What Is Dry Burning?

In the vaping world, it takes time to understand all the jargon, including “dry burning” fully. Dry burning describes a process that can occur accidentally or deliberately with any vape, so it’s crucial that every vaper, whether they want to do this method or not, knows what dry burning is, how it occurs, and the risks involved. 

Drying burning refers to heating your coils to "clean” them, giving them a new lease of life. However, you mustn’t undergo this process with pre-built coils, and it’s important to understand the risks.

What’s the Purpose of Dry Burning a Coil? 

Dry burning is heating your atomiser (the coils) without any e-juice or wick. You can dry burn your coils accidentally or deliberately. When done intentionally, this is to try and heat your coil until it burns away any unwanted residue collected over time. 

Some people will do this to save money by not buying new coils. However, it’s not an easy process, and you should only consider dry burning with rebuildable atomisers, never with pre-built atomisers. So ensure you know which one you’ve got before you begin. 

In getting rid of the unwanted residue, the burning process aims to extend your coil’s life so you don’t keep building new ones, which might be tempting for those who vape frequently, as it’ll save you some extra cash long-term. 

Designers have deliberately constructed pre-built atomisers differently, so you must never try dry burning them. Part of the thought behind the pre-built coils is their easy-to-use, disposable nature. 

If you haven’t tried dry burning your disposable vape, but you’re asking yourself, “Why does my disposable vape taste burnt?” then it’s essential to check how to know when your disposable is empty as you could be dry burning accidentally. 

Dry burning might give you an extra few days of use; however, the coil will often worsen over time anyway and require a replacement. So, if your coil has severe residue, avoiding dry burning and purchasing a new vape or atomiser might be wiser.

Is Dry Burning Dangerous?

Whenever you decide to alter the manufacturing of a product, it comes with risks, and dry burning is no different. If you choose to try dry burning, you must know the risks before you do. 

Should you dry burn, the coating of the coils can peel off, and when vaping, you can inhale those peelings into your lungs. Vaping already damages your lung health, but adding this risk increases your chances of inhaling harmful microscopic particles. 

While it’s still too early to know the effects of vaping long-term, it’s logical to assume that inhaling these particles could cause health issues. For example, the inhalation of these particles could cause allergies. In addition, nickel via inhalation, not ingestion, has been linked to cancer. 

It’s possible that you accelerate a normal corrosion process through dry burning, meaning that the coil’s surface will deteriorate quickly. Thus, saving some money in the short term may not be the reality for everyone. 

To eliminate these risks, get rid of your coil and replace it with a new one or buy a new vape rather than attempting to dry burn your device. Remember that you don’t have to dry burn intentionally; you might find yourself dry burning without realising if your e-liquid has run out, so keep an eye on how much you have left.

It’s also wise not to reuse any old coils you’ve saved, as corrosion is likely to have already occurred, and the surface will naturally be more fragile than a new coil. If you’ve got a disposable vape, consider examining tips for using a disposable vape to help you make the most of your vape and replace it when it’s done rather than dry burning.

How To Dry Burn Vape Coils?

If you decide to try to dry burn your coils, and you know that you’re not using pre-built atomisers, then first make sure to create a clean working space. Dry burning comes with risk, and you must do this process in a well-ventilated area away from combustible materials. Protect your mouth from inhaling particulate matter and your hands from getting burnt. 

Once you’ve prepared, you’ll need to remove the wick. Unless you have an SS mesh, you can take the wick out of the vape and dispose of it. If you try to complete this process with cotton or rayon wicks still in place, it’ll likely burn and damage your device. 

Before you add any heat, please check for any residue from the wick and remove it where possible. If you don’t, the residue could burn to the coil and become a challenge to remove, resulting in the opposite of your desired effect. 

If you’ve burnt in a new coil before, repeat the same steps: press the button to apply the heat and keep it pressed until the vapour stops emitting from the coil or the coil glows red. Protect your skin, eyes, and face during this process, as bits of residue could spit off and cause harm.

Once you’ve finished, it’s essential to check the coil for gunk or fluff thoroughly; otherwise, the process isn’t worthwhile. You're ready to move on if you can’t see any. However, if you want to be as sure as can be, you can rinse the coil and leave it to air dry. 

When you’re happy, you can ensure no residue by pressing the power button that fires up the coil. Check that there are no concerning features like flames, smoke, or vapour before you start vaping from the device again. Then it’s a case of re-wicking, and that’s the process complete.

Final Thoughts

While dry burning might seem like the more cost-effective solution, it isn’t without risks, and it can be a bit of an intricate task to do well and safely. In addition, it is never recommended to do with pre-built atomisers.

Avoid the risks by purchasing a new vape device. At WAKA, we’ve got you covered with a huge selection of vapes. Check out what we have to offer today!