What is A Vape Tank?
In the simplest terms, a vape tank is the part of your device that holds the e-liquid.
A more in-depth explanation will tell you that the tank will contain the coil, wick and will usually sit on top of the battery/mod component of your kit.
Typically, tanks are usually a cylinder shape with clear glass bodies so that you can keep an eye on your e-juice levels throughout the day and know exactly when you need to top up with your favourite flavour. However, some tanks will be built into the device internally, this is often the case in disposable kits in which case you don’t even need to worry about refilling.
There are many different designs of tanks, but the core function is always the same.
Components of a Tank:
Although there are many variations in tank designs and shapes, the function and design principles are typically the same across most modern tanks.
- The tank section, usually made from clear plastic or glass, is where the e-liquid is stored.
- The chimney attaches to the coil and provides an airway through the tank.
- The drip tip is the part you put in your mouth, this is quite often replaceable so that you can customise the shape and size to suit your mouth.
- The bottom section is where the coil attaches to and makes a connection with the battery. Some bottom sections have adjustable airflows to personalise your vapour and flavour production.
- The coil is the part of your kit that heats up to produce the vapour, coils are quite often replaceable and different designs provide different experiences.
Types of Tanks
As with many aspects of e-cigarette devices, there are multiple types of tanks that can offer you different experiences. Two of the main types of tanks are mouth-to-lung (MTL) and direct-to-lung (DTL) which will each provide a different vaping experience.
Mouth-to-Lung Tanks
Mouth-to-Lung tanks tend to have a coil with a higher resistance because they work well with mouth to lung vaping. This is where you inhale the vapour the same way you would from a cigarette: taking the vapour into your mouth with one inhale, then inhaling it again to take it into your lungs.
Most modern MTL tanks have a ‘bottom coil’ which means that the coil sits at the bottom of the tank's chimney and screws onto the base of the tank. This makes it much easier to incorporate a top-fill function in which you either unscrew the whole top or partially open the top to access a fill hole.
Mouth-to-Lung tanks often have airflow adjustment features which gives you control over how much air comes up through the coil and also changes how much vapour is produced. This is usually a twist or slide function at the bottom of the tank which you can partially cover or alter the size of the hole to control the airflow. MTL vaping is generally more comfortable with a restricted airflow.
Most modern MTL tanks can typically be used with most types of e-cigarettes. The standard connection for a tank is called “510”. It’s always a good idea to check that your tank is actually compatible with the rest of your device to avoid disappointment when it arrives at your door.
Direct to Lung Tanks
The vast majority of tanks on today’s market are sub-ohm tanks. They are essentially the same design as an MTL tank, however, the coil which these DTL tanks feature are usually sub-ohm, which means they have a resistance of below 1Ohm.
Technically, any tank that takes a coil with a resistance of less than 1Ohm is classed as a DTL, sub-ohm tank. Lower resistance coils heat up quicker and allows more current to run through them. More liquid is also vaporised per second and this, in turn, creates more vapour, distinct flavour and more heat.
How Do You Fill a Vape Tank?
Filling a tank can be super-easy and quick, the more practice you have the easier it will get.
One very important thing to avoid is pouring e-liquid down the centre tube. All modern tanks have some sort of chimney or air tube running down the middle of the tank. Getting liquid down the central tube can cause performance issues by flooding the coils with too much liquid.
Taking care when filling is very important. It may be helpful to use an e-liquid bottle with a fine tip to give you more precision when filling to avoid spills. The best way to fill is to tilt your tank ever so slightly and pour the e-liquid down the inside of the tank itself to ensure the liquid is nowhere near the central chimney.
Check your tank for markings to make sure that you don’t fill your tank beyond the recommended capacity, doing so could result in spillages or overfill which, again, could damage other components of your device.
Sometimes, using a new tank immediately after filling can result in a burnt taste. To avoid this, let your tank sit with the e-liquid inside for 5 to 10 minutes before inhaling.
How Do You Clean a Vape Tank?
Tanks have a finite lifespan, as with most things, be we can prolong a tanks life by maintaining it properly and cleaning it.
Basic cleaning is a quick and simple job. A simple rinse with water is generally enough to keep build-up to a minimum. Take apart all the components of your tank and run under warm tap water to remove any build-up.
The amount of disassembly required will vary across tanks. More complex tanks with more components will require more attention to taking it apart, basic tanks might be a quicker and much simpler job. Some tanks won’t allow you to remove the top cap in which case you will have to rinse the entire tank as a single component.
Wicks on the head can also be rinsed but bear in mind these won’t work when they are wet so make sure you leave it out to dry for 24 hours before placing it back in your device.
There is controversy in the vaping world as to whether cleaning tanks and coils is necessary. Some vapers will claim that this damages the components further and it's best to just leave them to run their course without interfering. Whatever your preference, it's best to experiment and find a solution that suits your individual needs.
