Soak Time – What is it in Vaping?

Definition

Soak time is the deliberate waiting period after filling a vapetank or pod before the first puff, allowing the e-liquid to fully saturate the coil’s cottonwick. This simple step prevents dry hits, burnt cotton, and extends coil life. Whether you’ve just installed a fresh coil in your Sub-Ohm tank or topped up a Kit“>Starter Kit pod, giving the wick 5–10 minutes to absorb juice ensures the heating element vaporises liquid instead of scorching fibre. Think of it as marinating before cooking: a short pause guarantees flavourful, safe vapour from the very first inhale.

Technical Details

Inside every coil head, a length of organic-cotton wick threads through the wire coil. Capillary action draws juice along these fibres; however, viscosity (PG/VG ratio), coil diameter and wick density all affect saturation speed. Manufacturers recommend 5–10 min soak time for standard 50/50 liquids, while 70 VG dessert flavours can require 15 min. High-wattage Sub-Ohm coils (>40 W) with large wicking ports benefit from a priming puff—gentle suction without firing—to pull liquid into the chamber. Temperature-control and mesh strips saturate faster than traditional round wire because of greater surface area. Chain-vapers using Squonk Mods should still wait 2–3 min after each squeeze to avoid semi-dry hits.

Usage & Tips

Always start at the lowest Wattage Range”>wattage range printed on the coil, then increase gradually after soak time. If you experience a metallic or cotton taste, stop and let the device stand another 5 min; continuing can carbonise the wick and ruin the coil. Travelling by air? Cabin pressure forces juice into the coil—open the Port“>fill port briefly on landing to equalise, then add 2–3 min extra soak time before vaping. Winter thickeners: high-VG liquids get sluggish below 15 °C; warm the pod in a pocket or roll it between palms to reduce viscosity before priming. Finally, never fire a mod that shows “Check Atomiser” or Resistance“>low resistance; these faults override Short Circuit Protection and can instantly burn an under-soaked wick.

History & Context

Early cig-a-likes (2008–2010) used silica wicks that tolerated dry hits, so soak time was rarely mentioned. The switch to flavour-neutral cotton in 2012’s clearomisers made saturation critical; vape forums coined “prime time” and later “soak time.” Today’s high-performance tanks, nic-salt pods and rebuildable devices all echo the same instruction manual line: wait five minutes—proof that even as technology races toward 200 W chipsets, the humble pause remains non-negotiable.