Common Vaping Mistakes to Avoid

Common Vaping Mistakes to Avoid

1/20/2025

Not Paying Attention to Nicotine Strength

Some people vape because it’s a way of getting a hit of nicotine without smoking cigarettes, whereas others simply like the experience of vaping. Those who are not addicted to nicotine often make the mistake of purchasing a vape that has a lot of nicotine in it, thus leading to an addiction eventually. This is a major error and one you should avoid at all costs! If you like to vape because of the flavours rather than the nicotine, look specifically for e-liquids with little to no nicotine. If you vape because you want the nicotine, it’s still possible to get the wrong nicotine strength – you might not need the strongest, for example. A good low-level strength for those giving up smoking is around 5-6mg.

What Nicotine Strength Do I Need

Not Moving on from Disposables

Most first-time vapers pick up disposable vapes to get a feel for the experience, which makes a lot of sense. Disposable vapes aren’t expensive, and they allow newer vapers to try out a variety of flavours. However, there comes a point where disposables simply don’t make sense anymore, especially for more seasoned vapers. They might be cheap, but the cost of constantly repurchasing a disposable vape can quickly become expensive in the long run – not to mention how much waste they contribute to. A refillable vape gives you more control over your vaping experience while also being more cost-effective. Then, there’s the fact that disposable vapes will be completely banned in 2025 in the UK, at which point you will no longer be able to purchase them.

Buying the Wrong E-Liquid

Did you know that you can’t use every e-liquid with every vape? It’s true – the wrong e-liquid can destroy your vaping experience. The key here is the PG and VG ratio. Most vapers enjoy a balanced 50VG/50PG e-liquid. The higher the PG ratio, the stronger the throat hit is, which can be helpful for those who are quitting smoking – the higher the VG, the more vape clouds produced. It’s important to look at your vape kit to see what type of e-liquid it can take. Some tanks are more suited to sub-ohm vaping (a higher VG ratio), whereas others are designed for mouth-to-lung vaping.

E-Liquids

Not Changing the Coil

If you vape using a refillable tank, you must keep up with some maintenance tasks, including
arguably the most important one: changing the coil. The coil has quite a short lifespan,
usually lasting between one to two weeks, with more frequent vapers finding they need to
replace it every few days. Not changing the coil is a big mistake that many newbie vapers
make. The coil becomes burnt, and burnt coils lead to an unpleasant taste when vaping and

potential leaking. It’s at this point you should install a new coil to keep up with an enjoyable
vaping experience. Here are some signs your coil should be replaced:

 A Burning Taste
 A Bubbling Sound
 A Leaking Vape
 Dry Hits
 Not as Much Flavour

Some vape kits have a handy feature that shows you when a coil needs replacing, although
most seasoned vapers are able to tell due to the signs listed above.

Not Priming the Coil

Changing the coil is one thing to get right – priming it before use is another. For the coil to last longer, you should prime your coil in e-liquid before taking a draw of your vape. You can do this by installing the coil when the tank is mostly filled, then taking slow, short puffs with a couple of minutes between each one to saturate the wick.

Not Cleaning the Tank

A clean tank is essential. If you don’t clean your vape regularly, you will find it gets filled with gunk, leading to an unpleasant taste. Taking the tank apart and cleaning each part individually is key here. Generally, it’s best to clean your tank once a week, but more frequently may be necessary if you vape a lot.

Vaping Inside Public Spaces

As a vaper, you may enjoy taking long draws when you are in the comfort of your own home, which is fine! However, the same cannot be said for when you are in public spaces. While vapour isn’t as harmful or intense as tobacco smoke, there are still some restrictions on where you can and cannot vape, and it’s essential you adhere to these, not only to stick within UK law but also to be respectful of other people around you.

Puffing Too Hard

Many beginner vapers take very hard draws in an effort to produce more vapour. It makes
sense since this works when smoking cigarettes – however, taking too hard of a puff will not
work as you might expect and could even lead to e-liquid ending up in your mouth! If you
want to produce more vapour when vaping, the key is to take a longer draw.

Running Out of E-Liquid

Running out of e-liquid can be very annoying. That’s the best-case scenario – the worst is that you reach for a pack of cigarettes instead of refilling your vape. To avoid this, always keep a steady stock of e-liquid at home, purchasing a new one before you have a chance to run out. Purchasing several e-liquids at once is useful for this. Plus, it’s usually cheaper to buy multiple in one go.

Not Watching the Direction of the Vapour

Vaping is not as invasive as cigarette smoke – it doesn’t smell as strong, and there aren’t as many harmful chemicals involved. That doesn’t mean you can blow your vapour wherever you want, though. You might enjoy the strawberry ice cream flavour, but that doesn’t mean everyone else will! To be mindful of those around you, always be aware of the direction of your vapour, being sure never to blow the vapour in the direction of a person. Discretion is essential.

