About Vaping

The beginners’ guide to vaping

So you’re ready to take the plunge into the world of vaping, but need to know a bit more about the terminology.
This handy guide answers the key questions that beginners need to know. it will help you make an informed choice about the type of kit that’s right for you, making it more likely that your switch to vaping will be a success!

Vaping Equipment explained?

Tank
The E-liquid is placed in here.

Coil
A metal coil surrounded by wicking material, usually cotton. Needs to be changed anywhere between a few days to a couple of weeks or when you get a burnt taste.

Battery / Regulated Mod
This contains the electronics and battery needed to heat your coil. Battery capacity is denoted as milliampre hour (mAh). The power output of the mod is shown as Watts (W) or Volts (V)

Different types of vaping equipment

Starter Kit (Vape Pen)
Example: Aspire K3 Kit / Aspire Pockex (MTL)
Compact, Easy to use and affordable. Usually aimed at beginner vapers. Designed to be used with 50/50 VG/PG E-liquids that give less vapour production.

Starter kit (Small Internal Battery mod & Tank)
Example: Aspire Zelos Mod Paired with a K3 Tank (MTL)
Slightly bigger and still reletively inexpensive, Starter kits (mod & tank) come with options that have seen great improvement over the original pen style devices. Usually with bigger, longer lasting batteries and some adjustability for your vaping experience. 50/50 E-liquids should be used with this type of kit.

Mouth to Lung inhale (MTL)
This is achieved by using less airflow on the atomizer and drawing the vapour into your mouth with your cheeks before inhaling into your lungs, replicating the effect of smoking.

Intermediate / Advanced / Experienced mods & kits (usually 100 watts and above)
Bigger, more expensive and usually powered by External Batteries, these vape mods come with great improvement in their power output & adjustability. Usually with bigger, better and lower ohm coils to give more flavour and vapour production. E-liquids with a higher VG content need to be used.

Mechanical Mods (Mechs)
Mech Mods require no circuitry and work by a direct connection between the firing pin of the RDA straight on to battery. (knowledge of ohms law and battery safety are a must) Please Ask us for more information about these options.

Sub-Ohm Tanks
Sub-ohming is vaping on a device using a Sub-Ohm Tank fitted with a atomizer coil that has a resistance of less than 1.0 ohm. The reason some advanced vapers ‘sub-ohm’ is to increase the power output from their devices, creating more vapour and flavour from their E-liquid.

When vaping using sub-ohm coils a substantial amount of vapour is produced compared to using coils above 1ohm on the same device. Typically sub-ohm vapers take lung hits meaning they inhale straight to their lungs, increasing the vapour they can inhale each puff. Those who sub-ohm usually vape E-liquid’s with a higher percentage of vegetable glycerine than propylene glycol. The reason for this is that the vegetable glycerine creates larger clouds and denser vapour production. Because of the additional output and vapour produced and inhaled on each pull when vaping sub-ohm, it is the norm to use lower nicotine strengths (typically 3mg and under).

RDA’s, RTA’s and RDTA’s
For the advanced vaper there are also Rebuildable Dripping Atomisers (RDA’s), Rebuildable Dripping Tank Atomisers (RDTA’s) and Rebuildable Tank Atomisers (RTA’s).
Numerous different designs exist. These are the most effective way to obtain the best flavour and vapour production available from E-liquid. Usually designed for DL use with some being designed for MTL.

RDA’s are not tanks and don’t hold E-liquid other than what is held in the cotton and the small juice well at the bottom of the RDA. These work by simply dripping your E-liquid onto the coil and then firing the device, hence the name ‘Dripper’.

RDTA’s are similar to RDA’s but are actually tanks that are designed to hold E-liquid. Instead of using pre-made factory coils, the user can build them to their own preference and resistance, then wick with cotton.

RTA’s have decks to rebuild on just like RDA’s, but also have a tank section to hold extra E-liquid. When built and filled, an RTA will function just like a Sub Ohm Tank, so you can vape repeatedly for much of the day before having to refill.

Lung Inhale
This is acheived by using more airflow (usually in Sub-Ohm Tanks, RDA’s, RDTA’s & RTA’s with wider drip tips commonly known as 810) to inhale the vapour directly into the lungs.

What is in e-liquid?
E-liquid consists of a few base ingredients which are typically PG (Propylene Glycol) VG (Vegetable Glycerin). That are combined with natural or artificial flavours in an almost unlimited variety of ways, which means you’ll be sure to find something you can use as an all-day-vape (ADV). All the E-Liquids we stock are UK or USA Produced and have a variety of VG / PG ratios from your standard 50/50 all the way up to the highest VG blends.

