Vape pens have an advantage over both cigarettes and dry herb. This is because the other two are smoked, and the combustion process releases toxic by-products that are bad for your health. By vaporizing instead of burning, you can avoid lots of these side effects. But you may be wondering … ‘Why does my vape pen get clogged?’ Let’s look at potential reasons for this.

What Makes Vape Pens Get Clogged?

Vape pens come in lots of different designs including the stylus that looks like a ballpoint pen or the e-cig that mimics a cigarette. You can also find e-cigs that simulate cigars, cigarillos, or tobacco pipes. Then you have a box mod with its massive box-like battery and vape mod that can be structured as an RTA (rebuildable tank atomizer) or RDA (rebuildable drip atomizer).

Finally, you have single-use disposable vapes and disposable carts or refillable cartridges with a 510 or 810 thread. But all these vaping devices have a mouthpiece that sometimes gets clogged. When you press the button and/or inhale on the mouthpiece, aerosols enter your mouth. But sometimes, condensed breath and e-juice accumulate in the airway and block it.

Other reasons why your vape pen gets clogged include chain vaping, which is when you take multiple hits without giving the vape a break – sort of like a puff-puff-pass situation. The hot oil doesn’t have enough time to atomize so it seeps up the chimney in liquid form and ends up plugging the chimney. A vape pen may also get blocked if you’re using the wrong e-juice.

Reasons Why Your Vape Pen Gets Clogged

If your e-liquid or weed oil is too thick for your vape battery, it will often clog the airways. Flooded coils are an issue as well. This happens if you overfill your e-juice or if you didn’t use your pen for a long time so the e-liquid pooled at the bottom. The backlog means some of the oil will rise up the drip tip and as it gets farther from the heat source, it soon cools and clogs.

If you’re using a refillable vape pen with a detachable mouthpiece, you can easily unclog it by cleaning the drip tip. But you can only do this when the cart or tank is empty. Otherwise, you waste your unused e-juice. So what can you do about a clogged pen that’s still in active use? It’s a pretty easy fix and it only takes a few minutes before you can resume puffing in peace.

Since the clog starts in the mouthpiece, it can happen whether your vape pen has a ceramic oven, a metal coil, or a wicked atomizer. And the unclogging process is the same with all three devices so let’s find out why your vape pen gets clogged and how to unblock the greasy build-up. You can easily resolve the issue using everyday items around the house. Let’s do it!

Tip 1: Try Breathing Slowly

Why does my vape pen get clogged? The main reason is gunky oil build-up, whether it’s e-juice or weed oil. Usually, the fluid gets heated into a vapor that you can inhale. But if the surrounding temperature is too low, the oil condenses back to its liquid state, thickens, and blocks the airway. So your first step is to thin the oil by warming it up so it can move again.

You could do a slow inhale to suck the oil out. Take your time to ensure minimal amounts end up on your tongue because the oil doesn’t taste good. Alternatively, blow gently into the mouthpiece so that the e-juice or weed oil flows back towards the atomizer. There, it will get heated into an aerosol that you can freely inhale and puff out those happy clouds. All fixed!

Tip 2: Raise the Ambient Temperature

Vape pens work by heating the oil into vapor. But if you haven’t used the vape for a long time or if your area is particularly cold e.g. during winter, the e-juice consistency might get too thick to inhale. Disposable vape pens often have wicks tightly packed around a twisted wire or mesh coil. The wicks are saturated with sweet and juicy flavors like watermelon ice.

If the mouthpiece is clogged, you can roll the disposable vape between your palms to warm the oil and thin it slightly. For auto-inhale vapes, press the button a few times to trigger the battery. This will warm the whole vape pen and thin the e-juice that’s stuck in the chimney. That way, it can slip back toward the heating element to get vaporized and the clog is gone.

Tip 3: Use a Hair Dryer

If rolling the vape pen or pressing the button doesn’t help, the e-juice build-up might be a tad tougher. An external source of heat can be a useful way to unclog it. And most homes have a hair dryer handy. You could also use those automated hand dryers in public restrooms. Put the vape about 6” from the heat source and hold it there for 15 to 30 seconds so it warms up.

This should be enough heat to thin the oil and unclog the pen. You can then hold it firmly, cover the mouthpiece with a paper towel, and shake it vigorously to release any loose oil in the mouthpiece. Otherwise, the e-juice may drip into your mouth on your next inhale. But be sure to have a solid grip on the vape pen or it may fly out of your hands and do some damage.

