beginner, burnt taste, coils, how-to, vape maintenance

How to prime a vape coil — and why it matters

Replacement mesh vape coil

What is a vape coil?

Close-up of a replacement mesh vape coil

A coil is the heating element inside your tank or pod. It consists of a coil of resistance wire wrapped around a cotton wick. When you fire your device, electricity heats the wire, which in turn vaporises the e-liquid soaked into the cotton. If the cotton is dry when you fire — even briefly — it scorches. That burnt taste doesn't go away.

What does priming do?

Vaporesso XROS COREX mesh pod being filled with e-liquid before priming

Priming means manually saturating the cotton wick with e-liquid before your first use. It eliminates the risk of a dry hit on your first few puffs, delivers better flavour immediately, and significantly extends the coil's lifespan.

How to prime a replacement coil (for tanks like SMOK RPM 5 or Vaporesso GTX)

  1. Remove your new coil from its packaging.
  2. Locate the juice holes — the small openings on the side of the coil where the cotton is visible.
  3. Add 2–3 drops of e-liquid directly onto each juice hole, saturating the cotton. Don't flood it — you want it wet, not dripping.
  4. If your coil has a central airhole at the top, add one drop there too.
  5. Install the coil into your tank and fill with e-liquid.
  6. Leave the filled tank to stand for 5–10 minutes.
  7. Begin vaping at the lowest wattage recommended for your coil (printed on the side), then work up gradually over the first few puffs.

How to prime a pod coil (for devices like OXVA Xlim, Vaporesso XROS)

Vaporesso XROS pod ready to be inserted after priming
  1. Fill the pod with e-liquid as normal.
  2. Leave the filled pod to sit for 5–10 minutes before inserting it into the device.
  3. Take 2–3 very gentle, slow puffs without activating the device to help draw liquid into the wick.
  4. Begin vaping slowly — avoid chain vaping for your first few puffs.

How long do coils last?

With proper priming and good habits, most coils last 1–3 weeks. Coil lifespan is affected by e-liquid sweetener content (sweeter liquids burn out coils faster), how frequently you vape, and wattage (always stay within the recommended range).

Signs your coil needs replacing

Worn replacement vape coil ready to be swapped out
  • Burnt or muted flavour
  • Gurgling or leaking from the coil area
  • Reduced vapour output
  • Discoloured cotton visible through pod windows

We stock replacement coils for all major brands — Vaporesso, OXVA, SMOK, Aspire, Innokin, and more — at all I Love Vapour stores and on ilovevapour.com. Not sure which coil fits your device? Ask in-store and we'll find the right one for you.