Any vaper (beginner or die-hard) will tell you that a leaking vape is annoying. It’s either you end up with pockets soaked with dripping e-juice or a mouthful of hot unpleasant juice.

But before you completely lose it and toss away your vape, hear us out.

In most cases, vape leaks boil down to 2 or 3 common issues. Something as simple as a dirty tank or damaged coil.

So, don’t panic. Just take a deep breath, then let us walk you through the causes of a leaking vape and how to fix them. And don’t worry, once you’ve pinpointed the issue, solving it will only take a few minutes.

Is it Normal for My Vape to Leak?

Yes! But if it’s a regular occurrence, then you should be concerned.

Leakage usually occurs when the precious vaping juice escapes the vape tank through the airflow system. However, on some occasions, it may drain via the charging port.

The leaking can range from a few drops to having the whole tank’s content dumped in your pockets, which can be quite frustrating.

So, what causes the vape to leak?

During our investigation, we identified several likely causes, which we’ve discussed below. So, let’s see them and work towards addressing them.

Why Is My Vape Leaking?

1. Damaged Coil

Like most components of vape pens, coils have a limited lifespan. Typically, they last anywhere from 1 to 2 weeks. Thus, you might need to change them from time to time.

If your pen leaks suddenly, you are likely dealing with a damaged coil. Faulty or burned-out coils usually prevent the cotton from retaining the vaping juice in balance. Hence, the fluids will leak through the coil.

Apart from the leakage, another telltale sign of a worn-out coil is a burnt taste or discoloration of your vaping juice.

Solution: Replacing the damaged coil is the best solution for this problem. It’s advisable to buy a new coil specifically designed for use on your vape and install it. Ensure you screw it in as tightly and securely enough, or else you might deal with the leakage once more.

2. Improper Use

In this context, improper use refers to poor tightening and over-tightening. Let’s start with the former. In most cases, you need to open and close the tank when refilling. Nevertheless, if you fail to reassemble your tank and its parts properly, expect a few leakage problems.

Make sure you do not overtight the components as you might damage the O-ring that prevents leakage once you close the cap. This can lead to the device leaking.

Note that coils have seals too. If you poorly tighten or damage them, the e-juice might leak out of the vape tank to other chambers.

Solution: Properly assemble all parts of the vape after a refill. Confirm if all the seals are properly placed and fit snuggly. If there are any damaged seals, replace them with new ones.

3. High Temperatures

Vapes can also leak when exposed to direct sunlight or kept in hot areas like the car or sauna. E-liquids are typically thin in high temperatures if they contain less than 70% VG. Because of the thin viscosity, the e-juices in your device can seep through the gaps in the coils and seals, therefore leaking out.

But it’s not only about high temperatures, low temperatures can also cause leaking. When you expose your vape pen to cold, some components can contract and cause leaks.

Solution: Avoid placing your vape in extremely hot or cold environments or spaces with varying temperatures.

4. Wrong E-Liquid

Today, e-liquids are more affordable compared to a few years ago. However, they are not cheap. That explains why some people opt for blends with tiny price tags, particularly from the black market.

But there’s a downside to this. Black markets and homemade vape juice have improper propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG) ratios and fillers. If the e-juice is thick, it won’t vaporize correctly. If it’s too thin, then it can leak all over.

Furthermore, these e-liquids could contain harmful components that can damage your health and shorten your device’s life.

Solution: Make sure you buy e-liquids from trustworthy and reliable dealers. In addition to this point, verify the label on the packaging to ensure you’re purchasing the right juice.

Still on e-liquids, use liquids compatible with your hardware. For example, if you have a cloud chucker or a high-powered device, go for vape juices with higher VG content. VG is arguably thicker than PG, therefore juices with a high VG percentage are thicker.

A blend of 50/50 or 60/60 PG vs VG works just fine for low-powered gadgets like a vape pen.

5. Incorrect Positioning

How you handle or hold your pen determines if it will leak. It’s not recommended to position your device horizontally because it has air holes.

