GLOSSARY OF VAPING TERMS

0123.

510 compatible battery connection:

The 510 compatible battery connection is the most widely used fitting size in the vaping equipment market and has become the nearest to a universal size fitting. It refers to the thread that connects the battery to the tank. Buying a piece of kit with a 510 connector means it's likely to be compatible with kit from different manufacturers.

 

A.

Adjustable airflow:

Most vape tanks usually have two or three air vents of varying size drilled into their sides to allow airflow. Some have mechanisms to adjust the amount of airflow, most commonly a dial or a rotating ring. Adjusting the airflow allows the vaper to control the intensity and thickness of the vapour.

All day vape:

All day vape refers to an e-liquid which the vaper finds is comfortable to vape throughout the day. Sometimes it comes down to the taste itself being one that maintains consistent flavour that without getting muted from extended use. All day vapes tend to be one of the more middle-of-the-road flavours and to have a relatively mild throat hit.

APV:

APV stands for advanced personal vaporiser and they look like enlarged pens but can also refer to box mods. These are vaping kits with a detachable, rechargeable battery, sometimes with voltage and/or wattage control. They also have a separate tank that connects to the mod with a universal type pin like a 510 connector. Some APVs also have replaceable and rebuildable atomisers.

Atomiser head:

Another name for a coil. An atomiser head is a small heating element with a wick that screws into your tank and is powered by your battery. When the battery is powered up, the atomiser heats the e-liquid in the clearomiser and turns it into vapour which can then be inhaled via the tank's mouthpiece.

 

B.

Battery:

Batteries come in sizes ranging most commonly from 450 to 3000 mAh (milliAmp hour) and the higher the mAh number, the longer the battery will last between charges. Most batteries are user-controlled and have activation buttons which you press as you puff. More advanced models also allow control of the level of power generated by the battery, which in turn dictates the intensity of the vapour produced. Batteries are charged via a USB plug and it's absolutely essential that you follow the battery manufacturer's instructions on charging, otherwise there's a real risk of fire. You can also get external batteries which carry a lot more charge (typically 3000mAh each). These batteries fit into the more advanced mods designed for Sub Ohm vaping that need a lot more power.

 

C.

Cartomiser:

A cartomiser is similar to a clearomiser and has a tank for e-liquid, a coil and a mouthpiece. The term usually refers to a clearomiser that has an inbuilt coil so that once the coil burns out, the whole cartomiser must be replaced. Some cartomisers come pre-filled with e-liquid and are not refillable, while others can be refilled.

Clearomiser:

A clearomiser is a refillable tank for e-liquid with a mouthpiece and an atomiser head/coil. Tank capacity is generally between 1.5 and 2ml. The maximum tank capacity you can get under TPD in the UK and Europe is 2mls.

Cloud chasing:

The practice of vaping with the end goal being the production of the biggest possible vapour cloud. This is achieved with Sub Ohm tanks, higher wattage levels and a high VG e-liquid. Cloud chasing is often done competitively also just by vaping hobbyists too.


Coils:

The coil is a short length of thin wire that is wrapped around the wick of an atomiser. It's the coil that heats up when the battery is activated and acts to vaporise the e-liquid in the tank. The coil can be of different thicknesses which vary its resistance measured in ohms. Ohm values are commonly 1.8, 2.2 and 2.4 and the lower the number, the more heat is generated. You can make your own coils to use in the likes of an RDA or use a pre-made coil for the particular tank you have. Pre-made coils come in a variety of materials and resistance levels.

 

D.

Drip tip:

A drip tip is a mouthpiece that fits on to the end of your vape tank. There are two types of drip tip on the market, one that pushes into place and another that screws into the clearomiser. Drip tips are designed to minimise leakage and to give a good airflow when vaping. You can get drip tips in varying diameters, the wide bore options are designed to enhance cloud production and the narrow ones for mouth to lung vaping to enhance flavour.

Disposable:

A disposable is a single use throw away vape, that comes ready to use straight out of the box. Pre-filled with a nicotine salt containing e-liquid, and offering the user an average of 500 puffs per kit.

