E-cigarettes and vapes have become extremely popular in recent years, being sold as a healthier alternative to traditional smoking, and rightly so—there’s an unprecedented number of studies that state vaping is less harmful than cigarettes/tobacco.
One downside, however, is that they require a considerable amount of maintenance.
This is commonly an issue with the flavor. Many users report their Juul tasting burnt or dry, losing flavor but retaining a hot temperature.
What’s the reason for this? There’s a few and the most common ones are:
- Ιnhaling or pulling too hard – the coil can’t cope or handle the pressure
- The pod is leaking – this can get in the way in the connects in the system
- Overuse – using too much can put the system into overdrive
- Liquid running low – low liquid increases pressure on the coil
Let’s talk about these in detail.
Contents
4 Common Reasons Why Your Juul Tastes Burnt
1. Pulling too hard
When you’re inhaling, you might be pulling too hard and causing too much pressure on the coil. As it’s electronic, it can only work with the power that it’s been designed for.
There’s a really obvious solution to this: just don’t inhale as much.
If you need to, take a larger number of lighter hits. This helps keep the Juul working in its given power range and adds longevity to the system, preventing it from literally burning out.
2. The pod is leaking
The issue might not be with you but with the product itself, specifically the flavor pod.
Although Juul pods offer a wider selection than most (including mango, cucumber, and generic ‘fruit’) they are unfortunately not perfect. A common flaw is that they leak.
You can check if your Juul is leaking by taking out the pod/cartridge.
At the bottom of it, there should be gold plates sticking out of the middle. However, if these look brown or gunky, they need to be cleaned out.
Get a tissue or cotton bud and wipe it. Make sure what you use is dry; otherwise, this could be dangerous.
Once the bottom of the cartridge is gold and shiny again, get another cotton bud. Inside the Juul, look for the part that makes contact with the cartridge inside.
There are two gold parts sticking up in the middle. Clean these, also making sure they’re not gunky or brown too.
Like the bottom of the pod you cleaned, you have to make sure this is dry too; otherwise, again, it can be dangerous.
At the bottom of the Juul–in the charging section–there are two gold circles. These are the most important parts because if these bits are broken, you won’t be able to charge it, and therefore won’t be able to use it.
When they are completely gold like the parts in the step above, you’re good to go. Put the pod back in, and it should be working properly again.
If it isn’t, you’ll either have to take it to a professional or find a replacement. Good thing Juuls aren’t as expensive as some of their competitors, so this isn’t the end of the world.
3. Using it too frequently
Similarly to the ‘pulling too hard’ issue, you may be taxing the coil by using the Juul too often. If you take numerous hits in quick succession, this can affect the coil.
The science behind vaping is: the metal coil heats up, which then heats the liquid and lets you inhale it. However, the coil can get too hot and overheat, rendering it useless.
It can be a temporary or permanent issue.
If temporary, just take it easy for a little while. Let the coil cool down then you should be able to use it again after 3 to 5 minutes.
If it is a permanent issue though and happens after having a time-out, try replacing the Juul’s pod and you should be okay. Even the best coils burn out eventually, so you’ll have to do this at some point anyway.
The vast majority of the time, the reason coils burn out is because of overuse. How so? If the user vapes too frequently, he’s not giving the coil time to absorb more of the liquid.
Without the liquid there to act as a barrier of sorts, the cotton itself directly burns. That’s what the horrible burning taste is.
It can happen in one vape and most vapers have been taken by surprise by it at some point. Nasty stuff.
4. Liquid is running low
Unfortunately, Juul pods don’t last forever. Fortunately, you can simply replace them once they’re low, unlike most vapes where you have to refill the system directly with the liquid yourself.
If you can taste burning, perhaps the e-juice in the capsule is running low. This is one of the most common issues—I’d say second most common, after the overuse—but luckily, it’s so easy to replace.
This is one of the main selling points about Juul and one of the great advantages it has over its competitors.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, most of the issues with Juul derive from its coil. The coil is the root of the entire system; it burns the liquid as is located centrally in the pods.
Luckily, Juul has been very technologically considerate in the design of their product. Rather than having a coil in the system itself, it is instead in the individual pods.
This is incredibly useful, making problem resolution a million times easier than most other vaping products on the market.
However, there is one downside. Throwing away extra metal (Juul pods aren’t recyclable) is bad for the environment.
Then again, smoking cigarettes is even worse for both you and the environment. That’s why I prefer the electronic alternative.