How Do Electronic Cigarettes Work?

19 April 2016

Exhale-ent question, visiting vaper! Pull up a chair, fire up your vape and we shall reveal all.

Vaping Part-y!

Vaporisers and e-cigarettes are fairly straightforward devices both made of slightly different parts that essentially do the same thing.

How Do Electronic Cigarettes Work - E-Cig PartsHow Do Electronic Cigarettes Work - Vapepens

1. The Battery:  

Powering up your vape, batteries give life to your vaping tools, and can be revived again and again, recharged either by USB or mains charger. Lifespan varies from brand to brand and vape-pens will generally outlast an e-cig. Vape Pens also have the added advantage of being able to ‘upgrade’ battery models through various mods, allowing for greater power, greater vapour production and longer life, on the downside these powerful batteries can come with a whole lot of bulk too.

E-cig batteries are easily replaceable by being unscrewed and replaced, and disposable e-cigs are just thrown away altogether once the battery dies. If you’re looking to mod-out your vape-pen to give it super strength, you might need to cough up a bit of cash first, though.

2. Atomiser:

This inbuilt heating device allows your e-liquid to be heated, and produce the vapour you know and love. Like batteries, if you want to go total vape-hulk with your vape-pen's atomiser strength it costs a bit more than your average vape and leads you into the realm of serious modders.

The atomiser your device is supplied with will do perfectly well for regular vapers who aren’t up for pulling things out or putting things into their vaporisers. E-cig atomisers are neatly inbuilt, in keeping with the ‘real cigarette’ look while vape-pen atomisers can be spied at the bottom of the tank.

3. Cartridge:

Found on e-cigarettes, these super easy to use, replace and remove items connect where a filter would traditionally be found. Cartridges hold the e-liquid required by e-cigs, when they are empty they are simply removed and thrown away. Much neater so far as reloading is concerned compared to vape-pens, a new cartridge is simply screwed on and you’re good to go!

4. Tank:

What vape-pens use instead of cartridges, tanks are the see-through part of a vape-pen where you can see the liquid. Varying in size and colour, tanks can be relatively small or fairly huge.

When a tank is empty you have to reload it manually, which can be a bit tricky without practise, luckily most e-liquids come with a dropper or a dropper style tip to make loading easier. While this isn’t as quick, clean, or easy as just screwing on a cartridge, it opens up a whole new world of flavour: if it’s in an e-liquid, it can go in your tank!

5. Inhaler/Drip Tip/Mouthpiece: 

As vape-pens are thicker than e-cigs,  the mouthpiece helps you puff away with a bit more ease. Inhaler styles vary from brand to brand, and these too can be modded if you so desire to be thicker, thinner, longer, shorter or with a rainbow plastered over it.

The Anatomy of Vaping

So, there you go, everything you need to know your vaping device from the inside out, as a reward for your hard studying why not treat yourself to a new flavour of vape juice at our online store? Oh go on, you deserve it!

See Our Trending E-Liquids!

EDGE Blueberry E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

EDGE Blueberry E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

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

OK Vape Tobacco Low Nicotine E-Cigarette Refills (6mg)

£6.99
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  • Tobacco-flavoured electronic cigarette refill
  • Suitable for the OK Vape Rechargeable E-Cigarette
  • Low nicotine strength of 6mg
  • Each pack contains 5 refills, with bulk offers available
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EDGE Strawberry Milkshake E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

EDGE Strawberry Milkshake E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

£11.99
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  • Strawberry milkshake flavoured e-liquid
  • Nicotine strengths: 6mg, 12mg and 18mg
  • VG: 50%, PG: 50%
  • Made in the UK
OK Vape E-Cigarette K1 Replacement Battery with Refill Cartridges

OK Vape E-Cigarette K1 Replacement Battery with Refill Cartridges

£9.48
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  • Replacement battery and pack of cartridges
  • For the OK Vape Rechargeable E-Cigarette
  • Available with tobacco or menthol cartridges
  • Purchase one, two, or three batteries
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OK Vape Menthol High Nicotine E-Cigarette Refills (18mg)

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

£6.99
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  • Menthol-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
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Blu MyBlu Golden Tobacco Liquidpods

Blu MyBlu Golden Tobacco Liquidpods

£5.49
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  • Classic golden tobacco flavour
  • Available in a single 18mg nicotine strength
  • VG: 35%, PG: 65%
  • Bulk purchases available from £4.70 per pack
Elf Bar 600 Strawberry Raspberry Cherry Ice Disposable Vape Pen (20mg)

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

£4.99
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  • 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 Strawberry and Lime E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

EDGE Strawberry and Lime E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

£11.99
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  • Strawberry and lime flavoured e-liquid
  • Nicotine strengths: 6mg, 12mg and 18mg
  • VG: 50%, PG: 50%
  • Made in the UK
EDGE Blackcurrant E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

EDGE Blackcurrant E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

£11.99
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  • Fruity blackcurrant flavoured e-liquid
  • Nicotine strengths: 6mg, 12mg and 18mg
  • VG: 50%, PG: 50%
  • Made in the UK
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 Extra-High Nicotine E-Cigarette Refills (20mg)

OK Vape Tobacco Extra-High Nicotine E-Cigarette Refills (20mg)

£6.99
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  • Tobacco-flavoured electronic cigarette refill
  • Suitable for the OK Vape Rechargeable E-Cigarette
  • Extra-high nicotine strength of 20mg
  • 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
OK Vape E-Cigarette Nicotine-Free Menthol Refill Cartridges (0mg)

OK Vape E-Cigarette Nicotine-Free Menthol Refill Cartridges (0mg)

£6.99
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  • Menthol flavour refill cartridges for the OK Rechargeable E-Cigarette
  • Each pack contains five cartridges and lasts for the equivalent of 125 traditional cigarettes
  • Nicotine-free with 0mg of nicotine in each cartridge
  • Bulk offers available starting at £5.50 per pack
  • FREE OK Vape Starter Kit Offer: Enter switch2ok at checkout