You have been enjoying a flavour for weeks and then one day it tastes like almost nothing. Or it tastes burnt, or sweeter than it should, or simply wrong. It is one of the most common things people ask us about, and in nearly every case there is a straightforward cause you can fix in a few minutes.

Work through these in order. The first two account for most cases.

Cause 1: The coil is worn out

This is the answer far more often than anything else. Coils have a working life of roughly one to two weeks depending on how much you vape and what you vape, and they fade gradually rather than failing outright. Because the decline is slow, you acclimatise to it and only notice when a fresh coil suddenly tastes vivid again.

The signs are a muted flavour that gets progressively duller, a slightly toasted note behind the flavour, and less vapour than you are used to. Sweet dessert and custard liquids are the hardest on coils because the sweeteners caramelise onto the wire, so if you vape those, expect a shorter life.

The fix: change the coil. Our guide to coil changes covers how, and looking after your pods and coils covers making them last. Keep a spare or two at home so a tired coil never becomes a reason to reach for a cigarette.

Cause 2: Vaper's tongue

If a fresh coil has not helped and other flavours still taste normal, the problem may not be the kit at all. Vaper's tongue is the common name for flavour fatigue, where your palate stops registering a taste you have been exposed to constantly. It is the same reason you stop smelling your own home.

It is harmless and temporary. It tends to arrive after a long run on one flavour, and it is more likely if you are dehydrated, have a cold, or have recently changed something else about your routine.

The fix: drink more water, which helps more than people expect. Switch to a contrasting flavour for a few days, ideally something menthol or citrus, since sharp flavours cut through fatigue most effectively. Give your usual liquid a rest and come back to it. Most people find it resolves within a few days.

Cause 3: The coil was not primed

A brand new coil needs its wick saturated before you use it. Fit a dry one, take a hard pull, and you scorch the cotton immediately. That burnt taste never goes away, because the damage is done in the first second.

The fix: when fitting a coil, put a few drops of liquid directly onto the exposed wick, fill the pod or tank, then leave it standing for five to ten minutes before the first puff. Start with a few gentle draws rather than a long hard one. If you have already burnt a coil, it cannot be recovered.

Cause 4: The liquid is past its best

E-liquid ages, particularly if it has been somewhere warm or bright. Flavour compounds break down and the result is a flat, vaguely chemical taste. A bottle that has spent a summer in a car will be noticeably worse than one from a cupboard.

The fix: smell the bottle. If it does not smell like the label, replace it. Store bottles cool, dark and upright with the caps tight, and buy single bottles of anything you have not tried before.

Cause 5: The liquid does not match the device

A thick high-VG liquid in a small pod coil cannot wick fast enough, and the result is a dry, harsh taste that people often mistake for a faulty coil. It is not faulty, it is starved.

The fix: match the ratio to the hardware. Pod kits and mouth-to-lung devices want a balanced 50/50, which is what most of our 10ml bottles are. Sub-ohm kits want a higher-VG blend. Getting this right solves a surprising number of taste complaints on its own.

Cause 6: Residue from the last flavour

Refilling a pod with something completely different without rinsing it leaves the old flavour lingering in the wick and the plastic. Menthol is the worst for this and can haunt a pod for days.

The fix: when changing to a very different flavour, fit a fresh coil or pod if you can. If not, rinse the empty pod with warm water, dry it thoroughly, then refill and let it stand. Some people keep separate pods for menthol and for everything else, which is the tidiest solution.

Cause 7: Something outside the kit entirely

Colds, sinus problems, hay fever, certain medications and dental work all change how you taste things, and vaping is no exception. If food and drink also taste odd, the vape is not the culprit and it will settle as you do.

Working through it

• Change the coil first, since it is the most likely cause by a wide margin.
• Still flat, but other flavours are fine? Hydrate and switch flavours for a few days.
• Burnt from the very first puff? The coil was not primed. Fit another and prime it properly.
• Chemical or dull smell from the bottle? The liquid has aged. Replace it.
• Dry and harsh in a small pod? Check the PG/VG ratio suits the device.
• Ghost of the last flavour? Fresh pod, or rinse and dry thoroughly.

If you have been through all of that and it still is not right, bring the kit into any of our stores. We are rated 4.8 out of 5 by over 4,800 UK customers, and our friendly advisers would far rather spend five minutes diagnosing it with you than have you give up on a device that is nearly right. Our e-liquid collection is there when you fancy a change of pace.