Guide
Why Does My Vape Taste Burnt?
A burnt vape means the coil is firing without enough e-liquid. Here are the common causes, from an unprimed coil to chain vaping, and how to fix each one.
A burnt taste means your coil is firing without enough e-liquid to turn to vapour, so it scorches the dry wick instead. It is usually a new coil that was not primed, an old coil, too much power, or vaping too fast. Here is how to fix each one.
What causes the burnt taste
Inside your coil is a wick soaked in e-liquid. When you fire the device, the coil heats the liquid in the wick and turns it to vapour. If the wick runs dry, the coil burns the cotton itself, and that is the harsh, acrid taste you get. Vapers call it a dry hit. Once a coil has been burnt badly the taste does not come back out of it, so the fix is often a new coil.
The common reasons, and how to fix them
The most common cause is a new coil that was not primed. A fresh coil needs its wick fully soaked before you use it. Put a few drops of e-liquid straight onto the wick, fill the tank or pod, then leave it to stand for five to ten minutes before the first puff.
Low e-liquid does the same thing. If the level drops below the holes on the side of the coil, the wick cannot draw liquid up. Keep the tank or pod topped up rather than running it to the bottom.
Vaping too fast is another. Taking puff after puff gives the wick no time to re-soak, so leave a few seconds between draws, especially on a small pod.
Too much power burns through liquid faster than the wick can replace it. Check the wattage range printed on the coil and stay inside it.
A worn-out coil eventually goes whatever you do. Most need replacing every one to two weeks, sooner if you vape a lot or use dark, sweet liquids that gunk up the wick.
Thick liquid in a small coil can also struggle. High-VG e-liquid wicks slowly, and in a small pod built for nic salts it cannot keep up. Match the liquid to the device.
When to just replace the coil
If you have primed it, topped up the liquid and slowed down, and the taste is still there, the coil has gone. Swap it for a new one. Pushing through a burnt coil only makes it worse.
No coil, no burnt hit
This is one thing oral nicotine sidesteps. A melt has no coil and no wick, so there is nothing to burn and no dry hit to chase. NYXE dissolves in the mouth and the nicotine is absorbed there, with no device in the loop.
FAQ
Why does my new vape taste burnt straight away?
The coil was probably not primed. Soak the wick with a few drops of e-liquid and let it stand for five to ten minutes before the first puff.
How do I stop dry hits?
Keep the liquid topped up, leave a few seconds between puffs, and stay within the coil's wattage range.
How often should I change my coil?
Most coils last one to two weeks. Sweet or dark liquids shorten that.
Can you fix a burnt coil?
Usually not. Once the wick is scorched the taste stays, so replace the coil.