Modified on: 06/12/2022
Is the burnt atomizer harmful? Here is the answer
Feeling a burnt taste while vaping is an experience that is not rare, so much so that many people wonder if the burnt atomizer hurts or if the consequences are irrelevant to human health. In this case, the vaping liquids are relatively minor; it is the resistance inside the atomizer that is exhausted and it must be replaced.
But if when you have this problem you cannot change it, what can happen? Is it dangerous? And above all: what to do if the resistance burns out immediately?
During the in-depth study, we will resolve these and other doubts, in order to give you comprehensive answers to your questions about the burnt atomizer.
But, first of all …
How to recognize a burnt resistance in the electronic cigarette?
It’s actually simpler than it looks. If the resistance of an atomizer is burnt, you start to smell it with the typical acrid taste of combustion. Furthermore, the performance of the device is very poor compared to when the resistance is new, and the vape liquids with nicotine inside the tank can become darker.
Then, if you look inside, the cotton should be practically black and the resistance seems almost charred. The distinctive signs are really unequivocal, but the main indicator is the bad taste and the low quantities of aerosols emitted by the e-cigarette.
But what if you have vaped with a burnt atomizer or if you cannot change the resistance but feel the need to use the electronic cigarette?
Read also: Is your e-cigarette leaking liquid? These are the 5 most common causes
The (negative) consequences of an atomizer with burnt resistance
Of course, it’s no good to use the electronic cigarette with an exhausted resistance, which perhaps has clearly visible signs of combustion. First of all, because the vaping experience is significantly compromised by both the bad taste and the vapor, which is much less compared to a good resistance.
Secondly, because e-cigarette liquid with and without nicotine, when subjected to high temperatures (because of the device overheating due to the exhausted resistance), tend to produce formaldehyde. This substance, also present in analog cigarettes, is toxic to our body.
If it is a sporadic event, and if you usually just change the resistance when you savor a burnt taste, then no problem. But never force the e-cigarette when the resistance can’t take it anymore, precisely because it could be dangerous for your health.
Are you wondering why the resistance of the electronic cigarette burns out immediately, maybe after 1 day, and how to solve this problem? Let’s see below the main ways to avoid this annoying inconvenience.
1) Initialize the resistances before vaping, so as not to burn them immediately
If a new coil has a burnt taste (or in any case it burns out in a very short time), maybe you haven’t initialized it before using the electronic cigarette.
But, how to initialize the coil?
It is very simple: when you mount a new resistance, you have to pour a few drops of e cig liquid on the cotton in order to impregnate it manually.
In fact, in order not to burn the coil, you must make sure that the cotton is soaked in e-cigarette liquids before using the e-cigarette. Absorption can be quite slow, especially if you use e liquid with a high concentration of vegetable glycerin (very dense, therefore it is absorbed by the cotton in a long time).
This process can take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes and sometimes – when the cotton doesn’t work well – it may fail. Of course, from outside it is very difficult to establish whether the liquid has been absorbed or not, so the initialization of the resistance is almost essential to avoid the burnt taste.
Read also: American e-cigarette liquids: That’s why everyone talks about it.
2) Try to reduce the power of your electronic cigarette
If you tend to use high wattages, your e-cigarette consumes more liquid and the resistance runs out much faster than normal. Also with these settings you definitely tend to vape very quickly, and the cotton can struggle to keep pace. The most common consequence in this situation is a burnt coil.
Therefore, we advise you to lower the power of your e-cigarette, so that the cotton has more time to absorb the liquid and that there are no consequences of this kind, potentially harmful to your health.
3) Always keep a small bottle of liquid with you, so you can refill the e-cigarette tank at any time
When the liquid in the tank of the e-cigarette is at a very low level, the resistance cotton may have a hard time absorbing it. The consequence would be the premature burn of the coil and everything related to it.
This is why we recommend that you always carry bottles of vape base liquids with you. In this way, you can fill the e-cigarette tank even when you are away from home.
In conclusion
Vaping with a burnt atomizer (or better, with the burnt resistance) could be dangerous. Therefore, we advise you to change the resistance as soon as you feel the classic acrid taste of combustion and to avoid feeling it with the 3 precautions we have listed for you.
Also always remember to use excellent e liquid flavours for electronic cigarettes, which leave little encrustations on the resistance and make it last longer: buy them now on Terpy!
