How to Vape Safely
There’s a huge misconception that vaping is dangerous and that it’s just as unsafe as smoking. This is an unfortunate mistaken belief that we often encounter, and have decided to lay out exactly how you, and your loved ones, can stay safe while you vape away to your heart’s content. There are several steps and precautions you can take to stay safe while you vape, and many of them may be well-known to you already. If not, that’s okay! There’s no shame in not knowing, all that matters is that you care about safety and the safety of the people around you. So, let’s break it down…
Self-Care
Before you even start considering vaping, it’s always a good idea to think about yourself first. Nicotine can cause dry mouth, and dizziness if used excessively. The practice of vaping requires you to draw in large amounts of vapour which can result in a lack of oxygen to your brain if done to excess. As a result, it’s always a great idea to make sure you’re hydrated and feeling comfortable. You should never use a vape when you don’t feel relaxed or feel like you can’t draw a proper breath. A way to measure this is to take a long deep breath that lasts around eight seconds. If you find that part of your chest hurts, or you start to cough excessively, it’s a great idea to leave it for a while until you feel comfortable breathing happily.
Hygiene & discipline
It’s always useful to consider where and how you vape around people. Most new vapers are unsure of where exactly they can vape. The best way to get some answers to this question is simply by asking custodial staff. You’ll find that most public indoor areas do not allow vaping. This is largely a safeguard precaution that helps keep non-vaping people at ease. Similarly, most supervisory staff feel that ‘if one person vapes, everyone will’ and they imagine the area will quickly be flooded with excessive vapour, which can irritate non-vapers and animals.
Another frequent query we hear about concerns vaping abroad, and travelling with your vape. This is often a variable issue that changes from country to country.
On top of travel awareness, it’s also essential to stay on top of your device’s hygiene. Because your device has moving parts, and you carry it around in your hands/ pockets all day, it’s sure to build up grime over time. Keeping your device clean is not only beneficial to you, your hygiene, and the longevity of your device(s), but helps those around you. By regularly making sure everything is always clean, you’ll not be deliberately spreading harmful bacteria around. It can be difficult to clean your device; every piece is different and the last thing you want to risk is accidentally damaging your device.
Put your mind at ease though! We have a whole post on how easy it is to clean your device post here!
Battery & Coil Care
One of the most important steps in vaping is battery care. Your vape device is not dissimilar to another piece of modern technology you have around the house, and like your other gadgets, it’s almost always the battery that has the most potential for volatility. Your battery has the most potential for things to go wrong, so naturally, you should take care of them accordingly.
- Turn the device off when not in use to prevent the device from accidentally firing.
- Don’t mix your battery brands as these may have different discharge power.
- Use chargers that match the device brand as these will provide the power the device needs to be charged safely.
- Don’t charge your battery overnight as the device could malfunction.
- Store batteries in a case and keep them in a cool, dry place.
- Regularly clean batteries with a cotton bud to remove any dust or fluff.
- Replace batteries every one to two years.
It’s also a great idea to take care of your coils. Coils can burn out for numerous reasons, but by following some simple steps you’ll always stay one step ahead. Make sure your coils are primed before use; when you change a coil and fill the tank with e-liquid, leave it for 10 minutes before use to allow the liquid to soak into the wicking material. Check your settings and make sure your device is functioning accordingly. The higher the wattage your e-cigarette is set at, the more vapour you create and the more juice you use. Constantly vaping at a high wattage can cause your coil to struggle so make sure it’s set appropriately. Use the right e-liquid: the thicker the liquid, the slower it takes to draw the juice through your coils which can result in dry puffs and burnt wicks! It is advised to use a liquid which has more PG than VG, as this is thinner, however, this is simply down to preference and to what your e-cigarette recommends. The thinner the liquid, the easier it is for your wicks to be quickly re-primed after a vape. Higher VG liquids can take longer to wick your coils due to the thickness of the liquid causing problems for your e-cigarette. Finally, don’t run your coils dry, make sure you're always staying on top of your device and never let the coils go without a little liquid!
Storage & Use
Storage is also a huge factor that can influence your vaping experience and the safety of your devices/ paraphernalia. Thankfully, this is always a relatively simple step that usually just needs a bit of common sense.
Your device(s) are likely constructed of various materials that react to certain elements of the surrounding environment differently. As a result, it’s best to keep your device shielded at all costs. Never keep/leave your device in direct sunlight, this may cause elements of the device to heat up or even melt. This can have catastrophic effects on your device and will likely require expensive items to be replaced if things do go wrong.
Moreover, we recommend that you never use a device if you suspect for some reason, it has become excessively hot. This has the most potential for things to go wrong and could result in real safety problems. We urge you to let your device cool down completely before you attempt to use it again. If you find that the device does not work properly, we advise you to dismantle it, find which items no longer function and replace them with new ones.
Never leave your device/ vape stuff in areas of extreme temperature. Dangerous heat can have the same effect as direct sunlight, and intense cold can interfere with the internals of your devices. These changes are not strictly guaranteed to obstruct your device’s internal circuitry, but the rapid environment shift can cause you serious issues. We advise that you steer away from these opportunities and if you must stick around these environments, insulate your device so it has the best chance of survival.
Storing e-liquid is not as cut and dry as storing other vape paraphernalia. Because they are volatile solutions that can chemically change over time, it’s recommended that you always store them accordingly.
A comprehensive post about how to store and keep your e-liquids safe can be found here.
On top of this, we unequivocally recommend that you do not vape anything that is not a legitimate vape liquid.
Replace and don’t repair
It’s always great to find a way to save some money when you find yourself strapped for cash. Unfortunately, we recommend that you do not try to repair most of the internals of your vape device on your own. While vape devices are small, and seem straightforward, these devices are highly technical and are designed not to be tinkered with. So, we advise that when things do go wrong, you simply buy a replacement component/device. This can be difficult to cope with, but by using reliable goods, you’ll be far happier and less anxious about anything ever going wrong with your device. Always try to stick to the same brand that your device uses, and never change it with paraphernalia that you suspect won’t properly align with your kit.
