Long story short. Leaking tank might be caused by using the wrong e-liquid or coil, incorrect PG/VG ratio, faulty tank, faulty coil, or your vape tank isn’t assembled correctly. However, if you want to know more keep reading.
For anyone who owns a vape, one of the most common issues you might run into is noticeable leaking of the tank itself. Given the fact that vapes are designed as they are, leaking is actually quite a logical consequence of using the vape. However, that does not mean that it becomes any less annoying to find your hand covered in a vape juice! That’s why we’ve put together a simple list of solutions to help you get your vape fixed and to stop the leaking ASAP. What then can you do to prevent vape leaking?
Evaluate the issue
First off, take the time to take the tank apart and look closely at what the issue might actually be. Leaking tank or e-cigarettes are often caused by either incorrect assembly or poor conditioning of the tank itself. It would be best if you start by taking it apart and looking at each component. Vape tanks should have little rubber O-shaped rings that seal the gaps, but these might have either moved, snapped or come loose. Either way, replacements o-rings are available as a spare part. Moreover, they are usually in the box with your e-cigarette or tank, or you can get them separately from your local vape shop or online.
Put it back together
Once you have gone through the checking process of the tank, you just need to put your vape back together. This should give you a chance to try it out and see if the leakage is going to stop. If the leaking now stops, then the O-ring was the likely cause of the issue in the first place. However, be careful when putting components back together; excessive tightening will damage the O-rings again.
What now?
So, if the above does not fix the leaking of your tank (and it will in the majority of cases fix the issue), we have some other things to factor into your search. The following suggestions are something to look at as well.
1. Try out a different vape juice
A right starting place might be the actual vape juice that you use. Try and find an e-liquid with the proper VG/PG ratio. High VG liquids tend to be thicker, while high PG liquids are often quite watery and thin. In other words, small starter kits and pods systems are usually the best with 50/50 VG/PG e-liquids which they come in 10ml bottles. While big tanks intended for sub-ohm vaping are the best with the higher VG ratio. It’s not always the case, but it’s a common thing to find that your e-liquid might be the source of some or all of the issues that you are seeing when using your vape in the first place. Keep that in mind as it might help you to ensure that you can get the right mixture. Especially if you make your own e-liquid, changing the balance of VG/PG is likely to result in solutions.
2. Change your holding position.
As long as you keep a vape sitting upright, it’s pretty hard for a leak to start or worsen. However, storing it on its side – which lots of people do – tends to leave some of the atomizers to wick openings susceptible to e-liquid leakage. Suppose you leave your vape overnight in a sideways position. In that case, you might need to leave your e-cigarette sitting upright to avoid more damage. Most of the time, this should solve your issue along with the other points in this article.
3. How hard do you inhale?
Another common reason for a leaking vape comes from taking too hard a draw on your vape regularly. An e-cigarette is a bit different, so you don’t need to smoke this like a regular cigarette. Smaller, simpler draws with a vape is the way to go. Especially for ex-smokers, though, it feels natural to take big and intense draws. Just to mention, it also depends on what e-cigarette you use. However, this sucks excess e-liquid into the atomizer coil, damaging the assembly and leaking out the bottom of your tank or spitting e-liquid into your mouth. Longer, slower draws is the way forward to avoid leakage.
4. How much e-liquid are you using?
Incorrectly filling vape tank with e-juice is probably the most common reason behind leaks. While veterans likely stopped doing this a while ago, a common mistake is to put in too much e-liquid. If you put in too much e-liquid, it can seep into the wrong areas of the tank and do damage and obviously leaking and spitting back your e-liquid while vaping. Anyway, when refilling your tank, there are few steps to follow to avoid leaking. Assure your airflow is closed off, tilt the tank slightly so that the e-liquid is running along with the glass. This will prevent spillage into the chimney. Also, take care not to overfill the tank. Remember that e-cigarette tanks work on air pressure, so you need to leave a little bit of air space in the tank. Many tanks have guidelines to ensure you know when to stop. Once you follow these steps, you will significantly reduce the risk of leaking from your tank.
5. What about the coil?
Another part to check on any vape device over time is the coil. The coil is an essential part of the vaping process, as it allows air to move around without making the e-liquid hard to set. If you are using a stock coil in your tank, you will naturally expect it to do its job as it supposes to. Sometimes, due to manufacturing problems causes, you can get a so-called “dud” coil. That means the coil is damaged and as a result, will make your tank leak. So, you should look to screw the coil nice and tight to the base of your tank, and in case of RTA, leaving enough wicking material to let the e-liquid flow. If you change the coil and it’s still leaking, though, the issue lies elsewhere.
6. Wrong coil?
Each coil is designed for specific kind of vape style and/or type of e-liquid as already mentioned above. For instance, low ohm beefy coils are intended for use with higher VG as they are much thicker. They are also used for sub-ohm vaping. Running high PG juices (50/50), which are thinner, can result in tanks leaking. Same way with higher resistance rated coils. They are designed for less viscous e-juices and running thicker juices can mean it will not wick properly and most likely will burn the coil. So, make sure you are using the correct coil according to your e-liquid.
7. Is the air channel or drip tip moist?
One thing to look out for when filling up your vape is to make sure that you are getting the tank nice and dry. Vapour can begin to condense in the chimney section of your vape, and this can then drip back down into the coil – this can lead to some leakage. No worries, this is a normal thing for every e-cigarette. Look out for that and make sure you are always and if you hear any kind of gurgling noise, you should look to clean it out with tissue regularly.
8. Are you blocking the airwaves?
Make sure you take the time to ensure you are leaving space for air when filling up. We spoke about excessive filling above, but many people fill their tank right up to the rim. We recommend you leave around 10-20% of the available space at the top so that some air can get around. Without the air, your vape cannot make the vacuum that is needed to keep your e-liquid from spilling out. This is an essential part of the decision-making process, so spend some time improving this part of your vaping experience.
9. Faulty tank?
Each vape tank usually contains several parts, which have to be made sound, so that when assembled, it does not leak. Having a tank that has any part faulty can contribute significantly to leaking. It is imperative to take the tank apart, examine each piece and correctly assemble it again to see if leaking can be corrected. If that doesn’t fix the issue, contact your seller to see can he provide you with replacement.
10. Wrong RTA wicking technique?
Wicking your RTA can be great fun as well as a challenge. It’s very satisfying to be able to build your own tank, but if you do it wrong, it will leak. To succeed, you will need the right coil, coil placement, right amount of wicking material and correct wicking technique. Its certainly a learning curve but once you master the art of wicking, you will be able to enjoy vaping without having to worry about leaky tanks.
Take care of your vape
With the above in mind, we hope that you can see just how important it is to care for your vape correctly. Vaping can be tough to get right, especially for newbies. If you follow the basic ideas we have laid out above; though, you should have no problem in caring for your vape and avoiding the needless leakage that can happen.