Dry burn, the procedure that lengthens the life of the resistances

The dry burn technique is a practice often used by expert vapers to extend the life of the resistances of the electronic cigarette.

During the vaporization process, the liquid in which the wick is soaked as it passes through the coils tends to stratify and form a dense residue which in the long run ruins them.

The accumulation around the resistances, often characterized by a blackish-brown colour, is the main cause of the alteration of the flavour of the vape and one of the most recognizable indicators of the fact that it is time to change the resistive wires.

Dry burn, therefore, extends the life of this delicate part of the electronic device, without having to constantly replace the resistors.

What is dry burning?

Also called a dry hit, dry burn, literally dry combustion, consists in activating the atomizer without there being neither wick nor liquid inside your mod, as long as it is a regenerable model.

By doing so, the resistances are heated up and powered by the battery, but finding nothing to burn, they consume all the residue and encrustations that have accumulated in their coils.

Unintentional dry burn

Sometimes it happens to make an involuntary dry burn to those who vape: when the liquid in the tank runs out and the wick has dried up. The effect obtained is a dry hit that is often unpleasant for those who aspire, indicating that the resistances have reached their terminus and that it is time to replace them.

What is dry burn used for?

Despite being a practice criticized by some detractors, dry burn covers several functions in the maintenance of electronic cigarettes.

As we have already seen, in the first place it serves to burn and eliminate the residual dirt on the resistances, making them return to good health to continue vaping without a bitter and unpleasant aftertaste.

Secondly, but equally primarily, this technique helps to check the state of the coils, to make sure that there are no short circuits, deformation or anomalies of the resistive wires.

Finally, the dry burn allows you to put the coils of the resistances back in place so that they are aligned and tightened with each other: you will therefore obtain a better heating coefficient, without waste and more performance.

How is dry burn performed?

The operation takes a few minutes and you don’t need to have any particular manual skills. However, the first few times should be assisted by an expert vaporizer who can suggest the most suitable steps depending on the device you are using.

First, you need to empty the tank of the electronic cigarette from the liquid contained, unscrew it from the heat and bring the resistors to light.

At this point, with tweezers, it will be necessary to remove the wick or the wick from the resistances and observe its colour: the darker it is, the more persistent the dirt on the threads will be.

At this point, the box can be activated intermittently, bringing, if desired, the temperature to a slightly higher level than that used for vaping: this is the most delicate phase because you absolutely must not overheat the resistances.

Using a brush, you will have to gradually scrape off the encrustations on the heating elements and, in the case of excessive dirt, wash them under water.

You will notice how after a couple of dry burns the threads will return to being a colour similar to the new one, tending to silver. If this does not happen and they remain black, it is advisable to completely change the coils because they are no longer recoverable.

Is it safe a dry burn?

For a long time, it has been debated whether the practice of dry cleaning heating elements is good for health or not. The main concern of some vapers is that in the overheating phase of the resistances, the metal they are made of could be altered, with the consequent release of potentially harmful microparticles.

The important thing, however, is not to vacuum the steam produced by a dry burn procedure for any reason, and carry it out in the absence of materials such as wick and mesh, so that they cannot absorb any waste substances resulting from the process.