Why is My E-Cigarette Hot? Tips and Recommendations
An **E-cigarette** is literally designed to heat up.
Your **battery** is there to provide power to a coil, which converts some of this energy into heat, and consequently sends a stream of vapor from the mouthpiece for you to inhale.
However, if you’re new to **E-cigarettes**, it’s natural to be a little uneasy if you notice an excessive amount of heat coming from your device. Your finger might slide down to the base of your atomizer tank and make you feel like you’ve scraped the side of a hot pan.
Or perhaps you’ve heard one of the many scary stories about **E-cigarette products** exploding, and you’re a little anxious when your battery becomes noticeably hot. The risk of something going wrong with the battery used is very low, but not quite zero, so even experienced **E-cigarette users** might feel a bit concerned if they notice heat coming from their device’s battery compartment.
But the most important advice is "don't panic."
Similarly, if an electric heater were hot to the touch, or if your mobile phone battery gets a little warm during a call, your e-cigarette being hot is not an alarming sign. A mobile phone is also an electronic device; it doesn't usually get hot, but everyone knows it gets warm during long calls or while charging. The situation is a bit different with an e-cigarette; the device's atomizer is designed to be heat resistant. In fact, the atomizer coil inside the e-cigarette atomizer is designed to heat up and produce vapor. The more frequently an **E-cigarette user** uses the device, the more it heats up; this is directly proportional. The heat levels of an **E-cigarette user** who takes 10 puffs in 1 minute will be quite different from an **E-cigarette user** who takes 10 puffs in 10 minutes.
As long as you are using a regulated **E-cigarette** mod (meaning it’s not a “mechanical” device and comes with the usual electrical protections), there is almost certainly no need to panic. To put the risk in context, the London Fire Brigade estimates that a smoker is 255 times more likely to cause a fire than a vaper, showing how much safer modern vape devices are than cigarettes. Moreover, modern vape devices have come a long, long way since the early days of vaping, with numerous safety protections as standard.
(However, as stated in the battery safety infographic, you should always treat batteries well with **E-cigarette** devices; it's not a device that is constantly charged, then unplugged and used, then immediately drained and recharged.)
In most cases, the **E-cigarette** heating up is almost nothing to worry about, but if you’re getting somewhat hot vapor in your vaping, especially if it’s the battery rather than the tank that’s heating up, it can be a sign of a genuine problem, so it’s worth looking into and sorting out.
After all, whether it’s a cell phone, laptop, or vape, there is always a (tiny) chance of any battery failing, and if something does go wrong, it’s important to know what to do with it.
Here’s a brief guide to why your **E-cigarette** might be heating up and how to deal with it.
Where is the **E-cigarette** heating up? And How Hot?
The first step when your vape heats up is to consider what the problem is and try to figure out how serious it might be.
If your vape heats up, it will be coming from either the battery or the tank, specifically where the coil is connected. Of course, heat from one place will spread to the other, so it’s not always easy to tell where it’s coming from. Feel the base of the tank where the coil is and around the battery compartment – the hottest spot will be the atomizer connection point.
Another thing to consider is how hot it is. In most cases, the heat will come from around your coil, but even with the **e-liquid** and the outer body of the tank between the coil and your hand, it can feel warm to the touch. Generally speaking, you can touch it to test where the heat is coming from without any problems, but you wouldn’t want to grasp it fully for an extended period.
If it’s too hot to touch for a short period, it’s probably a sign of a more serious issue, and in the case of auto-firing, it’s worth grabbing a cloth or covering your hand with your sleeve and removing the tank. If the heat is coming from the battery compartment, this could be a sign of a serious problem, and in the worst-case scenario, you might need to act quickly.
The Most Common Cause of a Hot **E-cigarette**: Chain Vaping / Hot Coils
If you have a hot **e-cigarette**, there’s a fairly common (and frankly almost boring) reason. It all comes down to the fact that part of your mod or **e-cigarette** device is designed to heat up. The electricity going to your coil and heating it up is what turns your e-liquid into vapor, and the vast majority of the time, a hot vape will come down to this simple point.
As anyone with a temperature control device will know, the coil itself will often reach temperatures of 300°C / 570°F and potentially much higher. While the exterior of the tank won’t get this hot, this heat source is the most likely reason your vape is heating up.
