Why Is My Vapor Harsh?
Vaping has become increasingly popular over the years. These electronic devices ad dry herb vaporizers are powered by batteries that provide energy to the coil to heat up the concentrate until it produces vapor. As with any electronic device, it can get hot. After all, it is part of what the device is designed for. However, there is a difference between normal heat and excessive heat.
Why Is My Vapor Harsh?
Excessive heat can happen, and this extra heat tends to carry over to your vapor creating a harsh irritating sensation at the back of your throat from inhaling the vapor. Harsh hits tend to be a common occurrence when vaping. To understand why your vapor is hot and what you can do about it you first need to determine why your vapor is hot.
How to Fix Harsh Vapor
Not every situation of hot vapor stems from there being a major problem (such as an electrical issue) with your dry herb vaping device. Some common vaping device issues can arise from user error or simply by using improper settings. These can include but are not limited to:
Using a High Wattage
Many vaping devices allow for variable wattage, meaning you have the ability to change the wattage settings. However, it is important to keep in mind the higher the wattage, the more likely you will experience a harsh or hot hit. This is because the higher the wattage, the more vapor you will produce.
Vaping with the Wrong Temperature Setting
Another common issue with chain vaping is it can overheat your atomizer. Not only will this cause your vapor to feel hot, but it can also damage your coil causing a nasty burnt taste to the vapor as well. To avoid these issues, make sure to allow for the proper amount of time between puffs to allow for your wick to get accurately saturated.
Similar to wattage, many vaping devices also allow you to change the temperature setting to allow the use of multiple concentrates. While you want your device to heat the concentrate, too high of a temperature setting results in a higher likelihood of having a harsh hit.
Why Does Chain Vaping Cause Harsh Hits?
Chain vaping is a style of vaping where the user takes multiple short puffs with only small intervals of time between each puff from the device. Unfortunately, this method of vaping prevents your wick from soaking enough vape juice before you take your next hit, which in turn can cause your wick to burn.
Can My Coil Cause Harsh Vapor?
Like any device, user error is not the only issue that can create harsh hits. Improper use, malfunctions, and other coil issues can arise to cause you to experience a harsh hit. These can include:
Improperly Using Your Coils
One of the most common user errors is the improper use of vaping coils. This can stem from forgetting to change out your coil to not priming your coil properly before you begin. In most cases, it is recommended to change out your coil to your vaping device every two to three weeks (depending upon how often you use your device, how hot you run your coils, and what type of concentrate or ratio you use with your material.
Coil Hot Spots
Coil hot spots are very common, especially if you build the coil yourself. These occur when your coil heats up more in one section than it does in the rest of the coil. These hot spots cause your device to heat the concentrate unevenly, which creates harsh or hot vapor to inhale.
Coil Gunk
Over time, using your device can cause residue to buildup on your coil. This tends to happen when the concentrate is not soaked up or if you have too much leftover concentrate after your hit. This gunk can make the coil and vapor get hot.
Tips to Remember
Although it is normal for your vape pen to get hot while you are vaping, over time you will notice a difference between when your vape is hot and when it is hotter than usual. Make sure to check for possible complications (such as those listed above). In many cases, there are easy solutions to help fix your issue and create smoother, less irritating hits. Some helpful tips to help avoid harsh or hot hits include:
Make sure to check your device and coil to see what wattage recommendations are provided. If you have a device with variable wattage, make sure you run your device within the recommended wattage settings.
Properly maintain your vaping device. Although you do not need to do a deep clean every day, you can avoid residue buildup by cleaning your device after each use and or vaping session.
Increase the airflow for your vaping device. A variety of tanks and devices provide the ability to adjust the airflow. When you increase or open the airflow to your device, it will provide a smoother and less harsh hit.
Fix hot spots as soon as possible. Whenever you notice a hot spot, you should always fix it. Otherwise, you risk more dangerous complications like your device short-circuiting. A common way to help rid your coil of hot spots is by pushing the coil wraps closer together or pulling them farther apart.