What is PG or Propylene Glycol?
Propylene Glycol is used as a flavouring carrier in food products, as an ingredient in food colouring and also used as an additive in various medicines. PG provides the throat hit sensation and is thinner in consistency than Vegetable Glycerine. Propylene Glycol is non toxic.

What is VG or Vegetable Glycerine?
Vegetable Glycerine is a sweet, vegetable based liquid. VG provides the vapour production which simulates smoke and is thicker than Propylene Glycol. Vegetable Glycerine is non toxic and the more VG in an E-liquid, the smoother it will be to vape.

Of course, there is more to the world of vaping than we have included in this beginners guide, but this is a good place to start as an introduction.

As you make the switch, you should be sure to educate yourself about proper maintenance and safety to ensure you always get the absolute best out of your equipment.

Here at Freedom Vapes, we pride ourselves on our customer service and our expertise, so if you need any questions answering, please don’t hesitate to ‘contact us’ or ‘pop in’.

The benefits of switching from smoking to vaping

Stop smoking. Try vaping.
What benefits can you expect when you switch from smoking to vaping?

So, you are thinking of quitting smoking? Congratulations! It’s a big decision that can change your life.

In order to give up smoking for good, and see the massive health benefits that not smoking can bring, you need to give yourself the best chance of succeeding.

Does quitting by going cold turkey work?

We can all agree that it’s better for your health (and your wallet) to simply quit by going cold turkey. No e-cigs, no nicotine replacement therapy, no medication, no hypnotherapy – nothing.

Most smokers who have tried to quit have attempted the cold turkey method at some point. However, as a method for long term smoking cessation, it has the lowest success rate.

Less than 5% of cold turkey quit attempts are successful

Research over the past 25 years has shown that, out of 100 people trying to quit smoking cold turkey, only three to five of them will succeed for longer than six months. In other words, while some people can quit this way, at least 95 percent of people can’t.

This is because cutting off all access to nicotine at once can lead to intense withdrawal symptoms. These can include:

  • Lowered heart rate/blood pressure
  • Nausea
  • Headaches
  • Acute cravings
  • Constipation and/or diarrhoea
  • Insomnia and fatigue
  • Increase in hunger/sugar cravings
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Irritability/short temper
  • Anxiety and/or depression

Vaping could give you your best chance at quitting for good

The Smoking Toolkit Study found that e-cigarettes are 60% more effective in helping smokers quit. This is when compared to smokers who attempt to quit unaided, or by using over-the-counter nicotine replacement products (gum, patches, inhalers, etc.).

Furthermore, a recent study by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH.org) showed that 52% of e-cigarette users (1.5 million) are now considered ex-smokers. For the first time, this is a larger number than those who vape and smoke – dual-users (1.3 million). This is really encouraging news for the success of vaping as a permanent quitting method.

What about the health benefits?

Before we go into the specific benefits of moving from smoking to vaping, I want to share a quote from Professor John Britton, chair of the Tobacco Advisory Group of the Royal College of Physicians.

“If all the smokers in Britain stopped smoking cigarettes and started smoking e-cigarettes we would save 5 million deaths in people who are alive today. It’s a massive potential public health prize.”

So, once you’ve digested that bombshell, read on to discover everything that is going on inside your body after you stub out your final cigarette.

After 20 minutes
Your heart rate will begin to drop back to a steady level.

After 2 hours
Your heart and blood rate will have reached near normal levels and your circulation will begin to improve.

This is the point at which smokers quitting cold turkey begin to feel the first effects of nicotine withdrawal. As a vaper, that won’t happen to you!

After 12 hours
Carbon Monoxide starts to leave your body.

Carbon Monoxide is a poisonous gas and is one of over 6000 chemicals contained in cigarette smoke. It binds to blood cells and prevents them from bonding with oxygen. This is why smokers experience various cardiovascular problems.

Vaping does not produce carbon monoxide so your body is free to detoxify this nasty substance.

After 24 hours
Your heart begins to repair and your chances of a heart attack steadily decrease.

Also, your lungs will start to rid themselves of all the sludgy gunk that builds up when you smoke. This can cause you to develop a nasty cough, but don’t panic. Remember – better out than in!

After 48 hours
Book a table at your favourite restaurant because your senses of taste and smell are coming back!

