What is Sub Ohm Vaping?

Whether you’re new to vaping or an old pro, you have probably heard of sub ohm vaping or sub ohming. To fully understand what the term is, it’s necessary to know the science behind it. Ohms are a unit used to measure electrical resistance. The atomiser coils within your vaping device have a certain amount of resistance to them (this information can usually be found on the packaging). Sub ohming is where the coils, that you are using to vape, use less than one ohm of resistance. Using less resistance means more power can be pumped through it. The increased power makes the atomising coils hotter, resulting in thicker vape clouds. This type of vaping has been available since 2014 with the release of the first sub ohm tank. Since then, the quality of these tanks has increased and users are now able to enjoy denser, thicker clouds with a more intense flavour. Before sub ohming, the only way to achieve these results was to build your own atomising coils.

The main difference that users will notice first about sub ohming is that due to the substantial increase of vapour created, you have to inhale on it differently than on a vape device with a higher resistance. Instead of inhaling into the mouth and then into the lung, as is traditionally done, sub ohming users are required to inhale directly into the lung.  

Advantages and Disadvantages of Sub Ohm Vaping

The three major advantages to sub ohming are as follows:

• Increased Vapour – With a sub ohm vape kit you’ll be blowing the biggest clouds out of all your vaping pals!

• Richer Flavour – The flavour from a sub ohm kit is described as being very smooth yet extremely intense. If you are looking for a richer more hard-hitting flavour, sub ohming may well be for you.

• Warmer Vape – Most vapers prefer a warmer temperature on their vape and the sub ohm guarantees this due to the increased power running through the device. New users, need not fear of burning their lips, the temperature has been described as, “pleasantly warm.”

The disadvantages to sub ohming are:

• Requires More E-liquid and Battery Power – Those big vapour clouds have to come from somewhere and they are coming straight out of your juice! This means more e-liquid is required which can get expensive in the long run. Sub ohm sets can potentially need to be refilled three times per day as opposed to an above ohm set that typically might only be required to be refilled once. With the increased power that sub ohming creates within the device, you’re going to get through more battery power also.

• Expense – Sub ohming equipment is a lot more expensive than above ohm counterparts. Due to the increased amount of power that the sub ohm can generate, the atomising coils tend to burn out faster and so replacements are required a lot more frequently

• Not Advised for Beginners – Vaping beginners could find the substantial increase in vapour and change in inhalation technique overwhelming and so it is not advised for people starting out. If you are looking for something that requires the traditional mouth to lung inhalation technique this may not be for you.

How to Keep your Battery Safe

With the increased power that sub ohm vaping creates, devices can get very hot. If proper battery safety isn’t practised it can result in explosions and severe injuries to the user. The vape devices themselves aren’t particularly dangerous. Most problems are due to user error and batteries and these will be explained now.

Most vaping devices use an 18650 which is a lithium ion battery, the reason for this is that they can store and output a lot of energy. So how do they explode? Here’s some more science! 18650 batteries have one electrode on either side, one is a positive charge, the other negative with a separator in the middle. When charging, lithium ions move from one electrode to the other, when outputting they move the opposite way. When you feel your vaping device getting warm, this is the ions moving quickly from one electrode to the other.  Electrolytes that are also present in the battery, make the ions move faster. The electrodes of the battery should never come into contact with one another. If this were to occur, energy is redirected to the electrolytes causing the battery to hard short which results in an explosion.

There are certain things that you can do to prevent this from happening and these are:

• Check the protective wrapping around your battery. This wrapping is to stop conductive materials getting to the metal sleeve of the battery. If this protective wrapping is damaged and conductive materials make contact this provides a connection between the positive and negative electrode resulting in an explosion. If you see that your batteries look damaged, many vape stores will re-wrap them for you.

• Batteries can explode by overcharging them, one of the main issues of the 18650 battery is that it’s unprotected, meaning there is no way for the battery to tell the charger that it’s fully charged. To prevent overcharging, external chargers are recommended to charge your 18650. These are equipped with extra safety features that include an automatic cut off when the battery is fully charged.

• It is extremely important that users are selecting the correct battery for their vaping device. Users should ensure that they purchase batteries from a reputable brand. People who sub ohm tend to buy batteries with the highest possible continuous amperage limits. This information can be checked on the battery. It is critical that you do not exceed the amperage limit of your battery as doing so will almost certainly cause it to short.

What is the best wattage for a 0.5 ohm coil? 

A 0.5 ohm coil will vape best at 15-50 watts.

How long do mesh coils last?

New coils usually last around one to two weeks but this can be extended if you properly break in the coils and maintain them to a good standard.