When you have a vape pod that won’t stop leaking, it’s going to be a major annoyance that will definitely take away from the quality of your vaping experience. A leaking pod leads to bothersome gurgling sounds when you vape. Your pod may even spray hot e-liquid into your mouth. A leak can exit the pod through the airflow vents at the bottom, potentially causing vape juice to get on your hands or contaminate your device’s internal electronics. No matter what, it’s a bad situation that you’ll want to rectify as quickly as possible – and in this guide, we’re going to explain how to do it.
Why does your vape pod keep leaking? Let’s examine what’s happening and how you can prevent it.
You Need a More Modern Device
Compared to other different types of vapes, pod systems are relatively new and have existed for less than a decade. They’re still evolving rapidly, and manufacturers are now using technologies like ultrasonic sealing and multiple layers of silicone gaskets to ensure that pods won’t be susceptible to leaking. Today’s pod vapes are more reliable than ever. It’s probably time for an upgrade if the last time you bought a new device was more than a year or two ago.
The good folks at eCigReviewSite.co.uk recently compiled a comprehensive list of the best vapes in the UK. Check it out if you’re not sure what to buy.
You’re Puffing Too Hard When You Vape
If you’re new to vaping, it’s very important to remember that you should always use very light air pressure when puffing on your device. The physics of vaping and smoking are very different from one another.
If you increase the air pressure when puffing on a cigarette, you’ll get a bigger cloud of smoke because you’re increasing the oxygen that fuels the burning. You’ll need to use a completely different strategy, though, if you want to get a bigger cloud when vaping. When you vape, the way to get a bigger cloud is by taking a longer puff rather than a harder one. Here’s how to do it.
- Puff very gently on your device. Increase the air pressure slowly until the device’s light turns on. That’s as firmly as you need to puff.
- Maintain the same level of air pressure until you’re happy with the volume of vapour you’ve inhaled.
Puffing too firmly on a pod vape causes excess e-liquid to enter the pod’s coil assembly. The coil floods, and the e-liquid exits the pod through the airflow hole under the coil. Leaking is the inevitable result.
You’re Overfilling Your Pod
Another common reason why vape pods leak is because people often overfill their pods in an attempt to get them to last as long as possible before they need to be refilled again. There are two reasons, though, why overfilling your pod is a bad idea if you don’t want it to leak.
- When you use your device, the pod forms an internal vacuum that helps to control the flow of e-liquid from the reservoir section of the pod to the coil. There needs to be empty space in the pod for the vacuum to form.
- There also needs to be some room for the silicone plug that closes the pod. If the pod is overfilled, the plug will push e-liquid into the coil assembly, causing the coil to flood.
When you add e-liquid to a vape pod, don’t forget to leave a little room for air at the top.
Your Pod Isn’t Fully Closed
When you refill your pod, you don’t just need to pay attention to the amount of e-liquid you’re adding; you also need to make sure that the pod is completely closed after you’re done filling it. A vape pod is usually sealed with a silicone plug on the side, although there are also some top-filling pods with removable mouthpieces. Regardless of the type of pod you have, it’s important to make sure that it’s completely sealed before you put it back into your device. If there’s even a slight misalignment, e-liquid can begin to leak from the pod’s filling port.
Your Pod’s Coil Isn’t Installed Properly
If you’re using a pod system with a removable coil, it’s also important to make sure that the coil is installed properly if your pod keeps leaking. In most cases, you install a coil simply by pushing it into a hole at the bottom of the pod. If the coil is pushed all the way in, it’s installed properly and shouldn’t leak. In some cases, though, it may not be possible to push a coil in fully unless it’s aligned in a certain way – and if the coil isn’t correctly installed, the pod will leak.
- If the base of the coil has a flat side, that side needs to align with a corresponding flat edge on the bottom of the pod.
- If the pod has a retaining lever at the bottom, the lever needs to be snapped or pushed into place when the coil is pushed in fully.
What to Do if a Vape Pod Leaks
Every time you refill your pod system, it’s a good idea to remove the pod and look under it to see if it has leaked. If you see e-liquid under the pod, remove as much of it as possible with a paper towel and go through the steps outlined in this article to determine why the pod has leaked and how to prevent it from happening in the future.
If your device has stopped working because of a leaking pod, that’s a more serious issue because e-liquid may have contaminated the device’s internal components and caused a short circuit. If that has happened, the damage may be permanent. However, there are two things you can try that might get your device working again.
- Remove the pod and blow firmly through your device’s air inlet hole. Can you see e-liquid at the top of your device now? If so, dry it with a paper towel and continue blowing through the device until you see no more e-liquid. Try using your device again.
- If you’re still unable to vape, try sealing your device in a plastic bag with some desiccant packets or unscented cat litter for a few days. The desiccant or cat litter will draw the excess moisture out of the device, and that may get it working again.
