How to Improve Wax Pen Vapor Production and Airflow

Wax Pens are notorious for clogging issues. Wax is sticky and can build up alongside the vapor pathway, eventually blocking the airway entirely. This post offers advice, tips and other useful wax pen help.

by: Robert H. | 07/08/19 1:30PM

 

How does a Wax Pen get Clogged?

Wax pens are wonderful products and can deliver the best, most powerful hits around depending on your model and own preferences. But, in order for that to happen, you need to make sure that you keep your wax pen clean. Just like with your pipe, bong, or rig there is going to be some necessary maintenance and cleaning to make sure that your wax pen functions properly. The best way to begin keeping your wax pen clean is to understand how a wax pen works and what it takes to keep a clog-free wax pen.

First, your wax pen is going to need regular maintenance. Just think about the type of herb concentrate you’re dealing with – wax. It’s going to be stickier (by a mile) than any dry herb and it is going to be thicker than whatever oil or e-liquid you might be used to using. So, by nature, a wax pen is going to be pretty nasty if you don’t keep up with some sort of maintenance schedule.

 

Second, think about the heating chamber and the mouthpiece. Vapor and particulate can build up inside both – especially if the wax pen operates on lower temperatures or you don’t go for hotter hits. This isn’t necessarily your fault for preferring a cooler hit. Just understand that this is going to mean that some particulate might stay behind in the atomizer or mouthpiece of your wax pen. To avoid this, fully vape the wax you pack into the coil so no or limited residue is left behind in the vape while you are not utilizing it.

Finally, make sure to invest in the proper cleaning materials. This is important because without having something to properly wipe down your wax pen you are going to lose airflow and then performance. Without being able to make sure that there is no residues or leftover cleaner, you’re going to destroy your vaping experience (and potentially ruin your vape pen) because of a loss of flavor or potentially even performance.

How does a Wax Pen get Clogged?

Wax Pen Need-To-Know

Wax is sticky, and when it is heated, the stickiness remains, but it becomes more liquid-like and now has the ability to more easily flow places it should not. KEEP YOUR WAX PEN UPRIGHT, especially right after a vaping session, and especially when the coil has wax in it. If you rip the vape pen and then casually place the vape down on its side, the warmed, liquid-like wax will flow from the coil, to whatever is in its path, and gravity will take it until there is nowhere for it to travel, or until it cools and forms a thin layer of wax residue on your mouthpiece and in the vapors usual pathway. Limit this issue by vaping all the wax you pack, and if the wax pen cannot stand on its own, get a vape stand.

Vapor Production vs Airflow

Vapor Production vs Airflow

Vapor production and airflow are going to be different, and both processes should be maximized to their full potential in order for you to have the best vaping session. Everything that maximizes vapor isn’t going to help with airflow and vice versa.

Vapor production focuses on producing a lot of vapor which can result in thicker clouds and better hits. Vapor production can be increased simply by adding more wax or heat to the wax coil. But, vapor production means nothing if you cannot pull it through the vape mouthpiece.

Focusing on airflow would mean that you’re simply trying to maximize the ability to pull the vapors regardless of how much vapor was being produced. When you are concerned with keeping a steady stream of vapor, whether for huge vapor clouds, or light vapors, it is important to have solid airflow. Block airways lead to vapor loss and vaper frustration.

Arguably airflow is the most important as no matter how vapor is produced,if you cannot take the puff, who cares. Then again, you can have all the airflow in the world, and zero vapor production also does nothing for you. If you’re trying to be more discrete about your vaping, you don’t care so much about insane vapor production, but you just need a cleared vapor pathway, so you can quickly puff and move on. However, if you’re someone who likes to really puff the wax pen and produce clouds, the ability to produce large amounts of vapor will be a higher concern for you and going with a box mod vape set up will suit you best.