After 3 days
At this point, if you are quitting cold turkey, you are entering peak danger territory. All traces of nicotine will be out of your system and withdrawal symptoms will be at their most intense.

This is where most people fail at their quitting attempt as the cravings become too much to handle. However, if you choose vaping as your quitting method, you can still get some nicotine and dodge this bullet.

After 2 weeks
Your body is in full regeneration mode and you will start to notice a marked improvement in your physical health.

Your lung function is increasing so going out for a run, playing football with your kids, or simply climbing a flight of stairs, will no longer leave you gasping for breath.

After 1 month
Now that you’re not putting tar into your system, the cilia inside your lungs (microscopic hair-like structures) are no longer weighed down and can move freely again.

This means that they can keep your airways clear of mucus and dirt, reducing your risk of infection.

After 3 to 9 months
As your lung function continues to improve, any wheezing, coughing, and shallow breathing that smoking cigarettes caused should have dramatically reduced, or gone away entirely.

After 12 months
Your risk of heart disease will have been reduced by approximately half!

This is true even if you have switched from smoking to vaping, as the vapour in e-cigarettes has not shown risk of damage to heart cells.

You will have also significantly decreased your risk of having a stroke. The longer you don’t smoke cigarettes, the lower your risk will become.

As for your financial benefits, if you were a pack a day smoker, you should be over £2,500 per year better off as a vaper!

After 10 years
Even if you’re still vaping, your risk of developing lung cancer risk will now be about half of what it was while you were smoking. This is because e-cigarette vapour contains none of the carcinogens found in cigarette smoke.

Also, your risk of heart disease is now roughly the same as that of someone who never smoked. Even if your e-liquid still contains nicotine, it’s been shown that the effects on nicotine on the heart are similar to those of caffeine.

Vaping is at least 95% safer than smoking
That statistic comes direct from Public Health England, who now advocate the use of e-cigarettes to help quit smoking, and is backed up by the Royal College of Physicians, and Cancer Research UK.

The NHS Smokefree website contains this quote regarding e-cigarette usage:

“There is growing evidence that e-cigarettes can help people stop smoking, with similar or better results than nicotine replacement therapies such as patches. It is important to use your e-cigarette enough to properly manage your cravings – people who use e-cigarettes too little or too rarely have less success at quitting smoking. Smokers who use an e-cigarette and get support from their local stop smoking service have the highest quit rates, with around two-thirds quitting successfully.”

Vape for long term quitting success
The length of time it takes for your body to fully repair entirely depends on the level of damage that has been done by cigarette smoking. But it will repair! The longer you stay off the ciggies, the more your health will improve.

Your body will thank you, your bank balance will thank you, and the people around you will thank you as they will no longer be exposed to your harmful smoke and nasty smell!

We’re here to help you quit smoking for good
At Freedom Vapes, we pride ourselves on being responsible vaping advocates. We keep up to date with all of the latest news and studies; we only supply high quality TPD compliant vaping products; and we are always on hand to offer helpful and honest advice about vaping. Please get in touch if you have any queries on quitting smoking.

If you are still considering making the switch from smoking to vaping, but want to learn more, please dont hesitate to ‘contact us’ or ‘Pop in’ and we will gladly spend as much time with you as you need.

Check out our ‘Beginners Guide’ to learn more about vaping terms and equipment. Our blog on ‘Vaping Myths’ is also handy if you want to check the truth about any negative press you may have heard about vaping.

Battery Cells for mechanical and box mods

Caution: There is always an inherent risk when using any rechargeable batteries.

When working with Li-ion (Lithium-ion), LiPo (Lithium-ion Polymer) and any rechargeable battery cells, please be cautious and use carefully as they are very sensitive to charging characteristics and may explode or burn if mishandled. Please make sure that you have a good understanding of rechargeable batteries before you use them. Always charge batteries on a clean and fire-proof surface. Never leave charging batteries unattended, including overnight. Always keep, store and transport the rechargeable cells in a safe, non-conductive container in a controlled environment

Do not use any rechargeable battery as well as any battery charger if any visible damage is present. If the cell or charger has been stressed through mishandling, accidental or otherwise, even if damage may not be visible then do not use it. Please dispose battery cells, chargers or any other electronic devices responsibly.

Freedom Vapes and its employees will not be responsible for any damage or injury sustained through improper handling, use and modification of the batteries, chargers and devices they are used with.

Please be sure to read our battery safety guide