When the vape pen lies on its side for a prolonged period, the e-liquids might flow via the hole in the top into other compartments.

Solution: Keep your device upright or vertical all the time. This way, you can reduce the possibility of leaks.

Why Is My Vape Tank Leaking?

Vape tank or pod leaking is not something new, and it can occur for a variety of reasons, including:

6. Overfilling

During our research, we came across one question from a vaper–why does my vape leak when I refill it?

Just like our stomachs, vape tanks, and pod systems have a limit. However, most vapers overestimate how much e-liquid their gear can handle. As a result, they end up putting excess juice in the tank or pod, which leads to flooding of the coil or causes leakage.

So, what is the right fix for this problem?

Avoid filling your tank or pod to the top. Fortunately, most vape tanks feature a horizontal line to guide you during refilling. So, don’t allow the juice to go beyond the line. Otherwise, you will get rid of the air bubble (or small space) required to form a vacuum and equalize pressure in your gadget.

7. Damaged Tank

If you refill your vape correctly, the leakage problem likely stems from damage to the tank. Even a minor crack, hole, or gap on the tank or pod causes small amounts of vape juices to seep through.

Take apart the tank slowly and carefully, removing the upper section from the lower section and unscrewing the coil. Examine every section of the tank with a magnifying glass or flashlight.

If you discover damage, you should consider getting a new tank. Sure, you can DIY fix the tank, but this is only a short-term solution. To prevent further problems with your pen and potential leakages, replace the tank as soon as possible.

8. Misaligned Components

In case you don’t find any cracks or gaps in the gasket chances are that some components of the vape are misaligned.

Take your time to reassemble every part slowly and carefully. Align all the threads and screw all components together properly. Doing so allows you to restore your hardware to a leak-free state.

9. Poor Maintenance

The other reason you have a leaky pod or tank it’s because you rarely clean your vape device.  We get it. Regular cleaning and maintenance of vape pens is not the most fun thing to do. However, it will save you a lot of trouble. For example, cleaning helps eliminate any vape juice build-up that can reduce your device’s durability and performance–even worse, hurt your health.

After prolonged use, disassemble your tank and drain it. Scrab away residue using a cotton swab, then soak the tank or pod in alcohol and water for at least one hour. Later, remove it, dry the insides with a cotton swab, and leave it to dry.

It’s also recommended you clean the cartridge, battery, charging port, and mouthpiece to keep your device functional.

Why Is My Vape Leaking into My Mouth?

One possible explanation for why you feel a stinging sensation of hot e-liquid at the back of your throat is vaping incorrectly.

Vaping is quite different from smoking. With smoking, you can comfortably take short puffs. In contrast, vapers need to let the e-juice heat up for several seconds before taking the vapors into their lungs. So, if you don’t inhale for long enough, you might draw in the vape juice instead of the vapor.

While vaping, always take short draws slowly so you can provide your device enough time to heat and vaporize your favorite e-liquids.

Why Does My Vape Leak on An Airplane?

As said earlier, there’s an air bubble in the reservoir of a vape tank or pod. The air bubble creates a vacuum that prevents the e-juice from seeping between the seams or leaking out of the atomizer.

But in pressurized environments like in the airplane, the air pressure can force some vape juice through the small coin holes and seals and out of the device. While you might not have control over this situation, it’s crucial to ensure your vape is half full when planning to fly.

Wrapping Up

No vaper loves the constant e-juice drips and spitbacks. It kills the joy of vaping and leads to a bad experience.

Luckily, this article provides you with the possible causes of vape leaks. It could be an overfilled tank, damaged coil, or improper vaping technique. In either case, once you identify the culprit behind the leakage, it’s not difficult to find an effective solution.

Nevertheless, if the quick fixes mentioned fail, call in an expert. But if your gadget is under warranty, we suggest you send it to the manufacturer.

With that, we’ve come to the end of our post. Did you find the piece useful? Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. We would love to hear from you.

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