Why Does My Vape Taste Burnt? Top Reasons & Easy Fixes

Why Does My Vape Taste Burnt? Top Reasons & Easy Fixes

I can still remember the first time I experienced a burnt hit from a vape. I inhaled, expecting the usual burst of my favourite vape juice flavour, only to be greeted by something that tasted like burnt rubber.

Thankfully, with 16 years of vaping experience and reliable, high-quality devices, burnt hits are now a thing of the past for me. But if you’re newer to vaping, it’s something you might still experience.

The good news is that a burnt-tasting vape is almost always preventable—and fixable. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the most common causes, from running out of e-liquid to coil problems, and show you how to fix (and avoid) them so you can enjoy a smooth, flavorful vape every time.

Contents

Low e-liquid levels

Every vape device, whether it’s a disposable or a high-end refillable kit, has a heating element (coil) and a wick. The wick absorbs the e-liquid, and the heating element vapourises it when power is applied.

When your e-liquid levels run too low, the wick dries out, and instead of vapourising liquid, the coil burns the wick. This leads to that unmistakable burnt taste.

Solutions

  • For disposables or prefilled pods: Replace your device or pod as soon as the flavour starts to deteriorate.
  • For refillable pods or tanks: Always keep an eye on your e-liquid level. Ensure it stays above the coil, and refill as soon as it drops too low.

Filling a vape tank with e-liquid

E-liquid is unevenly dispersed

Even with enough e-liquid, you can still get a burnt hit if the coil isn’t fully saturated. This often happens when a device has been left on its side for too long. (That’s one reason our testing team looks to see if a device can stand upright!)
Solutions
  1. Store your device upright whenever possible to allow the e-liquid to evenly saturate the coil.
  2. If the device has been lying down, hold it upright for a few moments before vaping to let the liquid soak back into the wick.
  3. Give your device a gentle shake to redistribute the e-liquid.

A vape device and a coffee on a table.

Poor quality device

After years of research and development, the top vape brands have become very good at what they do. However, there are still many companies trying to jump on the bandwagon - and their efforts often result in poor devices. 
This caught me out a few months ago when I was in Spain. I’d left my device behind and was desperate for a vape. At a bar I saw a small selection of disposables. I’d never heard of the brand, but I bought one anyway - only to get a burnt inhale after a few vapes.
Solutions
Combined, my team spends literally hundreds of hours every year putting new devices through their paces. We also monitor feedback from thousands of customers.

While every brand can have its off-day, there are some brands that rarely have problems with burnt coils. For reusable, refillable pod systems, we find Vaporesso consistently produces the most reliable devices, closely followed by Oxva. 

Vaporesso Xros 4 Mini Black
Vaporesso

Xros 4 Mini

£15.89

For prefilled pods devices, stick with brands like IVG, Elfbar and Lost Mary. 

These aren’t the only good brands out there. For more advice, see our linked recommendations for different brands and devices on the sidebar of this post. 

Brown Oxva Xlim Pro 2 vape device laying on a table.

Problem with the heating element

The heating element, or coil, is a common culprit in burnt hits, especially in refillable devices. Over time, coils wear out, leading to poor performance and burnt flavours.
Solutions
  • Replace your coil or pod regularly. Coils/pods are consumable parts and typically last between a few days and a couple of weeks, depending on use.
  • Allow time for e-liquid to saturate the coil fully before vaping. Five minutes is usually enough, but for powerful devices, take a few priming puffs first. For a detailed guide, see our post on How to Prime a Coil.

A vape coil being inserted into a tank.Using the device too quickly after filling

If you have a refillable pod or tank and vape it immediately after filling it, you’re likely to get a burnt taste. This is because the e-liquid has enough time to saturate it into the coil. 

Solution

Allow e-liquid to soak into the pod or coil before using it for the first time. Allowing five minutes is more than enough for most devices unless you are using a powerful vape mod and tank. 

Alternatively, you can take two or three priming puffs before you activate the device. See How to Prime a Coil for a detailed explanation. 

Learn more: How to Stop a Vape Coil From Burning

E-liquid being dripped into a vape coil

Chain vaping

Chain vaping is frequently given as a reason for burnt coils. In fact, this cause is fairly rare, but it’s still possible - if you puff repeatedly, or inhale too hard, you can burn the coil out.
Solution
Most guides will tell you to stop chain vaping. But consider why you are chain vaping. Chances are, it’s because you are trying to get more nicotine. 

You see, nicotine users self-titrate, which means they adjust their usage to get the amount of nicotine they desire. When there’s more nicotine in their vape, they vape less. When there’s less nicotine available, they inhale more to get enough nicotine. 

Indeed, when one researcher got vapers to reduce their nicotine strength, she found they doubled the amount of vapour they inhaled 1.

I’ve found this too. I use the highest strength I can, whereas a colleague uses the lowest strength he can - but vapes three times as much as me.

So if you are repeatedly puffing on your vape until you burn your coil out, chances are your nicotine levels are too low. If you increase your strength, there’s a good chance you will vape a lot less - and get the same amount of nicotine overall. 

The exception to this is if you are trying to wean yourself off nicotine. If you are, move down one strength at a time, rather than trying to dramatically cut down, and monitor yourself closely to ensure you are not vaping more. (The easiest way to do this is to watch how much e-liquid you are getting through.)

A man holding a vape device and blowing a cloud of vapour.

E-liquid sweeteners

Very sweet e-liquid can sometimes cause problems with coils, as the sucralose can gunk up the coil. This is generally less of a problem with disposable vape devices and prefilled pods, as they are designed for the e-liquid they are using and the coils don’t need to last long anyway. However, it can be a problem with refillable devices. 
Solution
Switch to a less-sweet e-liquid, or use a sucralose-free e-liquid like Halo Max. 

Multiple e-liquid bottles on a red background.

Airflow is restricted or blocked

If your device’s airflow is blocked, you can put extra pressure on the coil. The same can happen if you have a device where you can control the airflow, and have it set to very restricted.
Solutions
If you can remove the top of your pod device, or the drip tip of your vape tank, you can: 
  1. Blow through it to clear any blockage.
  2. Clean with a cotton bud.  

You can also try removing the pod or tank, placing your mouth on the base of the tank and blowing through it. If you have variable airflow, adjust the setting to a more open position. 

Unfortunately, for disposable devices and fixed coil devices, the only option is to replace the disposable or pod. 

A multi-coloured vape tank laying on its side.

Conclusion

If that’s a lot to take in, remember that 90% of problems with coils are caused by either low e-liquid levels or inhaling too quickly after filling a refillable pod. Remember those two points, use a vape from a quality brand and you can’t go far wrong!

Related guides

Sources

Dawkins, L., Kimber, C., Doig, M. V., & Feyerabend, C. (2016). Self-titration by experienced e-cigarette users: Blood nicotine delivery and subjective effects. Psychopharmacology, 233(15-16), 2933–2941. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-016-4338-2Back to top

 

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