So, if you’re “chain vaping,” meaning you’re constantly puffing for an extended period, your coil will definitely heat up, and this will usually make the exterior of your tank noticeably hot too (especially around the coil part). This heat will be concentrated there but will generally make the body of your **e-cigarette** mod feel warm as well.
The type of coil you use can also affect this. For example, a Clapton coil (made from a central wire core with an outer wrap resembling a guitar string) will get hotter than a standard coil. Generally, if the coil is more complex than a simple wrapped wire, it will likely produce more heat than a basic type. This is especially true if you are vaping at high wattage.
In the vast majority of cases, chain vaping or vaping with a high-performance coil at high wattages will cause your vape to heat up. In short, the more consecutive use of an **e-cigarette**, the faster it will heat up.
How to Cool an **E-cigarette**
The good news is that since this isn't really a problem, it's the easiest issue to fix.
You just need to stop using the **e-cigarette** for about 15 minutes, and the problem will resolve itself. Since the coil is not being heated, all the heat dissipates and cools down quite quickly. Of course, this time will be longer on hot summer days. Definitely do not think about putting it in the refrigerator to cool it down quickly; the sudden combination of hot metal and extremely cold air will cause condensation, which is no different from washing your **e-cigarette**; your **e-cigarette** mod may malfunction.
E-cig atomizer tank and battery connections
Possible Reasons if Your Coil Always Heats Up When Vaping
So what if you’re not chain vaping, using a simple coil, but every time you vape, the coil heats up enough to make the outside of the tank noticeable?
If this is the case, it’s probably a fairly common issue, but you will need to actively do something to resolve it.
Vape pen along new coil side
Limited **e-liquid** Flow
The problem caused by the coil not getting enough liquid essentially comes down to wicking, because getting less liquid reduces the ability of the wick surrounding your coil to soak up e-liquid. The same problem can occur for other reasons, including a restricted juice flow due to the thickness of the e-liquid or an aspect of the tank’s design. VG is thicker than PG, and juices with high VG (70% VG or higher) can lead to the same wicking issue. Some tanks also have “liquid flow control” that allows you to close off the wicking path from the tank, and setting this too low can cause the same problem.
In either case, the result is less wicking, burnt hits, and the likelihood of your vape heating up around the tank and coil area.
How to Cool Down
This is another simple fix. If your tank has liquid flow control, simply open it up and the problem should resolve itself.
If you are using high VG e-liquid, but notice too much heat and dry puffs when vaping, your tank may not be up to the task. Either switch to a sub-ohm tank and use the same e-liquid, or get an e-liquid with less VG and stick to the same tank.
However, in either case, the wick you are using may already be burnt, so you may need to switch to a new coil if you are still getting dry puffs.
Ecig and 2 e-liquid bottles
Wattage Too High / Your Coil Choice
Another potential reason, along the same lines as the previous one, is that your wattage is too high or you’re using a coil that produces a lot of heat, such as a Clapton coil, tiger coil, or many exotic coil types. In either case, the heat level isn’t really a problem in that it’s to be expected at higher powers and with larger amounts of metal heated coils. If you follow the advice in the chain vaping section and just leave some time between sessions, everything is fine.
How to Cool Down
Beyond just leaving it alone and letting thermodynamics do its job, you can keep everything at a more manageable temperature by simply turning down the wattage. However, if you have a complex coil, this will significantly increase the ramp-up time (the delay between pressing "fire" and the coil producing vapor), in which case it’s probably better to just accept that the coil runs hot. You can still switch to a different coil or open up your airflow. High-wattage coils operate at high temperatures and produce high vapor.
If the Vapor You’re Inhaling is Too Hot – It Could Be Your Airflow
If it’s the vapor that’s too hot rather than your actual device or tank, it probably depends on the combination of airflow and wattage you’re using. The higher your wattage, the higher temperature your coil reaches, and the hotter vapor will come out of the mouthpiece. The more open your airflow, the more cold air from outside mixes with the vaporized e-liquid, and the cooler the vapor will be.
The combination of these two factors can produce hot vapor. If your airflow slot is fairly closed or you’re using a small airflow hole and your wattage is high, it will produce much hotter vapor.
How to Cool Down
To cool it down, simply open up the adjustable airflow on your device. Some tanks have secondary airflow slots in the mouthpiece, and these are really useful for cooling down vapor, so if you have them, use them. This often works without reducing the wattage, but you can always reduce the wattage too if it doesn’t make enough of a difference.
