Evaporator – Definition & Role in Vaping Devices

Definition

An evaporator is the core heating component inside every e-cigarette or vape device that turns e-liquid (also called e-juice) into the vapour you inhale. It houses the coil and wicking material, reaching temperatures between 180 °C and 315 °C to create the aerosol. Whether you use a slim eGo-style pen, a bulky Mod“>box mod, or a flavoured e-shisha hookah, the evaporator is the small metal chamber where the magic happens. Without it, the device would simply leak liquid instead of producing satisfying clouds.

Technical Details

Most evaporators are built on a “coil & wick” platform: resistancewire (Kanthal, stainless steel, nickel, or titanium) is wrapped into a spiral, inserted into a cotton or ceramic wick, and seated in a metal or polymer housing. Resistance ranges from 0.1 Ω (sub-ohm) to 2.5 Ω (mouth-to-lung). Wick ports must balance flow rate—too tight and you get dry hits, too loose and the tank floods. Pod systems use tiny nichrome mesh evaporators rated 8–16 W, while rebuildable dripping atomisers (RDAs) accept coils up to 6 mm inner-diameter for 150 W clouds. Temperature-control coils (Ni200, Ti, SS316) rely on predictable TCR curves to keep the evaporator below 230 °C, preventing formaldehyde formation.

Usage & Tips

• Priming: Always drip 3–4 drops of e-liquid directly onto the coil and wait 5 minutes after filling to avoid burnt cotton.
• Power curve: Start 10 W below the coil’s rating and increase gradually; pulsing the fire button helps bed in the wire.
• Cleaning: Rinse evaporators with warm distilled water every two tank refills to remove sucralose crust; rebuildable users can dry-burn at 15 W to glow orange, then brush lightly.
• Safety: Check resistance on a regulated mod before use; a sudden drop can signal a short that will overheat the evaporator and vent your battery.

History & Context

The first commercial evaporator appeared in 2003 when Hon Lik patented a piezo-electric ultrasound element. Within two years, vape pioneers replaced the fragile disc with a simple Kanthal wire wrapped around fiberglass wick—an architecture still used today. The 2010 “Genesis” stainless-steel mesh wick ushered in rebuildable culture, while 2014’s sub-ohm stock coils turned vaping into a mainstream cloud-chasing hobby across Australia.