Combustion vs Conduction vs Convection Vaping: What Is Their Key Difference
As a cannabis enthusiast, you may have heard about combustion, conduction, and convection vaping but are not sure what the differences are. As vaporizing arguably becomes one of the most popular methods to consume weed products in recent years, it is essential to understand the different methods of vaporization. It is also important for cannabis users and promoters to understand the difference between conduction, convection, and combustion because each will give you varying experiences.
To begin with, vaporization is done through two methods: convection and conduction. Essentially, combustion is not a form of vaporization, but it is also a way of ingesting cannabis. We will tell you about the difference between the three terms in the following sections of this article. So, keep reading to understand how the three forms of weed use differ.
Is Your Vape Pen a Vaporizer?
Multitudes of organizations refer to vape devices like dry herb vaporizers. However, vape pens from different brands are not created equal, and not all truly vaporize weed. Different pens heat up the herb differently based on whether the herbs have direct contact with the pen’s heating element and the accessories the vape uses. After telling you about the differences between combustion, conduction, and convection, you will learn if your vape pen is truly a vaporizer or not.
The Science Behind Vaporization
We cannot talk about vaporization without talking about temperature. One needs to heat the herb well enough for the weed plant to release its chemical compounds in the form of vapor. However, the temperature must not be hot enough to burn the cannabis plant. Ideally, the temperature should be from 350°F to 450°F. If the temperatures are lower than 350°F, the heat will not be sufficient to allow the production of vapor. Similarly, temperatures higher than 450°F may lead to the ignition of the herb. While temperatures between 350°F to 450°F could vaporize your herb, the vapor feels and tastes different based on the temperature. To get the best taste of your vaporization, you need to set the temperatures closer to 450°F. However, given that we all have varying tastes and preferences, you can adjust the temperature to your liking.
Now that you have an idea of how vaporization occurs, we will tell you about the differences between combustion, conduction, and convection.
What Is Combustion?
Combustion is a process in smoking. Although combustion is one of the most popular ways of using cannabis, it is not a form of vaping. Almost all e-cigarettes, including popular devices, such as the AGO Vaporizer pen and Atmos Raw Rx, claim that they are portable dry herb vaporizers that do not vaporize weed. Instead, based on how these devices work, you can easily tell that they simply combust herbs. How? The devices heat the herbs by directly exposing them to the pen’s heating coil. The heating coil, which produces more than 450°F, ignites and burns weed like a normal smoking pipe. In vaporization, the heating element should never contact your herb directly. For vaporization to occur, heating occurs indirectly. Consequently, when buying a vape pen for vaporization, ensure it has a glass screen filter.
What Is Conduction Vaping?
Conduction is a way of directly transferring the heat to the vaping material. As indicated, one of the ways to vaporize is through conduction. This method entails placing the herbs on a material that heats up to the correct vaporization temperature. Instead of the herb having direct contact with the heating element, a glass screen filter prevents the herbs from directly touching the hot heating coils. As such, the filters help pens to heat the herb without burning it up to produce vapor. The processes can take between 5 and 25 seconds, but the outcome is not always perfect. However, if you intend to get vapor instead of smoke, it is a better way.
While the accessories may help you get vapor, you can still find vape pens that can vaporize via conduction without requiring extra accessories. One of the best vape pens that work through conduction is our LTQ 3-in-1 Vaporizer, which you can find at vape4ever by clicking on. All you need is to load your weed into the chamber and let it heat for approximately 30 seconds before you can begin to inhale the vapor. Thankfully, you can set the temperatures to your liking within the optimal temperature range for vaporizing herbs. However, this method has some disadvantages in that if you are not careful, your herb may overheat, consequently burning up.
What Is Convection Vaping?
Convection is another common form of vaping that heats the materials by spreading air. Unlike conduction, where you place your herb on a heated material to ensure the production of vape, convection entails using air to get your herb to attain the right temperature to vape. You simply suspend the dry herb above the heating coil. This approach causes hot air from the heating element to heat up the herbs slowly to release vapor. As you heat up the chamber, inhale slowly. Alternatively, you may just heat the chamber up without inhaling the vapor. Wait until after around 30 seconds to start inhaling the vapor.
However, this method has some limitations that you should consider as you purchase a vape device that uses this method. First, placing the mesh at exactly the right height is quite difficult. Secondly, if the filters accidentally fall on the heating coils, the device could be short-circuited and the battery ruined. Nonetheless, the advantages of using this approach to vaping make such vapes a worthy investment.
Most convection vape devices are not portable pens. Instead, they are stationary and non-portable. Some work by heating water below your dry herbs and using the steam produced from the heating to create vapor. However, these devices are bulkier and larger than vaping pens, meaning that you cannot use them on-the-go. However, if you need a significant amount of vapor, this is the way to go. Otherwise, a vape pen is a good choice for your on-the-go needs. Pens should also be chosen if you don’t have much to spend on a vaporizing device.
Conclusion
As you have seen from this discussion, combustion, conduction, and convection are different ways to consume your weed into the body. Now that you know their key difference is their process in heating the material, you can go ahead with a vaping pen that meets your needs. Enjoy your vaping!