Tip 4: Cool Things Down If Needed

While cold weather and chilly air conditioning can thicken your e-juice and clog your vape pen, hot rooms can be a problem too. Think of a ballpoint pen that’s stuck in your pocket on a balmy day. The ink goes watery and spills everywhere! Similarly, the e-liquid or weed oil in a pen can thin and leak into the drip tip. Then when the temperature evens out, it clogs up.

This can also happen if your e-juice is heavy on the PG (propylene glycol). It’s thinner than VG (vegetable glycerine) and more prone to spillage. If your vape pen feels too warm or has been sitting in a hot car, shake it to remove any fluid residue then move it to a cooler spot. In the future, be conscious about where you store your vape and avoid temperature extremes.

Tip 5: Check the Airholes

While the mouthpiece is the main way aerosols escape the vape pen, it’s not the only path for air to move. Many vape carts have air holes at the top or bottom to trigger the battery and activate it. Vape pens can also have adjustable airholes that you can slide over or manipulate with a button. If these air holes are blocked, inhaling the vape won’t have any effect on fumes.

Inspect your vape to identify the position of the air holes. If you’re unsure, read the manual or look up a video of your model online. Use a Q-tip or cotton swab to clean any gunk inside the air holes. Soak the swab in vinegar, rubbing alcohol, or cheap vodka first. You could also use a toothpick to poke the holes but be careful – its tip could break inside the hole and get stuck.

Tip 6: Stick a Paper Clip in the Mouthpiece

While toothpicks are convenient tools for unclogging airholes, they’re not as effective with a mouthpiece because they can easily get lost inside. A paper clip is a better helper here. You can untwist the clip for extra length, leaving part of it curled as a finger grip. Gently place the clip into the mouthpiece and move it around to dislodge any oil or e-juice that’s in the spout.

Don’t push the paper clip too far since it may scrape the sides of the vape pen or damage the coil, wick, or oven. Wiggle it gently and pull it out to see if there’s any oil on it. Wipe it with a paper towel and repeat the process until most of the oil is gone. You can then tap the vape pen onto a paper towel to drip any remaining e-juice out. The paper towel prevents any mess.

Tip 7: Perfect Your Vaping Technique

Most vapers focus on the MTL (mouth-to-lung) vs DTL (direct-to-lung) debate. But there’s a lot more to consider when you’re learning to vape correctly, and some tactics can extend the lifespan of your vape pen. Avoid inhaling too sharply, since this can pull too much oil up the chimney, eventually causing a clog. And wait at least thirty seconds between every inhale.

This reduces clogging potential and gives the e-juice or weed oil sufficient time to circulate in your system, heightening its effects. This works with both nicotine buzzes and marijuana. It helps to take multiple gentle inhales before you exhale, holding them in for 3 to 5 seconds. This gives you a bigger cloud, a better hit, and keeps the airway clear to minimize clogging.

Tip 8: Keep Your Vape Vertical

Gravity is your friend when it comes to unclogging vapes. If the pen is lying down too long, the e-juice is more likely to settle in the chimney and harden over time. Whenever possible, store your vape with its mouthpiece facing up. It’s a good habit to develop if you use wax or dab as well since these can easily melt and spill everywhere. Consider using a vape stand.

When you do pick up your vape pen, shake it facing its tail end so any liquid that’s trapped in the mouthpiece can slide back towards the coil. This can reduce the likelihood of popping and spitting while also lessening potential clogs when the room temperature changes. Above all, make sure you’re using the correct e-juice thickness, ratio, and proportion for your vape.

Tip 9: Don’t Discard the Cap

Disposable vape pens often come with plastic or silicone caps that cover the mouthpiece and the air holes. For RTAs, RDAs, or refillable pens, the vape might have a protective case. You don’t think about them much, and most people toss the packaging caps. But small bits of lint, sand, and other foreign objects can slip into the mouthpiece or air hole when the vape is idle.

These contaminants can provide a spot where oil can gather and build up, eventually causing a clog. So keep the caps and cases on your vape to prevent things getting in that shouldn’t. It can also be a roundabout way of protecting your vape from water damage in case it gets rain, backsplash, or falls into a puddle. Those hole covers will minimize the droplets that get in.

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