Like every other thing, your vape kits need care and safekeeping in order to make way for smooth functioning. The maintenance of vape kits is extremely important in order to preserve their lifespan and avoid leakage. When it comes to refillable vape kits, one of the most frequent issues that arise is their leakage. A lot of people don’t understand why their vape device leaks and quickly jump to replace it without even troubleshooting. In this blog, we will address some common issues with respect to leakage and offer solutions to maintain your vape kit

Troubleshooting The Leakage

We’ve all been there, usually when we’ve just filled up the tank and taken our first pull, only to discover a long line of sticky vape juice covering our hand as it leaks down the tank. Or you’ve left it in your car or purse and forgotten about it, only to suddenly remember it and find a brown gooey mess completely covering your beloved vape. Worse still, you’ve dropped it and thought it was fine, only to discover hours later that your tank is empty and your vape is ruined.

 Which begs the following question: why does my vape leak? There could be a lot of reasons behind the leakage, but troubleshooting is extremely important because most of these issues can easily be resolved without replacing the kit or device

 E-Liquid Fill Port

This is actually one of the most common reasons. Your vape tank has a central tube that goes all the way through the center of your tank. This tube is responsible for bringing air, via the air slots, through the chimney as you inhale. But it’s also very easy for new vapers to confuse with the e-liquid fill port, as it’s usually very close to the central tube.

 Just keep in mind where you’re filling up your vape juice, and you should be fine. In the event that you do happen to get juice into that central tube, you can either tilt the tank to allow the juice to run out through the airflow slots, or disassemble your tank and rinse everything out (except the coil.) Once the tank has been rinsed and dried, you can fill up your tank again, this time with the proper e-liquid fill port. 

Leaving The Device On Its Side 

Again, for new vapers, this is a common mistake. A lot of times, new vapers will treat their vape kit like their phones or wallets. And since the tank is made of glass and the buttons might depress unknowingly against a firm surface, it makes sense to try to eliminate those options. Unfortunately, this is an extremely easy way for tanks to leak, especially if the tank isn’t full. Atomizers are built to rest vertically in the tank. Each atomizer is built with something called “juice holes” that allows the juice to flow smoothly through the cotton. These juice holes are submerged in e-liquid when the tank is full, but as you continue to use your vape, gradually the vape juice level decreases.

This isn’t a problem if the tank is standing upright. But once the vape is left to lay on its side, the e-liquid can slowly pass through the atomizer’s juice holes and leak out via the airflow slots or the central tube. Then you’re left with a sweet sticky mess and a lot of frustration. It may take some getting used to, but if you can learn to leave your tank sitting upright, you can eliminate one reason your tank might be leaking. 

Atomizer Setting

Coils are the bane of a vaper’s existence – they provide vapers with smooth and flavorful clouds, but they also create a world of headaches. Your coil can cause dry hits if the cotton isn’t saturated enough; different types and flavors of e-juice can clog the coil and make it completely unusable; and the average coil life span can last anywhere from a few days to an entire month. But atomizers can also be the cause of a leaky tank. If the coils aren’t screwed in tightly enough, there’s a gap between the coil and the base. Juice can then seep through that gap and drip out all over your hand and device.

You might think the simple solution would be to screw in coils until they’re locked in tightly. But the tighter you screw in that coil, the more risk you run of cross-threading the coil. Tightly screwing in the coil also puts unnecessary pressure on the tank’s base o-ring, causing it to tear or weaken. Now don’t throw up your hands in despair and give up completely. You’ll need a little trial and error before figuring out the coil’s sweet spot. Try to tighten it to the point where you know you can take it off easily when it’s time to change the coil, but not so loose as you can merely twist it and it spins. 

Inhalation Techniques

Learning how to use a vape, especially if you’re a cigarette smoker, can be a challenge. Believe it or not, the way you’re taking your first hit can be an indicator of why your vape is leaking. Cigarette/cigar smokers are accustomed to taking sharp and aggressive pulls, but thanks to the airflow slots in a vape tank, those methods aren’t necessary with your vape. In fact, the harsher and more aggressive your inhale, the more likely you are to flood your coil and end up with juice in your mouth. Instead of imitating the drag of a cigarette, take a gentle and relaxed breath. That’s how you should inhale when you take a hit of your vape. Don’t equate the sharpness of your inhale with the amount of clouds you’ll produce. 

E-Liquid Consistency

Many e-liquids are available for vaping and come in all sorts of flavors, consistencies, and VG/PG ratios. Yet certain e-liquids are more susceptible to leaking due to their consistencies. Remember in our last article how we learned that VG is used to thicken the consistency of vape juice? Here’s how that plays into possible vape tank leaks: the thinner the juice, the easier it is to seep out through the coils. If your favorite juice happens to be higher on the PG level, you can either add more wicking material (for RBA devices) or see if the manufacturer offers a higher VG ratio. While it might be frustrating to switch VG/PG ratios, it’ll save you a lot of headaches in the future with a non-leaky tank! 

Maintenance of Vape Kits While Travelling

Ready to explore the world with your trusty vape by your side? Here’s a word of warning for frequent flyer vapers: completely disassemble your vape setup before getting on the plane. Airplane pressure changes as you fly higher, and your vape may start to leak. Since you can’t vape in the airport or on the plane, you won’t need to have your vape completely set up until you exit the airport.