 

E.

eGo:

eGo is a term for the second generation e-cigarettes which have a separate battery and tank. Like a 510 connector, it’s another type of threading between the tank and battery. Some eGo tanks have integral atomisers which means they are disposable and must be replaced when the coil burns out, others have replaceable coils. Most eGo equipment comes with industry-standard 510 screw fittings so that batteries and tanks can be adapted to the more modern 510 connector threading.

E-liquid:

E-liquid, or e-juice as it's sometimes called, is the liquid in e-cigarettes that, when heated, produces the smoke-like vapour. E-liquids come in a huge variety of flavours and tend to be sold in small bottles with a capacity of between 10 and 100 millilitres. Three main ingredients are used in the preparation of e-liquids, plus flavourings, of which there may be more than one. The main three ingredients are propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG) and nicotine. Any bottle of e-liquid that’s over 10mls in capacity will now be nicotine free due to TPD regulations.

 

F.

Flavour chasing:

The practice of vaping that aims to achieve the most intense and accurate flavour profile from e-liquid. Less focus is placed on vapour production, rather higher PG liquids are used (typically a 50:50 ratio) and often with a mouth to lung style of inhalation.

Flooding:

Flooding is the term used to describe when e-liquid leaks into places it shouldn't, especially when you puff and get a mouthful of liquid. There are two main reasons for flooding. The first is overfilling the tank which means it can't function properly. The second is when you accidentally drip e-liquid down the hollow shaft in the centre of your coil. This leads directly to the mouthpiece and means you will inhale e-liquid. Avoid flooding by only filling your tank to its capacity and by making sure liquid only goes around the central column leading to the mouthpiece.

 

H.

High VG:

High VG refers to the ratio of vegetable glycerin in an e-liquid. Especially popular with Sub Ohm vapers due to its cloud producing ability, high VG liquids are thicker and require more power to turn into vapour.

J.

Juuling:

Since its release in 2017, “Juuling” has become a common term which simply refers to the act of vaping a Juul.

 

L.

Low Resistance:

The coil that heats up inside the atomiser to vaporise e-liquid is made of wire. This wire can vary in thickness and the thicker it is, the higher is the resistance. Resistance is measured in ohms and you can get pre-made coils from as low as 0.15ohms all the way up to 1.8ohms. Lower resistance leads to faster use of e-liquid, a hotter vape and thicker clouds of vapour.

 

M.

Mod:

A mod is a vaping setup that can be modified in terms of output by the user. Mod is short for modification and some vapers customise battery packs and tanks (including the likes of RDAs and RTAs). In some cases, enthusiasts build their kits from scratch using basic components.

Mouth to lung:

The act of inhaling some vapour into your mouth first, then inhaling into the lungs. Typically the method used by transitioning smokers or those who are more focussed on getting the most flavour out of their e-liquid.

 

N.

Nic Salts:

Nic salts (shortened from nicotine salts) are an alternative form of nicotine that results in a faster, stronger hit. This format is more stable than freebase nicotine, making for easier absorption and less throat hit. E-liquids containing nic salts give you a higher strength without compromising on flavour.

 

P.

PG:

PG is an abbreviation for propylene glycol and it's a key ingredient in most e-liquids. E-liquids commonly contain four basic ingredients, PG, VG (vegetable glycerin), nicotine and flavourings, with zero nicotine liquids having only three ingredients. PG is a manmade, slightly watery liquid with no colour, a barely perceptible smell and a slightly sweet taste. It's commonly used in medical devices and in the food industry in products like fizzy drinks, salad dressings, and ice cream. PG-high e-liquids produce thinner vapour and more throat hit than high VG liquids. They also clog up your atomiser less than high VG liquids.

Pods:

(See also: cartomisers). Pods are similar to vape tanks in that they hold e-liquid but are slightly different by design. Instead of having a replaceable coil, they have one built in. Pods are typically designed for mouth to lung devices and are optimised for using with high PG liquids and nic salts. They can come pre-filled with liquid, in which case they’re single use. Or, you can get open pods which allow you to choose your own liquid and you can refill them multiple times and keep using them until the coil burns out.

