go bad and lose their ability to produce good vapor. There are some things that you can do to extend their life, however. The first thing that you'll want to do is make sure that the juice in your tank never gets too low. If there is not enough juice to keep the entirety of the wick in the head wet, then it will burn when the coil fires. If the wicking burns, you'll know it. Your juice will develop a really horrible burnt taste. If that happens, the coil must be replaced. Even with full juice, your wicking can burn if you turn up the power of your mod higher than the coil is meant to withstand. Manufacturers will tell you what the recommended range is. Be sure to stay within it.

As we said before, all coils will eventually go bad. When this happens, your mod will begin to produce less vapor. The taste will also develop a mild burnt taste to it. This taste will be nothing compared to the harsh taste of a burnt wick, but it will no longer be as pleasant as a fresh coil allows for. Heads usually come in 5 packs, so it shouldn't be hard to keep one around. Each person also has a different tolerance for how old the head can get before the experience is degraded. You'll learn when your own tastes require a head replacement after you've been vaping for a while.

CLEANING THE CONNECTORS
Your mod will have a 510 connector that the tank screws into. Juice can get into the recessed area. There isn't room for a cotton swab to fit in there, but you can use a wooden toothpick to scrape around and get the gunk broken up. There will be a post that the battery connects to the inside of the 510 connectors. Be very careful as you are scraping around this not to push it down, as that will weaken the connection between your mod and the battery. Some posts have slots for a flathead screwdriver so you can back them out by unscrewing them a bit if they get pressed down too much.

PROPER BATTERY MAINTENANCE
Most tanks use external batteries. You'll want to charge them using a good, high-quality charger. A good charger will have safety protocols in place to prevent the batteries from overcharging. It is also a good idea to use the same set of batteries together throughout their lifetime. You should also rotate the position of the batteries as you install them. So if you have Battery A in the left slot and Battery B in the right slot when you take them out, put Battery B in the left slot and Battery A in the right slot when you reinstall them. This is because when batteries are hooked in series, the first one takes a little more of a power drain than the second. Rotating them out and keeping them paired together ensures that the batteries will have a similar lifespan.