Watts, Amps, Ohms, mAh
BEGINNERS GUIDE: What are Ohms, mAh, Voltage, Amps and Watts?
If you are new to the vape scene, then some terms that are used may be a bit confusing. You may be reading descriptions or articles and words like ohms, mAh, voltage and wattage come up a lot at your local vape shop when talking about vape devices. We’ve all been there, trying to understand how they apply to your vape experience. Thankfully, we have created a guide to help you understand what all these terms mean. Fortunately, it is not too hard to understand. It can begin to get complicated so let’s start with the basics.
mAh
You may have seen the term “mAh” floating around when trying to find the perfect vape battery or while doing your own research on an online vape shop. This is a simple term actually, just to tell you how much battery life and capacity your device has.
The term “mAh” stands for Milli Ampere an Hour or also called "Mili Amps" at your local vape shop. On your vape battery the higher the mAh rating is, the more the battery is able to store. This means that you’ll have a longer period of time to use the vape batteries you can put into your electronic cigarette device. It is important to remember all 18650 batteries, 20700 batteries and so fourth all have a mAh rating.
Voltage and Wattage
These are two terms that are easily comparable. They are, for the most part, the same. However, they do have their own significant differences. They do directly affect each other though which is why they are commonly clumped together.
Voltage
All right let’s start off with voltage. On the inside of your vape device, there will be electrical cords, which is where the energy is flowing. Voltage is a measure of how much of this energy is moving throughout these circuits. There are usually different wires the energy will move through, but there are points where the charge meets. At these points is where “voltage” is formed. The device used to get this surge of energy is called the atomizer coil, or vape coil which is located in your vape tank or pod we all fill with e-liquid. This is controlled by OHMS, but that is something we will get into later.
Wattage
Now, wattage is another term that is important to understand when vaping. This is a measure of power that your vape hardware uses. When changing the wattage on your device, you are changing the heat levels that your replacement coils use when heating up the vape juice. Changing the watts dramatically changes the flavour you get from your juice (which is usually based again on the Ohms on your replacement coils being used inside your vape tank). Though it depends directly on personal preference there are some things to possibly think about when choosing flavour and wattage. For example; coffee, tobacco and chocolate vape juices have a stronger taste when the wattage is set very high, however, fruit-based vape juices have a stronger taste at a lower wattage setting
These two power settings directly affect one another, changing the voltage changes the wattage and vice versa.
OHMS
Alright, this is where things may get a little confusing. Ohms are probably one of the most important things to take into consideration when using your vape mod. An Ohm is usually represented by the symbol “Ω”. This is yet another power that runs within your vape device. This is the power of resistance that is being measured, also known as OHMS LAW.
This goes hand in hand with voltage. If you change the voltage up higher than your resistance will also increase. The same will happen if you decrease the voltage as well. Basically, when you are changing the resistance and voltage, you are changing the current of power running through your vape device. When you set your resistance to a lower setting (when your replacement coil resistance rating is <1.0 Ohms), your vapour will come out thicker, which is what more experienced vapers use to achieve sub-ohming. This is set aside for long-time vapours who do not mind keeping up with their replacement coils.
This is also why you will see most Pod System vape devices and smaller starter kits will use replacement coils that are 1.0> Ohms, due to the fact that the device is producing less power than a small vape pod. If this IS NOT done right, then it can cause damage to the vape device and tanks.
Term Glossary
Amps
This term is a short way to say ampere. This is a measure of current, commonly known as 6.241*10 18 electrons or also 1 coulomb. This is per second that is passing through a specific point within the circuit.
mAh
1000th of an Ah (ampere per hour). This is to measure the battery life or capacity. If the battery has a-higher-mAh ratings, it will have longer battery life and more capacity.
*THIS IS NOT TO MEASURE POWER!!*
Voltage
The amount of energy that is flowing into the hardware, meeting at two specific points within the circuit. One will always hold more of a charge than the other point will. The charge that is formed at these points is voltage.
Wattage
How much power your vape hardware is taking.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact our customer service team at Dragon Vape, our experienced vape associates. You can always visit us at one of our local vape stores or connect with us on our online vape shop at https://dragonvape.ca