Keeping Your Vape in Your Pocket

Many vapes are small enough to fit inside a pocket comfortably, but that doesn’t mean they belong there. Keeping a vape in a pocket is a bad idea as you can easily press one of the buttons without realising it, leading to a leaking or overheated tank. Instead, keep your vape in its dedicated bag. You should also always practice proper battery safety. If you carry spare batteries – which many frequent vapers do – keep them in a small separate bag away from any other metal. This is essential, as batteries coming into contact with other metals can lead to explosions.

Not Drinking Enough Water

You might find that vaping too much can cause your mouth and throat to feel dryer than
usual. It’s not in your head – dry mouth can be due to the components of vape juice. These
are propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG), which are hygroscopic, meaning they
absorb moisture within their environment. When these substances enter your mouth, it does
just that, leaving you less hydrated than before. Avoiding this is pretty simple – drink enough
water! Keeping a water bottle on you at all times will make staying hydrated easy.

Overfilling the Tank

It’s very common for new vapers to overfill their tanks. Even more experienced vapers will do this from time to time, especially when using a new device. Overfilling the tank is a bad idea, as it can lead to leaking and a flooded coil – not to mention you will run out of e-liquid before you should! It’s best to leave a small air gap each time.

Underfilling the Tank

On the other side of the coin, it’s also possible to underfill the tank, which can be just as
problematic. Underfilling can lead to leaks and a generally unpleasant vaping experience.
Many vapes have a line you should reach when refilling, so aim for that every time.

Buying Any Vape Kit

When people start vaping, they often do not pay attention to the vape and pod kit they choose, usually opting for low-quality vape starter kits. This is problematic as a low-quality tank won’t give you the same experience as a higher-quality one. It’s best to do your research and pick a device that matches your preferences, whether you want denser vape clouds, a strong throat hit, or a flavourful experience.

Sticking to the Sweetest E-Liquids

Many people love vaping due to the enjoyment of super sweet e-liquids – think caramel,
bubblegum, sherbert, and ice cream. Unfortunately, sticking to the sweetest variety of vape
juices can be bad for your tank, causing more clogging. It’s best to try various flavours to see
which non-sweet ones you also like, such as menthol. That doesn’t mean you can never
enjoy sweeter vape juices; you should just switch them up from time to time.
If you love the sweetest e-liquids and don’t see a point in trying the non-sweet versions, it’s
simply a case of cleaning your device more regularly and using a mesh coil, as this will
ensure your tank doesn’t clog as easily.

Not Paying Attention to Airflow

The vaping experience can be dramatically altered due to the airflow settings. Many vapers never even pay attention to this, making it one of the most common vaping mistakes. Changing the airflow can alter the temperature, flavour, and cloud density, so it’s worth playing around with to find the setting that best suits you.

Chain Vaping

Chain vaping is when a vaper takes multiple hits of the vape in quick succession. This is a
bad idea for several reasons. First, it means your e-liquid runs out too quickly, so you’ll end
up spending more money. On top of that, it can directly affect the vaping experience by
overheating the coil and giving you a dryer throat hit. Pacing yourself is the best way to avoid
this – make sure to take breaks between puffs. You can also purchase vape devices that
have a temperature control feature.

Not Using Vape Alternatives

Vaping is highly enjoyable and makes an excellent alternative to smoking. However, you cannot vape everywhere, which makes alternatives very handy. If you are getting a long flight, for example, you won’t be able to vape for several hours, which can be tricky for some people.In this situation, nicotine pouches are particularly handy, as they are discreet, sitting between your gums and giving you a hit of nicotine as well as flavourings. Nicotine pouches come in various flavours, including menthol, coffee, mango, liquorice, and tobacco, so you will surely find one that matches your preferences.

Making Your Own E-Liquid (Without Experience or Knowledge)

Many seasoned vapers enjoy making their own e-liquids, as it’s a way of creating your own
vape juice tailored to your specific preferences. However, it can be tricky to get right, and
many newer vapers try to do this too soon, leading to poor results. Without knowing what
you’re doing, you may end up with an e-liquid that is simply unfit for use.

Final Thoughts

Mistakes are common in the vaping world, especially for those new to vaping. It’s easy to make many of these errors, as they require some specific vaping knowledge that most people don’t know until they have vaped for a while. Some of the most common include not keeping up with maintenance, over or underfilling the tank, not adhering to vaping etiquette, and purchasing the wrong equipment. Of course, do not let these common mistakes put you off vaping. Yes – there are many things you may get wrong in the early days, but that is okay! You learn by making mistakes, and before long, you will know all the ins and outs of vaping. By educating yourself, you are more likely to get it right sooner, leading to a better vaping experience.

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