How to Maximize Wax Pen Vapor Production

 

How to Maximize Wax Pen Vapor Production

There will always be those of us that just can’t seem to get enough of a hit from something. Whether it’s a rig, a wax pen, or something else, we will always go out of our way to get the deepest hit out there. If that remotely sounds like you there are a few things that you can do to get a bigger vapor cloud with your wax pen.

The first thing you can do is simply pack more wax into the heating chamber. The thicker (or more) wax you have, the more cloud you will produce. This might require a longer hit or warming up the wax vape a little longer, however, you can simply add more wax and your wax pen will be a cloud machine. Make sure not to overpack, this could lead to a messy situation down the road as wax seeps out and you end up clogging your wax pen because it is overfilled.

The next thing you can do is to make sure you have proper airflow. This is important because without enough air going over your coil you will not be able to create and inhale enough vapor to make a big cloud. This is one of those instances that ensuring you pack your coil properly will give you both better airflow and therefore better vapor production.

Finally, you can increase the wattage and the temperature of your wax pen (if an option) in order to produce more vapor. This one is self-explanatory – you want more cloud, so you increase the overall vaporizing temperature to vaporize more wax at once. This gives you more vapor per hit. Keep in mind, this will not only drain your battery faster, but it can make the hits harsher and potentially less tasty. This is simply a consideration to keep in mind should you choose to crank your vape up.

Usefulness of a Glass Globe Vape

Usefulness of a Glass Globe Vape

The Glass Globe vape isn’t just for looks – at least not for this purpose it isn’t. While a good vape all around and a pretty unique sight to see, the Glass Globe wax vape pen really is in its element when talking about clogging, vapor production, and airflow. This vape pen gets high marks on all three.

The Glass Globe vape pen has the benefit of having a large airway – larger than other wax pen products of comparable size on the market. This is important if you’re worried about clogging the vape and you do not keep a consistent cleaning schedule.

Another great aspect of the Glass Globe vape is that it allows you to collect the vapor you produce in the ‘globe’ of the wax pen. This has a double effect: First, you don’t need to worry about holding all the vapor in your mouth while you pull on the pen. It comfortably sits inside the glass globe awaiting your full inhalation. Second, it allows the vapor to cool down quite a bit before taking the hit in. This means that you can pack more wax, crank the temperature, and then still deliver a smooth, tasty hit. This is not an option with many other wax pens (if at all) and should be considered a distinct bonus.

Quad Wax Coils for Max Heat

Quad Wax Coils for Max Heat

Quad wax coil pens operate under the assumption of ‘more is better’ which is not wrong in this case at all. This is because in order to generate vapor from wax at all you need to have it come into contact with a hot surface. By employing more coils to connect more surface area, you are able to create more vapor with your wax pen. As the popularity of wax pens has only increased, there is a huge variety of coil types and sizes and materials. This means that you can tailor your specific vape tastes to the many different kinds of coils that are available. Namely, the three we will discuss in greater detail below.

Wick, Quartz and Ceramic Wax Coils

Wick, quartz, and ceramic simply refer to the materials that make up the different coils for your wax pen. Each has their own advantages and disadvantages and should be taken into account with your preferences for vaping wax.

Wick coils were the first to hit the market when wax pens first began production. A wick coil is often made of a cotton fiber wick that soaks in the wax concentrate. This fiber wick is then going to heat up and let the wax evaporate off as it comes into contact with the heat source. While these coils are not the most common anymore, there is a usefulness for them when using a more liquid form of wax. If you prefer less sticky and thick wax, then a wick coil might be the best choice for you. Otherwise, you should probably go with a quartz or ceramic coil to preserve better flavor and reliability (and less hassle).

A quartz coil is a nice coil to have if you prefer quicker vaping sessions and hotter hits. This is because a quartz coil will heat up much faster than your average ceramic coil. This isn’t due to any difference in overall quality, but that quartz simply heats up quickly. This means that your quartz coil will reach your proper temperature at a faster pace than ceramic. Also, this can let you take much hotter hits producing more vapor. These coils also cool down much more quickly than a ceramic coil so there is that too.

