If you want to chase clouds but lack the knowledge or equipment to build coils like the ones you see on Instagram, pre-wrapped vape coils are just what you need. Fancy coils such as Alien coils, Fused Clapton coils and more promise to take your vaping game to new heights, and the coils are pre-wrapped and ready to drop in to your RDA. All that you need is a pair of wire clippers – well, almost. Pre-wrapped vaping coils are incredibly easy to use. In terms of flavor and vapor volume, there’s simply no comparison between a set of Alien coils and the simple kanthal dual-coil builds that you’re probably making now. Pre-wrapped coils are cheap, and they can also cut a huge amount of work out of your standard coil building routine. Let’s learn how to use them.
What Are Pre-Wrapped Vaping Coils?
Long ago, cloud chasers figured out that the best way to get better vapor production is by increasing the surface area of the coil. Simply using a thicker wire gauge is one way of doing that, but thicker wire can only go so far in increasing surface area. It’s even better if you can build a coil with a cross section that’s full of ridges, nooks and crannies. People began to experiment with twisting and braiding their wires. They tried wrapping wires like guitar strings. Some of those experiments proved extremely successful. People shared their coil designs on YouTube and Instagram, giving rise to coil names like Clapton, Alien and Juggernaut.
As well as those advanced vaping coils may work, they’re not easy to build. You need a low-speed electric drill, a steady hand and plenty of patience. For some people, building advanced coils just isn’t feasible. That’s why pre-wrapped vaping coils exist. People have formed brands around building those advanced vaping wires and twisting them into perfect coils that people can simply buy, install and enjoy.
How to Install Pre-Wrapped Vaping Coils
To install a pair of pre-wrapped vaping coils, you’ll need a pair of good wire cutters as well as an atomizer resistance tester, a pair of ceramic tweezers and some organic cotton or another wick material.
If your RDA doesn’t provide a lot of area in which to work, try trimming the leads of your pre-wrapped coils before installing them rather than after. Place the coil leads in the holes of your RDA’s build deck and tighten down the screws.
Connect the RDA to a resistance tester and turn the tester on. Use the tester to confirm that the resistance of the atomizer is within the range that your device supports and that the atomizer doesn’t have a short.
Next, connect the RDA to your vaping device. Set the device to a moderately low wattage and pulse the fire button until the coils begin to glow. Your goal is to get the coils to glow evenly. If a coil has an area that glows much more brightly than the rest of the coil, that area is a hot spot. Adjust the coils with the tweezers until they glow evenly. Don’t adjust the coils while holding your device’s fire button. Once you’ve done that, check the RDA’s mounting screws again to confirm that they’re still tight.
Pinch off two lengths of cotton. Roll a strip of cotton between your fingers to make a point and thread the cotton through the center of a coil. If you feel a little resistance but can pull the cotton through without deforming the coil, you’ve used the right amount of cotton. Repeat with the second coil. Trim the ends of the wicks and tuck them under the coils. Get the wicks thoroughly wet with e-liquid before you begin vaping. Remember that pre-wrapped vaping coils get very hot during use, and they retain their heat for a while after you’ve released the fire button. Make absolutely certain that the cotton is completely soaked before using your new coils.
How to Maintain Pre-Wrapped Vaping Coils
A coil that’s wrapped perfectly is unlikely to have hot spots and other severe issues that can shorten its life, and perfect wrapping is one of the features that makes pre-wrapped coils so attractive. With a coil-friendly e-liquid, you can get incredible longevity out of pre-wrapped coils. It’s simply a matter of keeping them clean. If you have an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner, pop the coils out of your RDA and leave them in the cleaner overnight. You can also leave the coils in the RDA and clean the entire RDA in the ultrasonic cleaner. Just remove the wicks first. In the morning, the coils will be nice and shiny. Replace the wicks with fresh cotton and get back to vaping.
If you don’t have an ultrasonic cleaner, you can still clean and maintain your pre-wrapped vaping coils with a little work. Try placing the coils in a bowl and pouring hot water over them. Agitate the coils periodically to loosen the residue stuck to the coils. A stiff brush can take care of the rest. Allow your coils to dry completely before reinstalling them and replacing the wicks.
Do Pre-Wrapped Coils Have Any Drawbacks?
Pre-wrapped vaping coils have two potential drawbacks. You should be aware of those before buying the coils. The first drawback has to do with all of those ridges, nooks and crannies that allow pre-wrapped coils to produce so much vapor. The more ridges a coil has, the more it’ll encourage e-liquid to pool – and pooled e-liquid tends to make a coil pop and spit. Pre-wrapped coils may be noisier than plain wire coils and mesh coils.
The second potential issue with pre-wrapped vaping coils is that an electrical wire is like a water pipe; the wider it is, the more easily electricity can flow through it. Pre-wrapped coils are thick and bulky, and their electrical resistance is typically very low. A dual-coil build made with Alien wire or anything similar may have a final resistance of 0.2 ohm or even slightly lower. To have a high-quality – and safe – vaping experience with pre-wrapped coils, you need a vaping device that can handle a high-amperage load and operate at upwards of 100 watts.