Airflow being adjusted on an ecig
If Your Vape Battery Heats Up…
The vast majority of the time, if your vape heats up, it won’t be your battery, and one of the solutions above will help you solve the problem. In some rare cases, however, the source of the heat will actually be your battery.
Serious problems are very rare, so there's nothing to worry about. Batteries perform quite well at external temperatures up to 60°C, and the internal part of the battery can get even hotter when used. According to vaping battery expert Mooch, batteries reach an average internal temperature of 78°C when operating at their limits, which he uses as a cutoff to derive a battery's true maximum current rating.
However, if you notice heat from the outside of your mod, it probably means the inside of the battery is overheating.
There’s an unavoidable subjectivity when it comes to how hot is too hot, but to give yourself an idea of how hot batteries can get, consider the temperature your phone battery reaches after a long call. Of course, phones are much thinner than mods, and you’re less likely to notice a difference on the outside of your mod.
A reasonable rule of thumb is: If you remove your batteries and they are noticeably warm, this is completely normal. If they are genuinely hot – to the point of being uncomfortable to hold – you should take the situation more seriously.
However, if you do notice heat coming from the battery section of your device, it's still worth looking into, and in the very unlikely event that it is a serious problem (like the beginning of “thermal runaway”), it’s important to know what to do.
Stop Vaping and Move Your Mod Away from Flammable Materials
If you notice heat from the battery section of your mod, the first (and most obvious) thing to do is to stop vaping. If the heat seems quite extreme or you are concerned, the safest thing to do is to remove your tank, set the mod aside (away from anything flammable), and wait to see if it cools down.
Look for Warning Signs on the Battery if You Can
If it’s a milder temperature and you feel it’s safe, you can remove the batteries and inspect them. If the batteries are warm to the touch, place them on a non-flammable surface. Listen for hissing sounds and look for bulging on the battery’s body: these are signs of potentially serious overheating.
How to Deal with Overheating Batteries
If the batteries are warm but not bulging or hissing, it's still worth being cautious, but it’s probably just a sign that you’re pushing the battery close to or even beyond its limit, and it will slowly cool down.
With bulging or hissing, the risk of explosion or fire is much higher, as it could enter thermal runaway. This is a positive feedback loop where internal heat further destabilizes the battery, leading to more heat and thus further affecting the battery. Unfortunately, if this is happening, there’s nothing you can do to stop it. If possible, take the battery or batteries outside and let them burn out.
You can use CO2 fire extinguishers or just water on a battery fire, but if you’ve minimized any risk to your home and yourself, you can just let it burn and deal with it once it’s cooled down.
Vape battery separated from the tank
Serious Battery Problems Are Seriously Rare
It’s worth re-emphasizing that these cases of serious battery failure are very rare. Battery University estimates the failure rate of lithium-ion cells at less than one in a million, and for quality cells, it's probably less than one in ten million. This is 100 to 1,000 times less likely than being struck by lightning in your lifetime (and to be honest, I’d prefer a battery to fail on me).
If your battery is getting warm, it’s probably just heat generated from high-power use, and there’s nothing to worry about. Problems are more likely to occur during charging than from normal use (and the same rules apply – disconnect power and look for signs of trouble), but even then it’s far from a common occurrence when you consider how many vapers there are.
However, if there are signs of a potential problem (if the battery is hot to hold and especially if it shows other symptoms like hissing or bulging), it’s better to be cautious than to assume it will be fine.
You’ll probably never need this advice, but if you do find yourself in a potentially dangerous situation, take it seriously.
If Your Vape is Hot – Don’t Panic, But Figure Out What’s Happening
Overall, if your vape heats up, it’s likely due to the heat-producing coil in your tank, and you can address this in a few different ways. If it seems to be coming from your battery, there’s a good chance it’s actually heat from the tank just warming the body of the mod. If it’s truly coming from the battery, it’s likely just producing heat with high power consumption (just like your phone battery gets warm on a long call). But if the actual batteries are hot to hold, you should take precautions and move them to a safe place as soon as possible.
Your vape will sometimes get warm with normal use, but now that you know how to diagnose and solve the problem, you’ll stay safe even in a worst-case scenario.
