Dry Coil – What is it in Vaping?

Definition

A dry coil is an atomiser coil that has insufficient e-liquid saturating its cotton or wicking material, leading to overheating and the dreaded Hit“>dry hit. In vaping devices—whether a disposable vape, pod kit, or advanced mod—the coil must stay wet to vaporise juice efficiently. When liquid runs low, wicking is too slow, or chain-vaping outpaces saturation, the cotton dries out, flavour drops, and temperatures spike. Recognising and preventing a dry coil protects both taste buds and hardware.

Technical Details

Most coils use a resistancewire (Kanthal, Ni80, or stainless steel) wrapped around organic cotton. For DTLsub-ohm tanks, wicking ports are 2–4 mm wide to feed high-VG liquid fast; MTL coils have narrower 1–1.5 mm ports for 50/50 juice. Recommended wattage ranges (e.g., 0.2 Ω 40–60 W) assume saturated cotton; power above the upper limit without adequate flow will dry the coil in seconds. Chain vaping, high-sweetener liquids, or cold weather thickening VG can all starve the wick. Temperature-control mods attempt to solve this by limiting wire temperature, but standard variable-wattage devices rely on user awareness.

Usage & Tips

• Prime first:Drip 3–5 drops directly onto cotton, assemble tank, fill, and wait 5–10 min before first puff.
• Break-in: Start 10 W below minimum rating, take short pulls, and gradually increase power.
• Stay topped up: Keep tank at least ¼ full; tilt device to wet wick ports if juice is low.
• Slow your roll: Space draws 15–30 s apart in high-wattage DTL setups.
• Fix a dry hit: Stop firing, open airflow, take a gentle pull without power to draw liquid in; if taste persists, replace coil.

History & Context

Early 2010 clearomisers used tiny silica wicks prone to dry hits. The switch to cotton and larger juice ports, followed by mesh coils in 2018, dramatically reduced dry-coil issues and helped vaping go mainstream in Australia.