E liquid too thick? Too thin? Or separating?
There are two main ingredients in e liquid; vegetable glycerine and propylene glycol. These two ingredients make up nearly the entire bottle of your e liquid.
Propylene Glycol (PG)
Propylene Glycol (PG) is an organic compound that is colourless, nearly odourless, and is recognised safe by health bodies. The main applications are for solvents, preservatives and of course, e liquid. The reason eliquid manufacturers use PG is that it is very easy to vaporise! It is also used in asthma inhalers and fog machines among other food products.
PG is a thiner liquid that allows the liquid to soak into the wick a lot faster. This allows you to vape quickly in succession without the wick drying out. The thinness means that liquid in your tank can soak into it again. PG also carries the eliquid flavour a little better but the taste is minimal.
Vegetable Glycerine (VG)
Vegetable Glycerine (VG) is also colourless, odourless, and sweet in flavour. VG, because of its sweet nature, can be found in cough syrups, toothpaste, and baked foods.
VG also provides a smoother vaping experience. More experienced vapers will be looking for high VG after quitting smoking for some time. The biggest benefit of a higher VG ratio is the cloud production! You will experience bigger and more dense vapour clouds and vaping will start to feel completely different to cigarettes which actually helps with not picking up a cigarette again.
E liquid ratios and what they mean
50% VG / 50% PG E liquid
The difference between PG & VG are important when deciding your eliquid ratios. The standard ratio in 10ml bottles is usually 50% of both which has a thin consistency and is easily vaped in low powered devices. 50/50 also provides a ‘throat hit’ which helps with smokers transitioning from smoking to vaping as it delivers a similar sensation.
70% VG / 30 % PG E Liquid
The standard ratio in Shortfill eliquids (50ml and above) is usually 70/30. This is usually as when a person becomes accustomed to vaping they will start to look for bigger bottles and a smoother vaping sensation. 70/30 also produces bigger and better clouds which are great for vaping tricks and all day vaping.
E liquid too thin?
Now that we are clear on PG and VG and why a vaper may choose their ratio. We now need to ensure that the eliquid is suitable for your device.
Higher power mods/ecigs that produces large vapour clouds will go through a lot of e liquid very quickly. If your e liquid is too thin then you will go through your e liquid even quicker. Whilst 50/50 e liquids can be used in high powered devices, you are better using a thicker e liquid such as a 70/30 ratio.
E liquid too thick?
On the reverse side of your e liquid being too thin, your e liquid can be too thick for lower powered/pen-like devices. The coil isn’t being heated up enough for the e liquid to fully go through the tank, into the cotton, and finally to be vaporised. If you e liquid is too thick, you will notice that the e liquid will start to congeal around your coil and it will need replacing often.
If you are using a pen-like device, stick to 50/50 ratios.
E liquid keeps separating?
PG and VG as explained earlier do not naturally mix together for a long period of time. If the bottle is left alone for a while, the PG and VG will start to separate. This is also the case if the e liquid gets too warm or too cold as PG and VG react differently at different temperatures. If you notice that your e liquid keeps separating, simply ensure that the bottles stay at room temperature and give it a good shake every now and again.
E liquid leaking through coil?
There are three reasons why this might be happening.
Firstly, as mentioned in the e liquid too thin section, if your e liquid is too thin then it may leak through your coil, especially if left on it’s side or upside down.
Secondly, you might have flooded your tank. When you are filling up your e liquid ensure that you only fill it up to the fill line and keep your tank upright. That should stop your eliquid leaking through coils.
Thirdly, and the most common, is the ecig/tank itself may be of poor quality. If you notice that your tank isn’t secure, or your coil is worn out, the e liquid will start leaking through your coils. Simply ensure everything is secure, and replace the coil if need be!