View Our Buying Guide
Vaporizer Basics
- What is a Vaporizer?
- An Overview of Heating Sources
- Heater Types
- Power Sources for Heater
- An Overview of Transfer Systems
What is a Vaporizer?
To put it simply, it is a device that produces vapors by heating aromatic blends and herbs. Vaporizers are an excellent alternative to the harmful combustion of the aromatic blends which occurs when using poisonous butane lighters or matches.
Tokin Deals offers a great selection of brand name vaporizers and accessories and is your official source for all of your lifestyle needs.
Keep in mind that all vaporizers are unique and their designs vary widely, but you can always bet that every vaporizer will have two essential components: a heating source, and a transfer system.
An Overview of Heating Sources
A heating source is necessary in order to achieve vaporization of the aromatic blends. All vaporizer designs use one of three ways to generate heat for the primary heat source, however, they almost always benefit from the secondary effects of one or both of the other types of heat. The primary types of heating sources can be categorized as follows:
- Convection heating works by passing heated air over and through the aromatic blends. This is a popular heating source in vaporizer designs because temperature control is easier and it heats aromatic blends more evenly and efficiently.
- Conduction heating works by placing a heating surface in direct contact with aromatic blends. This is a less common heat source when compared to convection.
- Radiation heating works by using energy which is emitted as electromagnetic waves to generate heat. This is the least common heating method and there are very few vaporizers available which use radiation as a primary heat source.
Heater Types
The most popular heater type for convection vaporizers are ceramic heaters due to the fact that the ceramics used within the device are inert at vaporizing temperatures. Ceramic heaters are slower to warm up but once hot, they will retain heat well and minimize the cooling caused by incoming air. While this type of heating is efficient it also means that the ceramics will take longer to cool because of their heat retention abilities.
The majority of heaters for conduction vaporizers are usually stainless steel because it is inert at vaporizing temperatures. The heater surface can be either solid metal or a screen. An advantage of this type of heater is quick heating and cooling compared to other heater types.
A few vaporizers use a nichrome wire wrapped around a glass chamber as a heat source. This type of heater likely provides the most stable temperature of all heater types because it is controlled by a programmed chip within the device.
Power Sources for Heater
No matter what vaporizer you choose they all need a power source for the heater. We will now discuss the most common power sources that you will find when shopping for vaporizers.
Electric
Most electrically powered vaporizers either operate at a fixed temperature or have a variable control for setting a consistent reproducible temperature. There are two types of electric vaporizers:
- Wall plug or desktop – vaporizers with this feature are often called desktop vaporizers because they require an electrical outlet
- Battery powered – these designs are intended to be more portable, meaning they are simple to carry around and use without being plugged in
The batteries used in vaporizer designs are rechargeable but there are different types:
– Li-Ion
These batteries are not easily removable and usually cannot be replaced without returning the unit to the manufacturer. They require a connection to the device, such as a USB cable, in order to recharge.
– NiMH and LiPo
These batteries can be removed and easily replaced. They are usually recharged using an external charger. they are depleted quickly.
Catalytic converter
There are also a few butane-powered designs that eliminate the need for a torch lighter by using catalytic converters, which also ensures complete burning of the butane.
An Overview of Transfer Systems
After your aromatic blends have been vaporized thanks to the heating source the vapor needs a way to transfer from the heating chamber to the user. Transfer systems can be separated into groups based on whether or not the design features a forced air or direct draw system. There are certain vaporizers on the market that employ both methods.
Forced Air
In this type of transfer system, a fan or pump forces hot air around and through the aromatic blends to be vaporized and into a bag, which is often referred to as a balloon. Forced air designs are therefore convection designs.
Direct Draw
These are basically a box built around a heater, often with a digital display for temperature control. The transfer system is a wand and whip combination. Direct draw vaporizers have a reputation for delivering thick cloudy vapor.
