Why Does My Vape Taste Burnt? 6 Leading Causes & Fixes

Vaping is one of the most popular alternatives to smoking cigarettes, offering a cleaner and smoother experience with vapor.

One of the best things about vaping is the delicious range of e-liquid flavours, whether you prefer menthol-flavoured or fruity e-liquids.

However, sometimes users encounter an unpleasant burnt taste or dry hit while vaping.

This can ruin the entire vaping experience and leave users feeling frustrated with their puffs.

What is causing it and how do you stop it from happening?

If your vapes have started to taste burnt, don't worry. There's probably an easy explanation and solution available, so let's get into it!

How do vapes Work?

Vapes, or e-cigs, include a mouthpiece, a battery, a cartridge that holds a liquid or dry material, and a heating element - atomizer.

The e-liquid typically consists of a mixture of propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, flavorings, and nicotine (though some may be nicotine-free).

Every atomizer has coils that typically made of a resistance wire (such as kanthal, stainless steel, or nichrome) wrapped around a wick. It also has some sort of wicking material, usually cotton, that soaks up the liquid.

When you take a draw from the mouthpiece or presss the button, the battery is activated to provide power to the coil that is wrapped around a cotton wick.

The coil can heat up the e-liquid that is saturated by the wick to generate vapor.

Why Does My Vape Taste Burnt? 6 Possible Causes & Fixes

The burnt taste is because the cotton or wick material is burnt. Once the wick material is burnt the flavor never gets better.

Here are six of the most common problems that can lead to an unwanted burnt taste, and how to fix each one:

1. Chain Vaping

Vaping too hard and frequently on a vape can lead to the coil tasting burnt.

During chain vaping, you don’t leave enough time for more of the e-liquid to soak back into the wick to replace what you’ve already vaped.

Repeated chain vaping can dry the wick, leading to a dry hit and burnt taste to your vape.

Solution:

To avoid this, try taking slower and gentler puffs, and give your vape a break between hits to let the coil cool down.

If you start noticing a slightly burnt taste when you inhale, Try leaving the vape for a few minutes for the e-liquid to saturate the coil and then vape again.

If it still tastes burnt, you will need to purchase another one.

2. Vape juice nearly finished

When the tank is nearly empty, the wick will have inadequate e-juice to absorb, which will cause a dry hit and leave a burnt taste in your mouth.

Dry hits are not only unpleasant but can also damage your coil and wick, leading to a shorter lifespan for these components.

The signs you can notice are that the vape will have less vapor production and begin to lose its flavour.

Solution:

Always keep enough e-liquid in your tank to vape.

Before you take a puff, check the amount of e Liquid in your device if possible.

For disposable vape, This generally means that it’s time to say goodbye and replace it with a new one.

3. High Viscosity E-juice

Not all e Liquids are created equal. VG has a higher viscosity than PG and therefore atomizes at a different rate.

Different vape tanks work best with specific thicknesses of e-liquids. Thin liquids require low wattage, while thicker juices require higher wattage to produce larger clouds.

The smaller your vaping device is, the smaller your atomizer coil’s wick openings are.

Vaping high VG e-liquids with a tank that’s not compatible can lead to your vape struggling to draw that thicker liquid up through the wick channels. This will cause your wick to dry out and burn when you take a hit.

Solution:

Choose the correct e-liquid for your device.

Check what type of vape you have, and what VG-PG ratio is best suited for your vape.

For example, sub-ohm tanks are suited towards thinner e-liquids with a 50-50 ratio of VG and PG, whereas other tanks work best with 70-30 ratio of VG and PG.

4. Failing to prime your coils

The new coil needs to be primed with e-liquid and fully saturated before vaping to ensure it doesn't burn when heated.

An unprimed coil can lead to a burnt taste when you take a hit from your vape. As the power will burn the cotton wick in the coil, rather than vaping the e-liquid.

Solution:

After adding your vape juice, wait a few minutes before vaping to make sure your coils or wicks are soaked.

If you use a tank with replaceable coils, you can prime your coil before screwing it into your vape.

These effortless and straightforward tricks should keep that burnt taste at bay!

5. Vaping at High Wattages

Every coil is designed to be used within a certain wattage and temperature range. This ensures that you get the best vaping experience.

If you do end up exceeding the recommended wattage of your coils, the vape juice in the wicking will vaporise faster than it can re-saturate, resulting in a bouquet of burnt cotton!

Solution:

Always check your wattage before you vape, and ensure it’s within the recommended range for your vape coils.

6. Using an old or damaged Coil

Coils are not made to last forever. They are built to withstand a certain amount of heat and surpassing that will degrade the coil quickly.

An old or bad coil become less effective at heating e-liquid, leading to dry hits and burnt tasting vapor.

Solution:

Regularly replacing the coils in your tank will help ensure optimal flavor and prevent burnt tastes.

Signs that a coil needs replacing include a noticeable decrease in flavor, reduced vapor production, or a persistently unpleasant taste.

Is it safe to vape a burnt vape?

It's generally not advisable to hit a burnt vape because it can cause negative effects. When the vape tastes burned, it usually means that the coil or wick inside isn't vaporizing the e-liquid as efficiently.

Unpleasant Taste: The flavor left by vaping a burnt vape can be harsh and disagreeable. It can be disagreeable and possibly uncomfortable to breathe in this burned flavor.

Possible Hazardous Compounds: When a burned vape is used repeatedly, it may release some potentially hazardous chemicals.

If the e-liquid is overheated, its constituent parts may disintegrate and produce undesirable byproducts.

Prolonged exposure to these substances may irritate the throat and lungs and potentially cause more severe health problems.

Why does my vape taste burnt even with a new coil?

Your new coil should be fully saturated with e-liquid for 10 to 15 minutes before heating.

If you do not prime the coil adequately, it can lead to a burnt taste.

Before your first hit don’t turn it on but blow into the mouthpiece a couple of times and then turn it on and blow a couple times again.

Then start with a small hit until it all is saturated. If the coil still tastes burned then you got a bad product.

How to Change a Burnt Vape Coil?

All Vape devices vary a little so it's a best to check the instructions included with your tank or device.

However, here is a quick guide to how to change the coil based on which type of fitting your coil has.

If your kit/tank features push fit coils:

Many Vape kits and tanks now feature push-fit coils that are changed from the bottom of the tank or pod.

These are often preferable because it means you don't have to touch the messy, liquid soaked part of the coil.

Remove the tank from the battery or mod, then unscrew the bottom part of the tank (if applicable).

Grip the bottom section of the coil and pull it out from the base. You can then dispose of this coil and insert a fresh one.

If your kit/tank features screw-in coils:

Most devices with screw in coils require you to remove the top section of the tank, remove the tank glass then grip the coil and unscrew it from the base.

You may want to use some tissue to avoid getting e liquid on your fingers. You can then screw in a fresh coil and replace the tank glass and top section.

Conclusion

Discovering that your vape tastes burnt unexpectedly is a common scenario in the vaping community.

We’re confident that we’ve covered all the reasons that are likely to be causing you that trouble.

Fortunately, they’re often easy to fix. By taking these fixes and precautions above, you can enjoy a consistently flavourful vaping experience.

Additionally, investing in high-quality vape juice and atomizers will pay off in the long run as it will provide a better flavor profile and reduce the chances of experiencing a dry hit.