Puff Bars:

(See also disposables) Puff bars are single use vape kits that offer a finite amount of puffs per device.

R.

RBA:

RBA stands for rebuildable atomiser. This refers to both RDAs (rebuildable dripping atomisers) and RTAs (rebuildable tank atomisers). Both of these allow you to build your own coil and wick yourself with your chosen material, typically organic cotton. You can adjust the resistance to your liking and use different wire types according to your vaping preferences. They’re typically more economical than pre-made coils as they last for longer. To re-use you’ll usually only need to replace the cotton when it wears out.

 

S.

Short fills:

Short fills are larger bottles of nicotine free e-liquid that have spare space at the top for you to add a nic shot. TPD regulations mean you can no longer purchase e-liquids with nicotine in bottles larger than 10mls. Short fills allow you to mix to your desired nicotine strength with the aid of a 10ml bottle of concentrated nicotine.

Starter Kits:

Many equipment manufacturers sell starter kits. These can be anything from basic cigalike kits through to quite sophisticated second generation vaping set-ups. The second-generation ones will generally include a battery and sometimes a spare battery, a clearomiser and a USB charger. The clearomiser may be of the disposable kind or alternatively of the type where the atomiser heads/coils can be replaced. Some sellers also include a free sample bottle of e-liquid.

Sub Ohm:

Sub Ohm refers to a coil resistance that’s less than 1 Ohm. Sub Ohm is also the resistance range used for direct to lung vaping as it allows for more power to flow through the wire, in turn giving more vapour.

 

T.

Tanks:

A tank is sometimes used as an alternative term for clearomiser but strictly speaking it is the part of the clearomiser where e-liquid is stored. In second generation vaping equipment kits, tanks are refillable, either via a hole at the top when the mouthpiece is removed, or via a gap in the bottom where the tank screws into the atomiser and battery.

Throat Hit:

Throat hit is the feeling you get at the back of your throat when vaping and is like a kind of gentle rasping sensation. It is a feeling familiar to conventional cigarette smokers, especially those who smoke high-tar cigarettes. It’s often a priority for transitioning smokers who are just getting into vaping as it emulates the familiar feel of smoking a cigarette. Throat hit can be increased by vaping higher nicotine e-liquids and e-liquids with high proportions of PG.

 

V.

Vapers tongue/vape mouth:

Vapers tongue is when you start to find your e-liquid flavour is getting a bit muted. This often happens when you’ve been using the same vape juice for a while but can also stem from having a dry mouth. Alleviate this by drinking lots of water, using a higher VG liquid (PG is more drying than VG) and changing your flavour now and again so your taste buds don’t get too used to it.

Variable voltage/wattage:

Some mods have chipsets and controls that allow you to vary their output by changing the voltage or wattage produced by the battery. This allows advanced vapers to control the volume, thickness and heat of the vapour produced by their vaping kit.

VG:

VG is an abbreviation for vegetable glycerin and is one of the ingredients of e-liquid. E-liquids commonly contain four basic ingredients, PG, VG (vegetable glycerin), nicotine and flavourings, with zero nicotine liquids having only three ingredients. VG is a colourless liquid with virtually no odour, and it is thicker and sweeter than PG. It's extracted from plants and also widely used in food production, as well as in cosmetics and toiletries. VG-high e-liquids produce thicker vapour, less throat hit and are more likely to clog up your atomiser than high PG liquids.

 

W.

Wicks:

The wick is part of the atomiser and it is a piece of material that looks like wadded up material. It draws the e-liquid from the clearomiser tank so that it comes into direct contact with the atomiser coil, the wire that heats up when the battery is activated. By bringing the e-liquid into direct contact with the coil, the wick allows the liquid to be heated sufficiently to turn into vapour which can then be inhaled. Organic cotton is typically the preferred and most common form of wicking material in both pre-made and homemade coils.