How E-Cigarettes Work

26 April 2016

If Captain Picard ever went for a smoking break, he’d probably have pulled out something not dissimilar to your vape pen. So you’re forgiven for thinking your vaporiser is powered by space age technology that is totally beyond you...but you’d also be wrong.

The Holy Trinity

Vaporisers and e-cigarettes use the same three basic parts, and by these powers combined, vaping is born!

The Battery: Obviously your vape needs power, so your vape has a battery, hardly pushing the technology boundaries, right? You’re battery can be switched out for a powered-up version if you end up converting to the religion of the Cloud Chaser, where summoning mad amounts of vapour is key.

The Atomiser: A fancy name for the part of your vape that makes your e-juices warm up and produce vapour. This can also be upgraded to a more powerful model if that’s what you’re into.

The Cartridge/Tank: For e-cigarettes the cartridge is the part closest to your lips, it holds you e-liquids and is easily detached and thrown away. Tanks are found on vape pens have to be manually refilled, which might be a bit fiddly at first but also means you can enjoy a huge range of flavours!

And have a bonus part: the Mouthpiece, this is found on vape pens and, as you might have guessed, is the piece that goes in your mouth so you can puff up all that lovely vapour.

Out with a Bang

Maybe more important than knowing how your vape pen works is knowing how to keep it working. Cleaning is an important part of vape maintenance, especially if you use high VG blends of e-juice – yes, they do give lovely thick clouds, but they also run thick through your tank and can cause clogging and lots of gunk for you to clean out.

In an ideal world you’d clean your vape tank after every use, "What?!" You cry, "ain’t nobody got time for that!" Actually, you do! It really doesn’t take long to show your vape pen your appreciation for all it’s done for you and clean it out every day. You can flush your tank out with a simple ingredient you’re sure to own: vodka! It's as simple as 1, 2, 3!

  • Unscrewed all your parts, leaving you with the atomiser, tank and mouthpiece separated
  • Place the parts in a glass or bowl and fill with vodka until they're submerged and leave for 2-3 hours
  • Remove them from the vodka (feel free to dispose of that how you see fit) and leave them to air dry on a paper towel, then they’ll be squeaky clean and good to go!

Leaving vapes to clog up increases chances of them dying long before their time, and could also lead to them blowing up or catching fire like all those horror stories you’ve heard. Vapes are made to be safe to use, but if you mistreat any electronic item chances are you’ll regret it, so keep you vape clean and charged only with the manufacturer-supplied charger, and you’ll enjoy a long and happy relationship with your vaporiser!

See Our Trending E-Liquids!

Elf Bar 600 Strawberry Raspberry Cherry Ice Disposable Vape Pen (20mg)

Elf Bar 600 Strawberry Raspberry Cherry Ice Disposable Vape Pen (20mg)

£4.99
In stock now  In stock now
  • Disposable vape pen supplied in a delicious mixed berry flavour
  • Provides 600 puffs per bar, roughly the same as 20 cigarettes
  • Compact, portable and drag-activated for a great vape experience 
  • Mix and match 10 of any flavour to reduce price to £3.80 per device
EDGE Heizen E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

EDGE Heizen E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

£11.99
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  • Fruit and menthol flavoured e-liquid
  • Nicotine strengths: 6mg, 12mg and 18mg
  • VG: 50%, PG: 50%
  • Made in the UK
OK Vape Tobacco High Nicotine E-Cigarette Refills (18mg)

OK Vape Tobacco High Nicotine E-Cigarette Refills (18mg)

£6.99
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  • Tobacco-flavoured electronic cigarette refill
  • Suitable for the OK Vape Rechargeable E-Cigarette
  • High nicotine strength of 18mg
  • Each pack contains 5 refills, with bulk offers available
  • Available from £5.50 per pack!
  • FREE OK Vape Starter Kit Offer: Enter switch2ok at checkout
Lost Mary BM600 Triple Mango Disposable Vape (20mg)

Lost Mary BM600 Triple Mango Disposable Vape (20mg)

£4.95
In stock now  In stock now
  • Disposable vape device in a tangy triple mango flavour
  • Provides 600 puffs per vape, roughly the same as 20 cigarettes
  • Bright and colourful design in a conveniently compact case
  • Mix and match 10 of any flavour to reduce price to £3.80 per device
Lost Mary BM600 Watermelon Ice Disposable Vape (20mg)

Lost Mary BM600 Watermelon Ice Disposable Vape (20mg)

£4.95
In stock now  In stock now
  • Disposable vape device in an icy menthol watermelon flavour 
  • Provides 600 puffs per vape, roughly the same as 20 cigarettes
  • Bright and colourful design in a conveniently compact case
  • Mix and match 10 of any flavour to reduce price to £3.80 per device
Vuse Pro ePod Chilled Mint Refill Pods (12mg)

Vuse Pro ePod Chilled Mint Refill Pods (12mg)

£6.49
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  • Refill pods for use with Vuse Pro and Vuse ePod devices
  • Supplied in a simple, fresh and cooling chilled mint flavour
  • Features nicotine salts and a strength of 12mg
  • This double pack lasts up to a massive 1900 puffs
Elf Bar 600 Blueberry Disposable Vape Pen (20mg)

Elf Bar 600 Blueberry Disposable Vape Pen (20mg)

£4.99
In stock now  In stock now
  • Disposable vape pen supplied in a delicious blueberry flavour
  • Provides 600 puffs per bar, roughly the same as 20 cigarettes
  • Compact, portable and drag-activated for a great vape experience 
  • Mix and match 10 of any flavour to reduce price to £3.80 per device
10 Motives E-Cigarette Menthol Refill Cartridges Saver Pack (40 Packs)

10 Motives E-Cigarette Menthol Refill Cartridges Saver Pack (40 Packs)

£217.99
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  • Menthol refill cartridges for the 10 Motives Rechargeable E-Cigarette
  • Each refill is a nicotine equivalent of up to 25 cigarettes
  • Available in 11mg and 16mg nicotine strengths
  • Saver pack containing 40 packs (160 refills in total)
Vuse Pro ePod Golden Tobacco Refill Pods (12mg)

Vuse Pro ePod Golden Tobacco Refill Pods (12mg)

£6.49
In stock now  In stock now
  • Refill pods for use with Vuse Pro and Vuse ePod devices
  • Classic tobacco flavour with toasty caramel notes
  • Features nicotine salts and a strength of 12mg
  • This double pack lasts up to a massive 1900 puffs
EDGE GO E-Cigarette Device

EDGE GO E-Cigarette Device

£10.00
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  • E-cigarette device for use with EDGE GO pods
  • Sleek and slender device is discreet to use
  • Buttonless design for easy activation
  • Petite 10.5cm length perfect for on-the-go use
Lost Mary Tappo Peach Ice Vape Refill Pods (Pack of 2)

Lost Mary Tappo Peach Ice Vape Refill Pods (Pack of 2)

£5.99
In stock now  In stock now
  • Pack of 2 peach ice-flavoured refill pods
  • Designed for use with the Lost Mary Tappo Vapes
  • Compact and user-friendly design for ease of use
  • Latest QUAQ mesh coils enhance flavour with each puff
Blu 2.0 Golden Tobacco Liquidpods (18mg)

Blu 2.0 Golden Tobacco Liquidpods (18mg)

£6.99
In stock now  In stock now
  • Provides a consistent vapour in a rich golden tobacco flavour
  • Ceramic pod technology for a smooth vaping experience
  • Now provides roughly 25% more puffs per pod
  • Magnetic lock for fast and secure refills