A ceramic coil, on the other hand, does take a bit longer to warm up. However, this is offset by the more stable temperatures and even heating of the ceramic – leading to a more flavorful vapor. This is not always a discernible difference – there are plenty of expert vapers that disagree on this issue – but suffice it to say you are less likely to burn your wax quickly with a ceramic coil. However, it does take longer to cool off and retains heat much longer. So, this coil should also be handled with care to avoid overheating in case you forget to let off the ignition button.

All in all, each coil comes with a different set of circumstances in which they are better to use for that particular purpose. Think about your preferences and what you need more in a wax pen before deciding on which coil to purchase.

How to Increase Airflow in a Wax Pen

How to Increase Airflow in a Wax Pen

Airflow is super important to keeping your hits rolling out smoothly and to prevent your wax pen from overheating. The best practices for maintaining good airflow are really to keep your wax pen clean, avoid overfilling the vape coil, or simply packing the vape pen properly. These three things will give you the best results in terms of both maintaining your vape pen as well as making sure your hits are coming out clean and delicious. By keeping your wax vape pen clean you are making sure there isn’t caked material that could be affecting your ability to pull a good hit from the vape mouthpiece. Overfilling your wax coils may cause the wax to overflow and could block passage of air and vapor into the mouthpiece for you to inhale. Naturally, learning to properly pack your wax pen is going to be the most pertinent – because this will also help you keep your vaporizer clean and likely lead to you avoiding any issues of overfilling. Basically, treat your wax pen however you want it to perform for you. Remember, when handling wax, you are using a sticky substance that can stick to anything and build up fairly quickly.

Micro Vape Pen vs Yocan Cerum

Micro Vape Pen vs Yocan Cerum

The micro vape pen is a nimble wax vape pen that allows you to take your vaping on the go in a mobile, discrete manner unmatched by larger vape pens. The Yocan Cerum is a wax atomizer attachment meant to be coupled with an effective box mod (such as the SteamCloud Box Mod). There are some key things to understand both and help you make a decision between the two.

For starters, the micro vape pen is a complete kit. It is an entire wax vape pen – not just an atomizer. So, when considering which to purchase, you might want to know that you are getting everything in one with the micro vape pen. Moreover, your micro vape pen comes in a variety of kits and can be equipped with all sorts of wax coils (wick, ceramic, quartz rods) that will enable you to more specifically adapt your wax vape experience. For example, you can obtain a travel kit with a case and charger to keep you vaping on the go. Or, you can go for the double micro vape pen kit so that while one charges you can keep the other one fired up and ready to go! Particularly if you are not the most experienced vaper and would like your wax pen to reflect that, a micro vape pen is certainly simpler and arrives ready to be used.

However, there is the benefit of a more specialized Yocan Cerum Atomizer attachment. It can be equipped to any box mod vape, giving you a wax vape setup that enables for bigger and more powerful hits. This is, of course, a wonderful bonus if you are a cloud vaper. More importantly, the Yocan Cerum vape and vape tank can be configured with different wax coils (ceramic and quartz rod coils) that allow you to better tailor the vaping experience. In addition, the Yocan Cerum has a larger capacity to hold more wax than the micro vape pen.

All of these are things to consider when deciding between the two. Do you want to go with a box mod vape set up, or something more discreet but less powerful in a Micro Vape Pen?

How and When to Clean Wax Vape Parts

Cleaning your wax pen, as you’ve probably gathered from this blog post, it is important to keep a cleared pathway for the vapor in order to achieve full-bodied hits, and of course to making sure that you’re not inhaling nasty particulate matter. Cleaning your wax pen is relatively simple to do. Granted, the exact cleaning method will depend on the exact pen in question, but more or less the methods are pretty standard with slight variations according to wax pen design.

First, obtain the proper/preferred cleaning products. People claim that certain products work better than others and we have no reason to pass judgement – simply sign up for some of your favorite residue-free cleaning products so that you can begin to clean up the wax pen. As for materials, you’re probably going to want to keep a number of Q-tips handy.

