Different Types of Vaporizer Heating and Delivery Methods
There are numerous types of vaporizers available on the market today, all of which have numerous applications. Where the smoking of legal herbs is concerned, the type of vaporizer is usually determined by the type of heating and delivery methods that each one employs. However, all of them vaporize the plant material so that it can be smoked and enjoyed. The following is a breakdown of the two heating and the two delivery methods that are typically used.
Direct Conductional Heating – the classic, more common glass dome type vaporizers work by placing the plant material on a small plate (usually metal) where it heats up sufficiently and starts vaporizing the material. This method is referred to as ‘direct’ because you place the plant material directly onto the heating element.
Indirect Conductional Heating – this is considered the superior technique employed for vaporizing the plant materials because it never directly touches the heating element. Hot air passes over the material causing the active ingredients to be released.
Direct Lung Delivery – inhaling from this type of vaporizer involves heated air passing through the plant material which is then inhaled directly into the lungs. Since the vapour is not stored, you inhale a larger quantity of vapour.
Stored Vapour Delivery – when using this vapour delivery method, the plant material is heated until the vapours form. It is then stored in a balloon type of chamber or glass bowl for inhalation. The difference between this method and the direct lung method is that you cannot inhale as large a quantity of smoke. In other words, it results in a smaller ‘hit.’