Nicotine vapes have quickly become the most popular alternative to traditional cigarettes. A lot of people looking to quit their smoking habit use a vape for a similar, simpler and more effective transition. However, e-cigarettes like any electronic device, have their fair share of problems and must be used properly for the best experience. One of the most common questions vapers ask is, why is my vape leaking?  So we have compiled an in depth list of the best tips you can try to stop your vape from leaking. 

Why is my vape leaking?

First, to answer the question why is my vape leaking, we must understand how a vape works.

In the most basic sense, a vape is just a straw that you are using to suck up air.

The top airflow (where you inhale) is directly connected to the bottom airflow. It’s like a straw has 2 sides, one side to suck up the drink (or the air in this case), and another to bring it into your mouth. Every single vape has these airflow holes as they are required for you to be able to inhale from the vape.  The problem with these airflow holes is them simply existing, means there is always a chance of your vape leaking. So what are the best methods to stop or reduce leaking? Read on!

Temperature matters

There are two seasons where we are most frequently asked “why is my vape leaking”,  they are Summer and Winter. This is due to the drastic temperature changes from indoors vs outdoors causing a reaction in the vape. If its the middle of summer and you left your vape in your car, just know when you come back, the liquid will probably have leaked everywhere.

As with any metal or liquid, heating up will cause the metal to expand, and the liquid to become thinner, which leads to a ton of leaking. Because of this you need to try your best to keep your vape within a consistent temperature in all seasons. The more the temperature changes, the more likely you are to experience leaking. So don’t leave your vape in your car!

Take gravity into consideration

If you aren’t planning on using your vape very often or plan to switch to a different device for a while, it’s best to leave the tank standing up. Why? Because like all things on mother earth, e-liquid is also affected by gravity! Leaving your tank sideways on a table will eventually cause liquid to seep out of your coil, into your bottom “airflow”, and out onto whatever surface it is on. Remember, since you are dealing with liquid, if there are holes for the liquid to go in as well as air to pass through, there are also ways for liquid to leak out.

Certain tanks have such a large “airflow” on the bottom that even when standing upright they can eventually leak. The best thing to do in this instance is to remove the tank from your device and leave it totally upside down so that none of the liquid inside can even touch the coil or “airflow”.

On a final note, if you plan on not using a tank for months on end, the tank should ultimately be emptied and cleaned. You can always go back and refill it when you are ready to return to using it!

Fill up the tank or pod properly

When filling your vape, make sure you do not accidentally pour any vape juice into the top airflow. As this will  definitely start your vape leaking, usually immediately. Sometimes it may not leak until its put on its side in your pocket, or bag, and no one likes juice stained pockets or purses. As basic as this seems, its a pretty common occurrence. The second key when filling up your vape is do not overfill your device. Leave a little air so that it will create a small “vacuum” within the tank. This will definitely help in preventing any liquid from leaking out throughout the day.

Ensure all parts of your device and tank are sealed and tightened

Another common problem is not having all parts of your tank tightened correctly. This will cause gaps within the seal of your tank allowing liquid to slowly leak out. The easiest way to avoid such problems is to take the time to make sure that all sections of your device and tank are tightened correctly through a few simple steps.

• Inspect the tank for mechanical damage;
• Check the integrity of the tank flask glass – it should not have cracks and chips;
• Make sure that no parts of the tank are deformed and are fitted correctly;
• Check if the coil/ atomizer is screwed into the tanks base correctly – most often this error leads to leaks.

If a problem is found:

• Replace the damaged part with a new one – specific parts of most tanks are sold separately;
• Replace broken glass – most often a spare flask comes with an atomizer;
• Disassemble and reassemble the tank to eliminate errors and gaps in the connections between parts.

Another problem you might encounter is cross threading. Cross threading is when two sections of the thread that you twist to put the tank together overlap by accident, causing part of the tank to sit in a crooked fashion. This also causes gaps around the seals and can potentially break one of the seals around the tank, leading to permanent damage and heavy leaking. If cross threading has occurred on your device, it is likely time to change your vape tank.

Check the O-Rings and make sure you maintain them

There are a wide variety of problems that can be caused by the O-rings in your tank which seal the tank shut while it is screwed together. O-rings can snap if the tank is over tightened and this will render your tank without a seal entirely. If this happens it will leak. If a tank has been in use for a long period of time, sometimes the O-rings can crystallize and crack since they are made of rubber.

Check your O-rings regularly and ensure they are in good condition and sealing your tank well. If you need to replace your O-rings, no problem! All you need to do is reach into the box your tank came in and you will almost always find spare rings within it. All tanks are made in different sizes and if you buy O-rings that do not match the size of your tank will cause leaking or they simply won’t even fit over the tank itself.

Use the recommended settings and vape juice

If your vape has adjustable power settings, you must use it at the numbers suggested on the coil or pod. If you go above what the manufacturer recommends, it will burn and permanently damage the coil, meaning the coil is garbage. If you set the power below what is recommended, it will not vaporize the juice at the same speed of which the juice is soaking the wick, which will definitely lead to leaking. Every coil and pod has different size wick holes, these holes indicate what type of liquid you should be using.

Every higher ohm (above ohm or Mouth to lung) device will have small wick holes. These devices are meant for thinner juices, which are typically a higher nicotine, run at a lower power and are a higher PG percentage in the PG/VG Ratio. For example they would likely be 50%pg/50%vg. Using a thicker vape juice wont cause leaking in these devices, but will make it more likely to burn.

However using a thinner juice like the 50/50 example above, in a lower ohm (sub ohm or direct lung) vape will most definitely cause leaking. The wick holes are much larger on the direct lung devices, and that means the thinner vape juice will flow through pretty quickly.

Close your airflow if not in use to prevent your vape leaking

The last tip we have is only for those using adjustable air flow devices. Such as the Freemax Fireluke tanks, or the Voopoo Drag S. If you are not using the device we strongly recommend closing the airflow, this will cause an air seal making it pretty unlikely to leak.

With all of that information, we hope you were able to at least reduce if not stop your vape leaking entirely. There is unfortunately no guaranteed way to stop leaking due to the nature of the product, but these tips should definitely help out. If there is anything we can help you with please contact us and we will do our best to help!