After you’ve chosen your cleaning products and materials, you’re going to want to make sure that the wax coil has had time to cool off. There is no reason to get into that atomizer when it is piping hot. Once it has sufficiently cooled, simply begin to unscrew the vape battery from the atomizer and mouthpiece. Presumably, unless you’ve overfilled your wax pen or simply dripped wax everywhere, your battery should be relatively clean. For good measure, give it a quick wipe down.

Now, for the actual coils and atomizers, if you’d like you can scrape away dried up wax residue on those parts. As for the mouthpiece, filter screens and other small parts that may comprise the vapors pathway, that is where you will need the swabs and the proper cleaning products. Do not be shy – wax can get into some pretty tricky places. Keep repeating the soaking and wiping until you’re fully confident that you have fully removed the wax from the vapor pathway.

Next, for good measure, simply turn the heat up (if that is an option) and burn off the remaining residues. While there are plenty of great cleaning products that should be residue free it is best to simply go with your gut and burn off any residuals. This will result in fewer unwanted toxins as well as making sure your flavor profile isn’t affected by the cleaner.

Now, your wax pen should be ready to go. The other thing to think about is when you want to clean your wax pen. Obviously, when performance is severely hampered and you have a tough time pulling vapors through, you know it is time. However, before it gets to a critical point, you may want to maintain a regular cleaning schedule. While this may be difficult to get into the routine for, once you have done it a few weeks in a row you will be fine. Base your schedule on how frequently and intensely you vape. For example, if you end up recharging your vape twice a day or more you may want to clean your wax pen after a couple of weeks. However, if you vape semi-frequently on and off throughout the week maybe a monthly schedule is better for you. Whatever your schedule, just make sure you are keeping your wax pen clean and in tip top shape. And if you hate cleaning you can always buy extra vape mouthpiece, screens, filters and coils.

How to Collect Already Vaped Wax, plus Increase Airflow

There is, of course, another way to increase airflow and ‘clean’ out your wax pen without having to do a full-scale clean – simply take your dab tool and scrape around the inside of the mouthpiece for any stray wax that might have found its way there. This is also great for those pesky liquidy waxes that might have a tendency to sort of spill about if the wax pen was placed in your pocket in between uses. While this is not a good substitute to cleaning your wax pen if it needs it, this is a great way to quickly increase airflow and reduce the amount of waste you have incorporated into your vaping experience. You can also scrape away dried wax from the sides of coils and even burnt out coils that no longer work!

Wax Pens with Best Airflow

While there are plenty of amazing wax pens on the market there are certainly some that will work better for you than others. All wax pens are designed to work properly with solid airflow, however they all work differently and some are not meant to blow big clouds but are meant to be more discreet and easy to use.

Every wax pen is going to be based on making sure there is plenty of airflow for the vaper. However, there are some things to consider. Some vape pens, such as the Glass Globe, employ unique attributes to increase airflow, reduce clogging, and ultimately make for a smoother vaping experience. Particularly to avoid too much cleaning. Other things to remember is that a wax atomizer, like the Yocan Cerum mentioned earlier, can be equipped to different box mod vapes and battery sizes. By having more powerful batteries able to vaporize more wax, those the Yocan Cerum can deliver huge hits and very good airflow. So, when deciding what is best for you, don’t forget that there are some implicit design concepts that allow you to have better airflow than other designs regardless of brand.

Where to Buy Wax Vape Parts and Coils

You can, of course, find wax pens almost anywhere now. Your local smoke shop is bound to have them. However, remember that there is a massive selection of wax pens, additional add-ons and spare coils, and FREE SHIPPING on all orders shipped within the USA at nyvapeshop.com!

Related Blog Posts

How to use a Wax Pen - Best Wax Vaping Advice

Wax Pen Vaping Tips Everyone Should Know

Different Types of Wax to Dab and Know About