E-liquid gives you fabulous flavour but isn't so great when it is escaping from your vape tank or vape pod. Your vape juice will feel sticky when it contacts your hands and could stain your clothing. Leaking e-liquid is also a terrible waste and will cost you money.
Have you ever filled your vape tank at night only to find it sitting in a pool of e-liquid in the morning? Have you ever reached into your pocket and encountered a sticky mess? Here's how to diagnose the problem and then fix it:
Can a vape be completely leak-free?
Before you start troubleshooting your leaking vape tank, you should be aware that if a small amount of e-liquid occasionally escapes from your device, this is normal and not a major issue. No device could be 100% leak-free. All devices have airflow holes and mouthpieces and so are not sealed units. It is severe, persistent leaks that cause you to lose a significant amount of e-liquid, and that should be considered problematic.
What causes vapes to leak?
If you are suffering from a bad case of sticky fingers, there are several reasons why your device could be leaking e-liquid:
- You have overfilled your tank or pod
- If you overfill your tank you will force e-liquid out of any available escape route. Always ensure that you leave a little space at the top of your tank when you top up.
- Your tank or pod is cracked
- Glass tanks and even plastic pods can crack if dropped or knocked. If you are experiencing a leak, take a close look to see where the juice is coming from. If it appears to be leaking from the side of your tank or pod, there could be a crack. You will need to replace a damaged tank or pod.
- Your tank has a damaged gasket
- Vape tanks have silicone gaskets (O rings) that will degrade over time. Like the gaskets in an engine, they create an effective seal but when they are degraded, your tank will start to leak. Many tanks are supplied with spare O rings. Simply remove the damaged gasket and replace it with the supplied spare.
- Your mouthpiece isn't fitted correctly
- If your mouthpiece screws onto your tank it is all too easy to fit it incorrectly, giving e liquid a ready means of escape. Always replace your mouthpiece carefully to avoid cross threading and take a quick loom at it before you draw on your device.
- Your Coil isn't installed correctly
- Many tanks are compatible with push-fit coils that simply slot into place. But if you don't seat them correctly, e-liquid could escape from your tank. If you are experiencing a leak, check that your coil is sitting snugly in place. If your coils screw into your device, cross threading can occur, preventing the coil from sitting correctly in your tank.
- You have overly tightened a coil
- Don't over tighten a screw-in coil as you could damage your device's seal when applying so much pressure to it.
- You have chosen an unsuitable coil
- Coils are designed for different vaping styles and so boast different wattage and resistance ratings. If you choose the wrong coil for your vaping style, too much e-liquid may pass through the coil. This excess e-liquid can leak through the air intake ports or be sucked out of the drip tip into your mouth.
- For MTL vaping, you need a low wattage and low resistance coil. For DTL vaping, a higher wattage and higher resistance coil is required.
- Your coil is faulty
- Your coil has flooded
- Sometimes too much e-liquid is drawn into you coil and then flood the wicking, creating pools of juice that don't vaporise. If you suspect this is happening and your device features variable wattage, try upping your output as a hotter coil will vaporise more e-liquid when you take a puff. Crackling sounds are symptomatic of flooded coils so listen carefully if your vape is leaking.
- Your e-liquid is too thin
- If you are using a glass tank with a sub ohm coil, you should choose e-liquid that is high in VG. Those high in VG could be too thin for your hardware and so start to leak.
- Your draw is too sharp
- The way you inhale could be an issue. Drawing too hard can pull e-liquid into your coil faster than it can vaporise it. For this reason, it is best to take smoother and longer puffs.
- You are at a high altitude
- Vapes don't cope well with high altitudes. If you are in the mountains or are flying, the change in pressure will cause air inside your tank to expand and then force e-liquid out. The issue can largely be avoided by leaving your tank half empty when ascending to altitudes over 1,000 metres.
- You are experiencing extreme heat
- Heat waves are great if you are basking on the beach, but your vape won't like them! E-liquids become thinner in hot temperatures, and this could cause juice to leak from your device. The only cure is to find somewhere cooler to keep your vape between puffs. A cool box could come in handy if you are relaxing but wouldn't be quite so convenient if you are on the move.
Is it possible to prevent leaks?
Yes! Any device could eventually leak but there is much you can do to prevent problems from developing. As with most things in life, taking care of your equipment will help considerably:
- Don't lay your device on its side
- Some vaping devices really don't deal well with being left on their sides. If you leave your device on its side in the evening and find it sitting in a puddle of e-liquid in the morning, you may find the problem can be solved simply by leaving your vape in an upright position.
- Regularly check your gaskets
- Prevention is always better than cure. Check your gaskets from time to time and you should identify any issues before they result in leaking e-liquid. Replace damaged gaskets as soon as you notice any degradation.
- Protect glass tanks
- You can protect your tank with a silicone band. The bands are freely available and inexpensive. They will usually prevent your tank from cracking should you drop it or knock it.
Pay attention
Take care when replacing your coil or your mouthpiece to avoid cross threading. Many leaks are caused by clumsy vapers rather than faulty hardware!
Think ahead
If you are planning to fly or walk in the mountains, remember to leave your tank half empty and to take the e-liquid you will need with you. It would also be a good idea to carry your vape in a plastic bag in case it does leak. If hot weather is likely, think about how you can protect your kit from high temperatures and evolve your set-up prior to travelling or before the heat wave arrives.
Conclusions
Leaks are annoying, unpleasant and potentially expensive. But it is relatively easy to prevent any issues from occurring and to diagnose those that may arise. It is almost inevitable that you will experience leakage at some point and most leaks will be minor. If you do encounter a serious leak, examine your device and think about how you vape. You will soon discover the reason why your juice is escaping. Better still, you now know what to do about it!
